February 22, 1985

Twenty-four years ago today.

Fast and Pray for Jim!

Jim's surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning (Wednesday Feb. 11, 2009) at 8:30 am.  Mariah has asked that we all 

FAST AND PRAY for him.  

Happpy February Birthdays

When ever I smell sawdust, I think of Dad and his wood shop under the carport in the Sandy house.  He kept all his nails, and screws and little bits and pieces in coffee cans he collected from work.  (we also kept our crayons in a big green coffee can he brought home from work.)  He helped us paint rocks, and make cardboard picture frames to sell for our 'mini-society' and school.  He helped us to use the left over bathroom tiles to make pot holders for mothers day. (which I still have, and use) I climbed scaffolding with him, and helped him to put siding on the house.  He taught me how to paint with long up and down strokes.  We used saw horses and plywood planks with tablecloths over them for family dinners in the back yard, or under the carport.  I also remember the small tables and chairs he made for all the grandchildren for Christmas one year.  (Thanks to Colin for making a table for my kids!!) 

He spent long hours in the basement seated at a card table building his model planes and painting them with those itty bitty jars of paint.

He also loved to draw house plans.  I remember being excited for the new house he had planned to build on the lot in West Jordan.  It had a bathroom like the brady bunch - two doors opening to a bedroom on each side!  It was across the street from a church, and we teased him that if we moved there, he would become the bishop.

What do you remember about Dad and his hobbies?  

Guess who is turning 8?

I can't believe she is growing up so fast! Hannah is getting baptized on Feb. 7, 2009. We hope you will all join us for this special day. There will be a light dinner at our home following the baptism. Please call me for time/ directions and to let me know you are coming so we know how many to plan on. Congratulations Hannah! We love you.

Dad loved a good joke and loved a good story. Oh and by the way, Dad's hair wasn't greasy, he put stuff on it to keep it flat. Do you remember that he went to bed with a nylon stocking on his head? That was to keep it flat too.

Dad used to bring funny stuff home from work. He had an amazing laugh and loved to laugh with us. I kept a few of the things he brought home. Here is one of my favorites I'll share with you.

YOU'LL GET IT IN THE END

Upon arriving home in eager anticipation of a leisurely evening with the new issue of True (a magazine), the husband was met at the door by his sobbing wife. Tearfully she explained, "its the druggist . . . he insulted me terribly this morning on the phone." The husband drove downtown to accost the druggist and demand an apology. Before he could say more than a word or two, the druggist told him, "Now just a moment . . . listen to my side of the story first. This morning, the alarm failed to go off, so I was late getting up. I went without breakfast and hurried out to the car, but 'll be darned if I didn't lock both the house keys and car keys inside. I had to break a window to get my keys. Driving a little too fast, I got a ticket for speeding and then about three blocks from the store, I had a flat tire. When I finally got to the store, there was a large group of people waiting for me to open up. I got the store open and started waiting on the people when the darn phone started ringing. Then I had to break open a roll of nickels against the cash register to make change, and they spilled all over the floor. I got down on my hands and knees to pick them up . . . that darn phone ringing all the while. When I got up, I hit my head on the open register drawer which made my head reel and made me stagger against the showcase of perfume and half the bottles fell to the floor shattering to bits. The phone was still ringing and I finally answered it. It was your wife . . . she wanted to know how to use a rectal thermometer. AND I TOLD HER . . ."

I've had that story for years. It's great.

One year, I think I was in 9th grade, Dad invited me to go to work with him because they were having a Christmas party at work and I was out of school for Christmas break. Some of the guys he worked with were a little rough around the edges. The night before the party, we drove all the way downtown to a special novelty shop where dad purchased a "bottle of whiskey" for the gift exchange. I don't remember if it was for a specific person or if they just picked random gifts. Anyway, this bottle of whiskey looked like the real thing, a fifth of booze, but actually, it was filled with honey - the color of whiskey. Dad took great pride in wrapping it and putting it under the tree at work the next day.

I don't remember what happened with the whiskey bottle or who got it or what their reaction was, but I do remember what dad got. I was standing next to him when he opened it and I don't think he knew what to do with his 14 year old impressionable son standing there. He was so embarrassed! Someone had given him an ice cream cone with a very large pair of women's breasts (plastic) on top where ice cream would normally be.

He looked at it for a minute and then at me. I started lauging. He said "lets not say anything about this" and stuck it in a drawer in his desk. I never saw it again and I was never asked to join him for another office party.

I remember dad would let us do stuff with his hair (comb over). He would lie on the floor and we would put our colored plastic barrettes from the top to the bottom. I remember his hair was greasy but we loved it! I also remember the whisker rubs, Dad had a great 5 oclock shadow and would come home from work and rub our little faces raw.

Karyn