Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today is my dad's birthday. Here are a few memories I have of Dad:

Dad had an appliance store when I was in high school. He made such a creative float in the Famous Preston Rodeo Parade! He piled boxes in the back of his little pickup: washer, dryer, refrigerator, microwave, vacuum, dishwasher and TV boxes piled up as high as the lowest wire along the parade route. (yes, he even went out and measured!)

His creative mind was at its best on Christmas eve. We could expect some kind of trap ready to catch the earliest riser on Christmas morning. They began with as simple as a string stretched across the living room entrance. When the string was walked into, noisy metal milk buckets jangled and Dad hollered: "go back to bed!" One year he piled chairs and bar stools in the entrance. They got more high tech as the years went by. He put a tape recorder in a present that spoke to us when we turned on the light. He put the burgalar alarm on everyone's bedroom doors one year. And the list could go on and on...

One time Dad was in the grocery store with his brother Kent. They noticed that their sister Margene was there shopping, but she didn't see them. They followed her through the store putting things in her cart when she wasn't looking that she never would buy (probably beer, coffee and who knows what else). When she got up to the check out she was surprised by what was coming out of her cart! Dad's aunt Udell worked there and I don't know if she was the checker but she was aware of what was going on and finally clued Margene in by pointing to her two laughing brothers hiding from her view.

We were going to go on a family trip one year to California. Dad taught us how to brainstorm about how to get there. Dad wrote down all the ideas: motorhome, airplane, car, etc. David was probably about 4 and he yelled out, "motorcycles!" We all burst out laughing. Except for Dad. He told us that there were no wrong answers when you were brainstorming and he wrote it down on the white board. (We didn't take motorcycles.)

Dad sticks up for what is right. One time when he was in the army two guys were seeing who could out do each other with their profanity. Every morning they would yell their obscenities through the barracks. One day my dad could take it no more and he got up and told them to shut up. The guys told Dad that he had better watch his back because they would get him if he were ever alone. Both guys did catch him alone and both told him thank you for making them stop because they didn't know how to stop themselves.

My dad helped me through some times of indecision. He pointed me in the right direction and set my feet on the path, including helping me discern answers to my prayers concerning who I should marry. From time to time my dad has helped me discover my gifts. Together with my mom he gave me the very most important gift that parents can give their children. He gave me the beginnings of my own testimony. I will be forever grateful for my dad!