52 Week Challenge: Question 6
Have any of your family members died? If so, what did they die from? What do you remember of their deaths? What were the circumstances of their deaths?
TYLER:
My father passed away when I was 22 years old. My dad died on November 11, 1993. My parents had divorced while I was on my mission. When I came home the house that I had grown up in had been sold and my mom was living in Ephraim, Utah with my brother Brett. My sister Lori and her husband ( at the time) Jeff were living in Germany where he was stationed with the Air Force. When I returned home I moved into a condo with my dad in Orem, Utah. Dad and I were living together when he passed away. I was going to college and working at Wordperfect at the time. The day he died I was at Kristin's apartment. The Utah Country Sheriff's Department tracked me down there through a crazy network of friends. My dad had a heart attack next to his car in the parking lot of our condo. He was discovered by one of our neighbors who called 911. He was rushed to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. I was told that my dad had been taken to the hospital and to get there as quickly as I could. They didn't answer any other questions. I was just told to go to the hospital as soon as possible. Kristin and I headed there and quickly realized that things didn't look good. The hospital staff took us into a private room and informed me of my father's death. I then was given a few minutes with him and I had to sign paper work and fill out donor information. It was a good thing that Kris was with me that day. She was so supportive. I also found out that my father had died immediately upon having his heart attack.
My dad had had rheumatic fever when he was a child. It had weakened his heart and left him with scar tissue on his heart. He was also a Type 2 diabetic and had been diagnosed with heart disease a few years before he died. He had had several minor heart attacks prior to his passing. He had also had an angioplasty done and had been walking regularly to improve his activity level. About a month earlier he had been into his cardiologist for a check up and his EKG showed that he was doing well. His death came as a shock.
I was the one to call all the family. My sister, Lori, flew in from Germany. Lori, Brett, and I made all the arrangements and planned his funeral. It was a very difficult time. I was the sole responsible party. I was the executor of his will. I also gave the eulogy at his funeral. I was the one who cleaned out our apartment, put furniture into storage, cleaned out his office, paid off the last of his bills, and finalized his estate. I also had to find a place to live for myself. I moved into BYU housing. It was a difficult experience and I had to learn and grow in ways that I never had before as a 22 year old.
Two weeks after my dad died, Kristin invited me up to her family's lake house in Northern Idaho for Thanksgiving. We had been dating for about 4 months at the time. I hit it off right away with her Grandpa Ellersick. He took me under his wing that trip. His own father had died at the same age as mine... 58 years old. He knew what I was feeling and knew just what to say. I remember that he told me that the day your father dies you stop being a boy and become a man. No truer words have ever been spoken.
It was interesting that my own son was born 7 years later on November 11th (the anniversary of my dad's death). Kameron's birth helped turn a sad day into a happy one. Kameron is my dad's only grandson. The last of the Johnson line.
KRISTIN:
Well, that's a dreary topic. Not all of these questions are fun to write about are they? I guess I will discuss my grandparents. I was blessed with absolutely amazing grandparents on both sides including my step-dad's mother (My Nana) and grandmother who are as much grandparents to me as my blood relations.
The first of my grandparents to die was my Grandma McKinnon. (My dad's mom). It was hard. We lived in the same town (Provo) and I saw her at least once a week. Tyler and I were newlyweds then and we went to my grandparents house a lot. My grandma loved Tyler and just thought that he was the greatest guy ever. The last time I saw her we had gone over to their house to tell them that I was pregnant with Reilly. She was one of the people that I was the most excited to tell our news to because I knew that she would be so excited and she was! She was one of those people who lived and breathed for her grandchildren. She called me, Stacey, and Kelley her "Little Sweethearts" even after we were all in college. I knew that she would flip out to have a great-grandchild on the way. I remember her looking at me and saying, "Are you kidding me? You better not be kidding me. It's not nice to tease Grandma!" We had a great visit. The next weekend we went to Rexburg for my cousin, Jaymon's, mission farewell. We got the call early that morning in our hotel room from my mom telling us that Grandma had passed away. It was unexpected and she hadn't been ill. She was 84 years old. It was really hard losing her...the first of the grandparents to go... and I always wished that she could have lived to see Reilly. She would've loved having another "Little Sweet Heart" to spoil.
My Grandpa McKinnon outlived my Grandma by about 4 1/2 years. I worried that my Grandpa wouldn't fair very well without my Grandma but he rallied pretty well. He kept himself busy working on his farm, going fishing with his fishing buddy about 6 days a week, going to the Senior Center for lunch everyday, and even made himself a special lady friend. I think he knew that he had to stay busy and so he did. He used to make me cry with laughter telling me about all the "widow women" at the senior center and at church who were "after him". Tyler and I got him a baseball hat one year for his birthday that said "Women love me and fish fear me". He thought that was hilarious and wore that hat all the time.
He was in pretty good health up until the last year of his life when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He had smoked during WWII and gave that up when he came home from the war but he had also worked at the Geneva Steel Plant, which was an emissions nightmare, and I am convinced that was most likely the culprit. The last year he declined rapidly. He was on an oxygen tank and that kept him house bound for the most part and he hated it. No more fishing...no going to the senior center...no working on the farm. My Uncle Clayton and his wife, Emily, lived in his house with him. The last five months of his life he was really sick. He was a terrible patient and refused to eat and didn't want to have hospice come daily. My uncle and his wife worked during the day so me, Stacey, and Kelley took turns driving to Provo (we all lived in Salt Lake by then) every day to check on him. We would bring him lunch, force him to eat it, and to take his medication. He listened to us better than anyone else, which still wasn't that great, but he liked us visiting plus we knew all of his favorite foods. Every day for about 4 months one of us visited him. That was the summer that I was HUGELY PREGNANT with Kameron. Every third day Reilly and I would drive to Provo to go visit Papa McKinnon as Reilly called him. We would bring him cheeseburgers and milk shakes, grilled cheese and french fries, Twinkies, Ding Dongs, ice cream, and always an icy cold Coke. He would usually at least eat some of the food we brought and eventually take his medication because he "couldn't take all the nagging!" Ha ha!
Grandpa and Reilly had a special relationship. He adored her. He played and played with her. He would read books with her. He loved to watch Barney with her. I would bring Barney videos with me to entertain her while I helped my grandpa but he always wanted to watch them with her. He would say to Reilly, "Are we gonna watch Barney or what?!" She would climb up onto his lap in his recliner and snuggle right up to him. She didn't care about his oxygen tubes or his hacking cough. She loved being with him. Every time I think about that summer I can see the two of them sitting in his chair eating Twinkies and watching Barney together. Grandpa would ask her, "What's that thing supposed to be? Reilly would say, "A dinosaur" and Grandpa would say, "What?! That thing's a dinosaur? That don't look like a dinosaur to me!" and the two of them would laugh and laugh.
Grandpa McKinnon died a month before Kameron was born. I was so sad about that. My Grandpa never had a grandson and he was excited to finally get one. I remember the day I told him that Kameron was a boy. His whole face lit up with excitement. Then he looked at me and Reilly, grinned and chuckled and said, "Well, girls aren't bad either. Nosy and bossy... but not bad." My Grandpa McKinnon died at 87 years old.
That was a very sad time. The end of an era. I was glad that my grandpa wasn't suffering anymore and he really had been and I was glad that he was with my grandma again but life was forever altered. They were really the only tie that we had with our dad at that time and life was forever different without Grandma and Grandpa McKinnon in it.
My Grandpa Ellersick (my mom's dad) died a week after Kameron was born. That took the last bit of any coping skills that I had at the time. The two most significant father figures in my life were gone within a month. It brought me to my knees. I was also very close to my Grandpa Ellersick. He and my Grandma lived in Northern Idaho on the lake. Our lake. The lake house that we spend any spare moment we possibly can at. :) My Grandpa McKinnon was a funny and lovable character and my Grandpa Ellersick was pure love. I can't even really find the words to express how kind, gentle, loving, sweet, nonjudgmental, and Christ-like this man was. Unconditional love personified.
Once when I was about ten years old one of my grandma's weird friends came up to me and said, "You know how special your grandpa is don't you? I was like.."Yeah..." and she said "Well he is the closest person to Jesus Christ that I've ever known! And don't you forget that!" I was like "Okkkaayyy." I thought that was the most bizarre thing that I had ever heard. I went and told my Grandpa and he howled with laughter and said, "Maybe she needs to get her eyes checked!" but I have often reflected on that strange comment over the years and I know that my grandma's weird friend was right. He really is the most Christ-like person that I have ever known. He just drew people to him. All kinds of people. He loved everyone and had compassion on everyone. I remember him many times saying to me and others in the family when we were talking about someone who bugged us and he would say "Well...they've had rough life by golly." He never judged anyone or thought badly of anyone. He served others his entire life and made everyone feel like they were the most important person. I can guarantee that every one of my siblings and my cousins would say that we each felt that we were extra special to him.
My Grandpa Ellersick had been sick for years. He suffered terribly from Rheumatoid Arthritis and he had heart problems due to the medication that he had taken for years for his arthritis. He had been in and out of the hospital for the previous 5 years. We all knew that each year that we had with him was precious. I remember Grandma and Grandpa Ellersick calling me multiple times that past month to check on me, to see how I was doing with my pregnancy, and to give lots of words of love and comfort to me about losing Grandpa McKinnon. (I think both sets of grandparents had many conversations with each other about how they could best support us over the years. We were truly so blessed.) Either Grandpa McKinnon or Grandpa Ellersick would jump in for all the significant dad things over the years. The last conversation that I had with Grandpa Ellersick was when I had just come home from the hospital after having Kameron and he and Grandma were calling to see how we were doing. Then a few days later he was gone. That was a really hard time and being postpartum did not help. My Grandpa Ellersick died when he was 77 years old.
The other most significant loss has been my Uncle Mike. That is still fresh and tender. You can read about that here and here. My two miscarriages were two painful losses as well. Tyler and I have loved and grieved for those babies. I often think about what might have been and I know that both of us are so grateful for the knowledge that we have of eternal families.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
52 Week Challenge: Question 6
Thursday, February 11, 2016
January: Things I am Loving
January: Things I Am Loving
Despite my weird month there were several things that made January better:
1.) Home Fires
Anybody watching this? It is great! It's about a rural English town on the verge of WWII as the women of the community put aside their differences and join forces amidst the chaos and uncertainty of wartime. I loved it and can't wait for Season two.
And...if you still haven't watched this:
I seriously don't know what you are waiting for!! Season 2 starts this summer. Get watching!!
2.) Green Smoothies
I finally GET what all the hubbub has been about! I'm on board!! Finally. I have had green smoothies here and there over the years and I thought they were okay. But it took me creating a concoction that I absolutely love to crave them and believe me I do. Tyler has his version which is also delicious but looks like liquid guacamole. I have to close my eyes or put it an opaque cup with a lid to enjoy but mine is bright green, tart, and tastes like joy! I drink a 32 oz one daily chock full of power greens!!
3.) Tulips
I mentioned these in my last post but they are worth mentioning again. They really are the cheeriest of flowers. Go buy some.
4.) Kameron's Low Voice
5.) Podcasts
Now...onto FEBRUARY!!
Tuesday, February 09, 2016
January
January: The Highs and the Lows
January is my least favorite month. I hate un-decorating the house after the holidays are over. Everything seems so bleak and blah. I am always done with snow and ready for Spring to arrive toute de suite. Last year I attempted to embrace January and use it as a time to renew and relax, to nestle in and get cozy, to read, go on dates with Tyler, and binge watch TV. It made it a bit better. I tried to do it again this year with mixed results. January is just so long, cold, and gray. It drives me crazy. The fact that 2016 got off to a bit of a rocky start didn't help.
The Highs:
It's all about faking it until you make it. So I have been pretending it is spring until it actually is spring. I have purchased three different bouquets of tulips this month. It helped. I am about to start forcing branches off of my crab apple tree to bloom as well.
Kameron had a rare opportunity to try out for Wind Ensemble this month. This is the premiere band at his high school. He tried out this fall and didn't make it. His teacher told him that he was very close. Luckily someone moved and another opportunity arrived to audition. Kameron jumped on it and practiced his butt off. HE MADE IT!! This has pretty much been the highlight of his life thus far. He is a little peon freshman trumpet player in a sea of juniors and seniors. It's awesome!!
It was RUBBER CHICKEN and that is always a lot of fun!! Rubber Chicken is the spirit competition between our high school and our big rival. The varsity girls play a basketball game, the cheerleaders perform, the dance team performs, and then the varsity boys play a basketball game. At the end of the LONG but FUN night Chuck the Rubber Chicken is awarded to the school with the most school spirit. They take into account who wins both games, who wins the cheerleading competition, who has the best half time show (which is elaborate), who wins the dance team competition, plus the elaborate props and costuming that the both student bodies put into the night. The students buy bags with all kinds of props and t-shirts. It's awesome. This year the theme for our school was Peace, Love, Chuck so we had a 60's hippie theme.
Reilly was texting me non-stop wanting to know who was winning and what was going on and how the dance team did. She loved performing at Rubber Chicken when she was on the dance team in high school.
It is such a great community event full of parents, students, and siblings. It felt like our whole stake was there. It was officially our combined youth activity for mutual that night. It was a blast! We saw Kameron once. He was off in his glory with his friends and we were hanging out with ours so it worked out great!
Sadly we did not bring Chuck the Rubber Chicken home this year!! (Technically this was the picture we texted to Elle when we found out that her pet bird died...but it served two purposes.)
Speaking of Reilly, she is doing great with school and work and getting all kinds of practice cutting hair. I think she cuts the hair of most of the people in her ward now. This is her very devoted home teacher. He goes to BYU.
It was Disney day at school for Ailey and Bryn. Ailey and her friends went all out. They made tutus and hair things (not show in this picture) and planned for weeks. Bryn, on the other hand, couldn't have cared less...which was actually a little surprising. Like I said on Instagram I asked her what she wanted to dress up like (Elle was all decked out as Minnie Mouse) and she just threw on an old Frozen t-shirt and said, "I'm good." Hilarious. I volunteered in Bryn and Elle's class that day and most of the girls were dressed up and I asked Bryn if she wished she would've done more and she just replied, "Nope." I didn't get a chance to run up to Ailey's class while I was there but luckily her friend's mom texted pictures to all the parents.
Ailey has a great group of friends and they have a lot of fun together. They are getting so much more social and teenager-y. No more play dates. "Drop us off at Starbucks please" or the yogurt place or wherever they want to hang out. There is constant texting and chatting on the phone. So far not much drama this year which has been absolutely fantastic.
Tyler and I were laughing (in a crazy hysterical fashion) and shuddering that Ailey is right in the pubening (See the tv show the Goldbergs for meaning) and unfortunately due to the fact that boys mature later than girls...so is Kameron! Instead of one emotional roller coaster we currently have two. Here we were thinking that we were so smart having our kids four years apart and thinking that it would save us from multiple teenagers at one time. I mean... hello... we just barely survived Reilly!! I thought we might at least get a break for a year. Nah. (Maybe this shouldn't be filed under the highs.)
Kameron is doing great with his bagpipe lessons.You start out on the chanter and then after you play that for a year you move onto the full bagpipes. He made his first move from the chintzy plastic chanter that he started on to this nicer wood one made in Scotland. He was excited when this arrived!! The boy loves music!!
Ailey had New Beginnings!! I can't believe that she turns twelve in June and will be with me in Young Womens. That will be fun!! She was so excited and had such a fun night as we celebrated all the incoming Beehives for 2016.
I didn't take a whole bunch of pictures this month. Things were equal parts low key and equal parts crazy. I did have several fun date nights with Tyler which were much needed, we had a great time with the kids, and I had some much needed outings and lunches with friends. It was nice.
Now for...
THE LOWS:
There was really only one low but it was pretty scary and all-consuming. The Sunday after New Years I was at church and had a bad headache and eye ache. I had had this off and on for about a week but while I was at church I was thinking about my head and eyes aching and it reminded me of having hypertension with my pregnancies. I felt prompted to take my blood pressure when I got home. I dusted off my old bp monitor and sure enough my blood pressure was really high. I was pretty shocked because whenever I have check ups and things like that my bp is always normal. I have only ever had issues when I was pregnant and once our babies were born it went away. That afternoon I laid down, read, and took it easy. I checked it multiple times and it had come down a bit but was still running high.
The next morning was Monday and I kept an eye on it and it stayed high. I called my doctor's office and made and appointment for that Wednesday. Tyler went with me and I got checked out. My bp was even higher there. It was surprising to my doctor and PA because I don't fit any of the criteria for high bp. No family history, none of the other lifestyle issues that can cause it, and my BMI is normal etc. I was prescribed a low dose of blood pressure medication to bring it down; they ran a whole battery of blood tests, and I was told to follow up in two weeks. All my blood tests were normal. The first week was okay. My bp was lowered but not super low. But then I started to have dizzy spells and I felt so run down that I could barely function. I was assured that bp medication can cause fatigue for the first few weeks. After I had been on the medication for about a week and a half I felt like I had been hit by a truck...tired and dizzy. I would drop the kids off at school and literally come home and take a two hour nap. I would get up and try to accomplish something and be so tired and miserable that I would have to lay back down again. I would go to bed at 6 pm. At around my two week mark it was once again Sunday. I had been having some tingling in my arm and leg on and off for a few days which my doctor and PA knew about but this particular Sunday it was really bad and didn't go away. I went to church and it just got worse and worse. I ate something thinking maybe that was the problem. That didn't help. I went and laid down thinking maybe that would help. No. I rested for maybe 15 minutes and my symptoms got so much worse. By then the whole left side of my body was numb and tingling then my face was numb and tingling. Then my tongue on one side was numb. NOT GOOD! I told Tyler and we headed to the ER. I was pretty sure that I was having a stroke.
I was immediately taken back and run through a whole battery of tests to determine if I was having a stroke. I didn't have any face drooping or things like that but it felt like my left arm and leg were working very sluggishly. My blood pressure was fairly high so an IV was put it, an EKG was done (to see how my heart was functioning), and another slew of more intensive blood tests were done and more tests were done to test how my brain was reacting. Thank heavens I passed them all. My blood work and EKG also came back normal. I wasn't having a stroke but they didn't really know what was going on. The ER doctor didn't feel that I needed an MRI based on my test results and sent me home and told me to follow up with my doctor at the appointment I had scheduled for Wednesday. He explained that just like blood pressure can spike for unknown reasons so paresthesias (numbness and tingling) can occur for unknown reasons. He didn't feel that I was having a TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack) either. Thank goodness. The ER doc wanted me to monitor my blood pressure regularly and record it at a particular time each day for a week and continue taking my meds. Then after about three hours I went home. The picture above is of me and Ailey after I got home from the ER and had been facetiming with Reilly.
I had another appointment on Wednesday. I was still having tingling and dizziness but not to the same crazy extent. My bp was high when I was at my appointment but it had been normal to low every day prior. I explained what had happened the Sunday before and why I went to the ER. It was pretty baffling to them. They were wondering if my medication was causing my symptoms but none of the side effects common to the meds were the ones I was experiencing. I was told that they were sending my records over to a neurologist for a consult. He said that they would probably want to see me to rule out MS. Terrifying. (There is a large MS cluster in my area. No one knows why.) As I was handed my papers and was leaving my appointment I noticed his notes at the bottom that said if my bp was below 110/75 to call him. I told him "I would be calling you every day." My systolic number (the top #) is usually in the low 90s. Then he said that I now might be hypotensive. My bp dose was halved and I was told to continue to monitor my bp and follow up in three weeks and that I should hear back from the neurology group in a day or so if they wanted to see me.
That night my sister, Jordin, who is a nurse called me to see how my appointment went. She asked me in detail for my bp log and absolutely flipped out. Apparently my bp was way too low to be taking meds to lower it further. Even my half dose was taking it way too low. No one ever told me this. I would test my bp before bed and my systolic would be in the low 90s to 80s. She told me to absolutely not have my systolic in that range and then take meds to lower it further. (Apparently you can go into cardiac arrest if it gets too low. Swell.) That night before bed my systolic was around 90 (my diastolic was normal) and she told me to hold my meds and to test again the next day. My bp stayed low. I held my meds all day. That afternoon the doctor's office called me to say that the neuro group definitely wanted to see me ASAP. I was scheduled for an MRI the next day. My bp continued to stay low. I was worried that me worrying about getting an MRI done would make my bp spike...it went up a little but was still in the normal range. I'm sure it was up when I was at Inland Imaging getting my MRI done but by the time I was home it was low again. My sister was convinced that I didn't need the meds that I was taking to lower my bp. She said that they never just immediately put someone like me on bp meds right away. Having my bp be super low could be causing my terrible fatigue, dizziness, and tingling.
I was trying not to freak out about having an MRI and potentially MS. Not an easy task. Tyler's cousin has MS and it has been a very difficult road for her. I was scared to have the MRI. The office asked me if I suffered from claustrophobia. Hells Yeah!! They were like "How bad?" "Try I couldn't breathe because I had a cast on my arm bad." (Remember that? Good ol'cast claustrophobia.) I was prescribed a sedative. THANK GOODNESS. Well... then I started worrying about that. Tyler was crazy as all get out from his sedative for his vasectomy. Then I was freaking out about everything but trying to look and act like I was okay. I failed miserably with Tyler but I think the kids bought it.
Obviously I wasn't given as big of a sedative as a person who is having a vasectomy. I took one tablet expecting to be whacked out. Nothing. I was told I could take two pills if needed. Tyler told me to "TAKE THE OTHER ONE!!" I was like...great...you're the one that's going to have to deal with me. Turns out it felt like it just took the edge off. I wasn't so jittery and my heart wasn't racing. The MRI was extra confining because they were taking pictures of my head...obviously. Well... the good news was I did not freak out while getting my MRI done. Not remotely. I thought it was pretty cool and felt like I was on a space ship so CLEARLY the sedatives were working.
Unfortunately this was done on a Friday afternoon and I had a whole weekend to wait to hear the results. I figured it wasn't an aneurysm or they wouldn't have sent me home. I researched how to live with MS all weekend. Monday morning I got the call that my MRI was normal. Hallelujah!!
So now I am completely off the bp meds. My bp has been normal for almost 2 weeks now. I am starting to have more energy and feeling a little more normal. So yeah...January got off to a rough start but it REALLY could have been so much worse.
Saturday, February 06, 2016
52 Week Challenge: Question 5
52 Questions: Question 5
What kind of work do your parents do (or did)?
I think Tyler and I have pretty much answered that question in the previous posts about our parents. I guess I can elaborate on my dad and step-dad.
Larry, my step-dad, the dad who raised me...worked in medical sales while I was growing up. He sold neonatal equipment to hospitals and traveled constantly. He was a great salesman and had a very large territory. He worked for several different medical equipment companies, Litton and IMED being two of them. He could live anywhere and just needed an airport nearby. He would be gone for about 3 days out of every week. He and my mom pretty much personified the 80's yuppie power couple. He currently lives in Kansas City.
My dad attended BYU. He majored in Business Management/Finance and minored in Economics. (All of this I just recently found out.) When I was little my dad worked at a bank. After my parents divorced he moved to Southern Idaho for a few years and then settled in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has worked for many years in the gambling industry as a pit boss for several large casinos. He retired in 2015. He is still living in Las Vegas with his girlfriend of over 20 years, Gayle. She is very kind, loving, and good for him.
I asked him what he enjoyed about his career in the gaming industry...
He Said:
There is no real way to sum up my 35 year career in the Nevada Casino Gaming Industry. It was everything. Exciting, fun, glamorous, hard work, rewarding, disappointing, educational, diverse, and once in a while a little dangerous.
I worked from the northern most point in Nevada (Jackpot) to the southern most point (Prim State Line.) But the biggest share of my time was in the Las Vegas area (the Strip and downtown Freemont Street.)
One of the things that I liked most was working with people from all over the world and having customers from all over the world. I also liked being a teacher. Helping new dealers learn the skills and procedures to make them successful in their new careers. But what I liked most was that every day was different.
Being a Pit Boss on the Las Vegas Strip was very exciting. People knew who I was and I received a lot of respect. But I had to earn that respect by doing a good job, treating people fairly, and knowing how to handle many different kinds of situations. Of course when I walked into the Pit at 6' 5'' and wearing a good suit and tie it didn't hurt my image either.
The casino industry afforded me many opportunities that I would not have had working in a bank office or sitting on a tractor planting corn in Provo, Utah. While most of the gambling customers were average folks looking for a good exciting time on a budget, every day was different. You never knew who would walk in and sit down at one of your tables. I had the opportunity to meet and socialize with celebrities, movie stars, entertainers, pro athletes, and national politicians. My job really expanded my view of the world.
I guess this about sums up my gaming career. There was good and bad. But for me the good outweighed the bad. The gaming life is not for everyone, but it was a profession that I enjoyed. I would not have changed a thing about my job. Love you, Dad.
Thursday, February 04, 2016
Book Reviews
Winter Book Reviews
Here's what I have been reading lately. I have been on a weird Scientology journey. People say Mormons are weird...not even. It has been disturbing and fascinating. And... I've read some fun things too.
Starting off with Scientology. You know how I get... I start reading something or see something and then I end up on some crazy side adventure. That's what happened with Scientology. It all started with me watching the documentary Going Clear. You always hear about Scientology and famous Scientologists and yet you don't hear much about their actual doctrine and beliefs. So I watched the documentary. I figured that it would be a bunch of ex-members who were now disgruntled outspoken critics of the religion so I took it all with a grain of salt. The film was really quite compelling and equal parts fascinating and horrifying; and it left me wanting to know more. I knew that there was more to the story and people that were portrayed in the documentary so I decided to read the book that it was based upon. I couldn't put the book down. It was mesmerizing. I forced Tyler to read it too. He ended up listening to the audio version...which is great. I cannot tell you how many nights we have stayed up late discussing the craziness of L.Ron Hubbard, the current sociopathic leader David Miscavage, and crazy Tom Cruise. Fascinating stuff I tell you!!
Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright
From Goodreads:
A clear-sighted revelation, a deep penetration into the world of Scientology... Lawrence Wright uses his extraordinary investigative skills to uncover for us the inner workings of the Church of Scientology: its origins in the imagination of science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard; its struggles to find acceptance as a legitimate (and legally acknowledged) religion; its vast, secret campaign to infiltrate the U.S. government; and its dramatic efforts to grow and prevail after the death of Hubbard.
I found this book interesting and extremely disturbing. You need to have someone read it with you because you will absolutely need someone to discuss all the crazy things you are reading about with. I, personally, think this would be a fantastic non-fiction book for a book club. SO MUCH TO DISCUSS!! I really can't believe that people belong to this church and go along with their practices. Truly they get sucked in and can't get out. (Hello John Travolta!) The Bible says that by their fruits ye shall know them...and the fruits of this religion are rotten.
This book then lead me onto read Troublemaker by Leah Remini and watching various news programs on Youtube that showed interviews with Miscavage and L. Ron Hubbard and others. I read this book with my phone in my hand so that I could google people, places and events. It's been a weird ride learning about Scientology and I am done now. It did leave me feeling terribly sorry for John Travolta, loathing Tom Cruise, and absolutely incredulous about the things this so-called religion has done and continues to do. So disturbing.
My Rating: Very Good...but I didn't love how Wright tried to off and on compare Mormons to Scientologists and L.Ron Hubbard to Joseph Smith. Not even in the same ballpark. It was okay and not too bad until the epilogue. One sentence in the epilogue took this book from a five star to a four star.
TroubleMaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini
So, of course, I had to read this book after I read Going Clear. Leah Remini corroborates all of the allegations against Scientology and adds a bunch of Hollywood gossip.
From Goodreads:
Leah Remini has never been the type to hold her tongue. That willingness to speak her mind, stand her ground, and rattle the occasional cage has enabled this tough-talking girl from Brooklyn to forge an enduring and successful career in Hollywood. But being a troublemaker has come at a cost. That was never more evident than in 2013, when Remini loudly and publicly broke with the Church of Scientology. Now, in this frank, funny, poignant memoir, the former King of Queens star opens up about that experience for the first time, revealing the in-depth details of her painful split with the church and its controversial practices.
I find Leah Remini annoying and I don't care a bit about her rise to fame but her take on Scientology from the inside was interesting and sad. I think you would want to read Going Clear first or at least watch the documentary before reading this book so that you will have a better understanding of the concepts, phrases, and programs within Scientology that she is talking about.
Was I done with my little side trip down Scientology lane? No, I have also now watched multiple interviews online and on YouTube of other Scientologists talking about their experiences within the organization. It is so disturbing and truly horrifying. It's like watching a train wreck... a crazy train wreck that is.
My Rating: A fairly interesting inside look at Scientology with some Hollywood gossip on the side.
Miramont's Ghost by Elizabeth Hall
From Goodreads:
Miramont Castle, built in 1897 and mysteriously abandoned three years later, is home to many secrets. Only one person knows the truth: Adrienne Beauvier, granddaughter of the Comte de Challembelles and cousin to the man who built the castle. Clairvoyant from the time she could talk, Adrienne’s visions show her the secrets of those around her. When her visions begin to reveal dark mysteries of her own aristocratic French family, Adrienne is confronted by her formidable Aunt Marie, who is determined to keep the young woman silent at any cost. Marie wrenches Adrienne from her home in France and takes her to America, to Miramont Castle, where she keeps the girl isolated and imprisoned. Surrounded by eerie premonitions, Adrienne is locked in a life-or-death struggle to learn the truth and escape her torment.
I hated this book. It started off intriguing and then it took a wrong turn and by the end I was sorry that I had wasted my time. It was gloomy and absolutely depressing. There is nothing redeeming about it. I liked the first few chapters of four year old Adrienne with her Grandfather in France in the late 1800s but after that it went down hill fast. The ending was the worst.
My Rating: Terrible.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
I loved this book as a little girl and I wanted to see how it held up now that I am an adult and if my girls would like it. It held up wonderfully. I really love this book.
From Goodreads:
When orphaned Mary Lennox comes to live at her uncle's great house on the Yorkshire Moors, she finds it full of secrets. The mansion has nearly one hundred rooms, and her uncle keeps himself locked up. And at night, she hears the sound of crying down one of the long corridors. The gardens surrounding the large property are Mary's only escape. Then, Mary discovers a secret garden, surrounded by walls and locked with a missing key. One day, with the help of two unexpected companions, she discovers a way in. Is everything in the garden dead, or can Mary bring it back to life?
This book is charming and the garden is enchanting. I read it in bleak January and it left me longing for spring. Beautifully written and a classic for a reason.
My Rating: Excellent
Strong and Kind by Korie Robertson
From Goodreads:
What America needs today are parents who don’t just say they value these virtues but who live them and passionately and boldly teach them to their children. It’s up to me and you and every parent in America to make the necessary changes to give our children the opportunity to change the world. We do that by instilling good character traits in them so that they will be capable of being the adults our world needs.
When I was reading this book I just kept thinking, this is just good ol' common sense parenting."Raising children of good character requires thoughtful, consistent, intentional parenting". Yep. No kidding. But then I looked around me and I realized that common sense, intentional, and faith-based parenting is on a steep decline. I am glad such practical and straight forward books about parenting exist and that Korie Robertson uses her public platform for good. Parenting is hard and raising children of good character and strong values, who love the Lord, and let their light shine is difficult in an ever darkening world. I love that books like these exist. I love that there are books out there that talk about praying with your children, reading the scriptures, instilling the gospel into their every day lives, and modeling the values that we want to instill in our children. I am glad that books like this are being written by intentional parents. Even though it was nothing new and was definitely geared to parents of young children rather than teenagers, it was still a good thoughtful read and reminder.
My Review: Pretty good...definitely geared to parents of young children.
The Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer
From Goodreads:
In The Reluctant Widow, Elinor Rochdale, a young woman of good birth but straitened circumstances, sets out to accept a position as a governess and ends up plunged into a tangle of foreign intrigue instead. Elinor's adventure begins when she inadvertently mistakes the carriage waiting at the coach stop for one sent by her prospective employer, Mrs. Macclesfield. She finds herself carried to the estate of one Ned Carlyon, who Elinor mistakes for Mr. Macclesfield. Carlyon, meanwhile, believes Elinor to be the young woman he hired to marry his dying cousin, Eustace Cheviot, in order to avoid inheriting Cheviot's estate himself. Somehow, Elinor is talked into marrying Eustace on his deathbed and thus becomes a widow almost as soon as the ring is on her finger. What starts out as a simple business arrangement soon becomes much more complicated as housebreakers, uninvited guests, a shocking murder, missing government papers, and a dog named Bouncer all contribute to this lively, frequently hilarious tale of mistaken identities, foreign espionage, and unexpected love set during the Napoleonic Wars.
I love Georgette Heyer's Regency books. They are cozy, funny, and romantic reads. Georgette Heyer does a fantastic job. This is the 3rd book of her's that I have read and it is my second favorite. My personal favorite is Frederica. They are always delightful! I loved the cast of quirky characters and their witty repartee. This book had mystery and a tinge of gothic that made it different from the other Heyer books that I've read. There were secret passage ways, spies, treason, murder, and a dilapidated manor house. It was great! Of course there was the unlikely romance and the dashing Lord Carlyon. But what I truly loved were the family relationships...especially the brothers...it was hilarious. I really enjoyed this book.
My Rating: A charming and amusing adventure in the English country side during the Napoleonic Wars.
Armada by Ernest Cline
From Goodreads:
Zack Lightman has spent his life dreaming. Dreaming that the real world could be a little more like the countless science-fiction books, movies, and video games he’s spent his life consuming. Dreaming that one day, some fantastic, world-altering event will shatter the monotony of his humdrum existence and whisk him off on some grand space-faring adventure. But hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little escapism, right? After all, Zack tells himself, he knows the difference between fantasy and reality. He knows that here in the real world, aimless teenage gamers with anger issues don’t get chosen to save the universe. And then he sees the flying saucer.
I absolutely loved and adored Ready Player One so I was very excited to read another book by the same author. I enjoyed this book but didn't love it. Ready Player One is a much better book but this was still entertaining. I enjoy Ernst Cline's writing and I look forward to reading more from him. I just felt that this book was a bit flat in comparison. I loved the premise but I felt that somewhere along the way the plot got a little lost and the ending was anticlimactic. So, if you are looking for a recreation of Ready Player One you will be disappointed. But that said, it was still a fun read with many hilarious parts and even conspiracy theories. Who doesn't love that?! I found it enjoyable just not on the same level as the previous book but I look forward to reading more Ernst Cline.
My Rating: Okay...I knew going in that it would be hard to follow Ready Player One and it was.
Tuesday, February 02, 2016
52 Week Challenge: Question 4
52 Week Challenge: Question 4
Talk about your mother...(Her name, birthdate, birthplace, parents and so on.)
Finally an easy question!! My mother has been the one constant in my life. She is loving, supportive, smart, savvy, beautiful, successful, and kind. I am blessed to have her as my mother.
KRISTIN:
My mother was born on December 15th in Moscow, Idaho. She is the oldest of five children born to Frank and Loreen Ellersick. They named her Vicki Jo Ellersick. (She later changed her name to Victoria as she felt it was more professional and she liked it better.) She has three younger brothers: Steve, John, and Mike and one younger sister, Marji. Her parents moved to Bonners Ferry, Idaho after my grandpa finished school at the University of Idaho. She lived in Bonners until she graduated from high school. She LOVES Bonners Ferry!! I have never known any family to love their home town more than the Ellersick kids. They never miss a class reunion and speak with such love and adoration of all it's crazy residents which is quite ironic as every single one of them couldn't wait to leave it!!
Bonners Ferry, Idaho is a little community of about 2000 people (less when my mom grew up there) in Northern Idaho that is near the Canadian border. It's very pretty. One of the prettiest little towns you will ever see on the banks of the Kootenai River with beautiful mountains and pine trees surrounding it. My grandpa's family worked in the lumber industry and so they moved to Bonners so my grandpa could work in the family business.
My Grandma was a stay at home mother. When my mom was in in high school her family joined the church. They were introduced to the LDS church by a family that they were friends with and they decided to take the missionary discussions. Both of my grandparents were super active and involved in the church and with their children's various activities and sports.
My mom is in the back
My mom played in the high school band, was a drum majorette, was in the Miss Bonners Ferry pageant, was a camp counselor at girl scout camp, voted most likely to succeed, and got a full scholarship to BYU where she studied nursing. She also spent her summers at the lake helping her Grandma and Grandpa Miley in the store and with the cabins that they owned and rented out during the summer. She has great memories of her time spent on Twin Lakes.
Mom standing in the back with her brothers
My mom met my dad at BYU. They were married after my mom graduated from college. They lived in Provo. My mom worked as a school nurse and county health district nurse. I was born in 1972. My sister, Stacey, was born in 1975. Around that time, my mom started working as a neonatal nurse. My parents marriage began to crumble when my mom was pregnant with Kelley. When I was four years old my parents divorced and we moved to Bonners Ferry, Idaho to live with her parents for a year. It was a good thing that we did because it was a very difficult pregnancy and my mom spent most of it on bed rest so it was good that we were living with her mom and dad. Kelley was born in Bonners Ferry in 1977. My mom briefly worked as a nurse at the little hospital in Bonners. Being with our grandparents made the divorce easier on me and Stacey. We loved being with our grandparents, being close to the lake, and having lots of time with our great-grandparents and aunts and uncles.
We then moved to Rexburg, Idaho where my mom took a job teaching Nursing at Ricks College. We lived there for a year and that is where I went to Kindergarten. We then moved to Orem, Utah where we lived for two years while I was in 1st and 2nd grade. It was nice to be back in Utah again and close to my dad's parents. We were very lucky to have such amazing and involved grandparents on both sides. In Utah my Mom began working at Utah Valley Hospital...now called Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. She began working her way up the career ladder. From nurse, to Head Nurse, to Director of Nursing. My Mom found her niche in hospital administration. My mom met my step-dad, Larry McClellan, who worked in medical sales selling neonatal equipment. They moved in together and we moved to Springville, Utah. They married and Kirk was born in 1982. My mom also attended the University of Utah, while pregnant with Kirk and working full time, and earned her Masters Degree in hospital administration. We lived there for several years and then moved to Springell where Jordin was born in 1984.
When I was in high school we moved to Kansas City for my Mom's career. She continued to climb the corporate ladder in hospital administration and then as CEO of a Nursing Recruiting company. My parents divorce was final on the day of my high school graduation. After that our family moved to Houston, Texas where my Mom was running a hospital in downtown Houston. I went to college at BYU and when Tyler and I were engaged my Mom and brother and sisters moved to Salt Lake City where she worked running Utah Valley Regional Medical Center and later was hired by IHC as the CEO of Women and Children's Services and Cancer Services. My mom has also worked as an Adjunct Professor at several prestigious universities...including Rice, Vanderbuilt, and Gonzaga. When Stacey and Kelley were in college and Kirk and Jordin were in high school, my mom moved to a little town near Park City called Oakley, Utah. This was, coincidentally, where Tyler and I had gone on our first date. After Kirk and Jordin graduated from high school my mom moved to Spokane, WA. She was tired of the corporate rat race and wanted to give back to the community she grew up in. She moved to the Northern Idaho area and is currently the CEO for Kaniksu Health Services. She also briefly married Ken King who she knew from high school. Add into that about 20 other prestigious titles and positions. My mom is a tremendous career woman and a pioneer in women's healthcare. She was instrumental in starting birthing rooms and women's birthing centers in hospitals across the country. She also currently works with the Idaho legislature on behalf of healthcare for Idahoans. Besides all of her career accolades she is a wonderful mother.
Despite her busy career she was always there for the five of us. I was always proud of her and felt that we had a close and loving relationship. All of my siblings feel that way too. I think she did a pretty good job of balancing work and home life while raising us. She is strong and independent. She is powerhouse in the business world but she also has a creative and artistic side. She is a beautiful seamstress. She sewed us beautiful clothes, costumes, formals, and even made my wedding dress. She is a talented artist. When we were younger she used to paint and draw. She plays the piano. When we were kids this is how she would put us to sleep and keep us in our beds at bedtime. She would say that if we hurried up and went to bed that she would play the piano for us until we fell asleep. I loved drifting off to sleep listening to her play. She has always been a crafter and made cute things for our house. She is a decorator extraordinaire. All of our homes have been beautifully decorated. She is a fantastic cook. My sisters, brother, and I all love to cook and are great cooks ourselves due to her love of different cuisines. My mother is one of those people who pretty much everything they do they excel at. She is great at everything. She is always cute and stylish. She loves reading, gardening, boating, and the outdoors. We grew up camping, snow skiing, hiking, swimming, and boating. She loves to travel and has instilled in all five of us a love for adventure. She loves the holidays and always decorates and goes all out. She taught and continues to teach us to work hard, to do our best, to give everything 100%, to put family first, to value education, to love reading, to not take ourselves too seriously, and to have an appreciation for the little things in life. Her personality is warm and loving. She draws people to her. Everyone who meets her, loves her. Grandma Vic is loved and adored by her grandchildren. She then in her...spare time...Ha ha...has a little vintage home decor business with me and Stacey. She is up early and goes to bed late. She is always positive, enthusiastic, excited about new things, and life in general. She has taught all of us how to persevere in hard times, to laugh instead of cry, to love unconditionally, and to always stop and smell the roses. I love her very much!
TYLER:
My Mother, Judith Ann Kofford, was born June 27, 1944 in
Provo, Utah. She was the second oldest
child of four siblings. She has an older
brother, Lew, a younger sister, Rosie, and a younger brother, Steve. She grew
up in Utah Valley and graduated from Orem High School. She then attended Snow College and served an LDS mission to Northern California. She was one of the first female missionaries to serve. After she returned she attended Brigham Young University. It was while
attending BYU that she met my father. After
getting married they ended up moving to the Bay area, Oakland, California.
While in California, she had my sister, Lorinda, me,
and then my brother Brett. By this time we
were living in Santa Rosa, California.
We lived there for a few years and then moved to Flagstaff, Arizona. We lived there for one year and then moved to
Orem, Utah. Mom was always a stay at
home mom until we were attending school.
At which time she would often work small jobs on the side to pay for extra things for her children. She once worked as a clown for hire to entertain at children's birthday parties. She started a daycare/preschool in our
home as well and enjoyed teaching little children. She finished up her degree at BYU when we were older that she had not
completed prior. She then began working full-time.
While I was on my mission she divorced my dad. At this time she was working as a counselor
at Utah Valley Community College. She
then completed her Masters Degree at BYU. She then moved to Ephraim, Utah and began working as a professor at Snow College. Here she also worked as a counselor and taught courses on eating disorders, child development, college survival skills, and learning techniques. She met
her second husband, Joel, while living in Ephraim and they have been married ever since. She is now retired and lives in Moroni, Utah. She is very active in her church callings and loves genealogy. She is currently their stake genealogy specialist. She loves to sing and play the piano.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
52 Week Challenge: Question 3
52 Week Challenge: Question 3
What memories do you have of your father (his name, birthplace, birthdate, parents, and so on...)
KRISTIN:
Yet another tricky question for me. My memories of my dad are few. I was not raised by him and our relationship has been somewhat distant over the years. But I will say that in the last year my dad is coming through like a champ. He contacts me (and Stacey and Kelley) at least weekly if not more. Mainly through texting...but also phone calls and the mail. We are talking more than ever and it has been really nice. I am grateful to be learning more about him than I ever have before and it seems that he wants to be known more than he ever has before. I accept it and am grateful. Things that I know about my dad: he served a mission to Argentina, is very funny, hates the snow, loves to read, loves antiques, has very eclectic taste in music, loves sports, and worries about his daughters.
I have a few memories of him prior to my parents divorce... I remember running out to his brown truck when he would come home from work and being thrown up in the air. I remember eating cinnamon bears with him and watching Charlie's Angels. I remember riding horses with him. I remember the day we left him and moved out. I remember him coming to see us on several Christmases. I remember visiting him one weekend with my sisters and grandparents. I saw him a few times when he came to town when I was in college. He has always sent money on our birthdays and for Christmas. He also attended our wedding and paid for our hotel for our honeymoon in Vegas. :) When I was older and still lived in Utah I saw him a bit more often. But I haven't seen him in years. Tyler and I are thinking about taking a trip to Las Vegas (that is where he lives) with the kids maybe some time this year.
Because I wasn't raised by him I am changing the question around and I have asked him to tell me what his childhood was like. I was very close to his parents so I am curious to see what they were like as parents since I very rarely observed them in that role. They were absolutely fantastic grandparents!!
My grandparents tried for a long time to have children. Both of them were in their late 30's when my Grandma finally got pregnant. My dad was an only child for part of his life. Then his parents adopted a boy named Clayton. I think Clayton was around six or seven when he was adopted. They also had a foster son named Bobby whom they loved very much. Bobby drowned in a canal on a visit with his biological mother. It was devastating to them. Growing up there was always a tri-fold picture frame on an end table in their living room of my dad, Bobby, and Clayton. I know that my grandparents loved their boys and were grateful for them.
My grandparents lived on a farm in Provo, Utah off of Geneva Road out by Utah Lake. Their farm was one of my very favorite places in all the world. There were horses, cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, dogs, a huge vegetable garden, many out buildings, and an irrigation ditch that was always running with water. My sisters and I loved to play pioneer on their farm. It was our very favorite thing to do at their house.
Here is what my dad said:
My life growing up with Mom and Dad. When I was a child I really thought I had it bad. Too much work and not enough play. As I look back over the years of my youth, boy was I ever wrong. My childhood and teenage years were as perfect and as wonderful as a boy could have. I always knew that I was loved and wanted and that our home was a safe and protected place. Mom and Dad were strict and there were rules to follow: work hard and do your best, be kind to others, be honest, and live a clean moral life, obey to the best of your ability the commandments of God.
(I think this might have been a picture celebrating their engagement.)
My Mom and Dad always took an active part in my upbringing. We lived on a farm in Provo, Utah and besides farming Dad had a full-time job in the construction industry. Mom was a full-time wife, mother, and homemaker and she had a part-time job at an elementary school as a cook. I don't know how they ever found the time to do all they did every day. Farm work, occupations, rearing two boys, working at very responsible church positions. On top of that Dad was my little league baseball coach, my boy scout leader, and teacher of all things boy related. How to hunt, fish, trap, ride a horse, hit a baseball, drive a truck, and much more.
Mom had the worst job because she was the only lady in the house. (I never had any sisters.) Even when I was young she would jokingly say, "How can I ever get anything done in a house full of men?" But she accomplished miracles. We all pitched in and worked together. She taught me house keeping skills which I grudgingly learned, but became very useful in later years. Cooking, cleaning, dusting, dish washing etc. I still hate dusting to this day.
Besides being a wonderful homemaker and mother, Mom had many other skills, talents, and interests. Mom was a people person and loved entertaining and had many many friends that she loved to entertain in our home. People loved my mom and gravitated to her. Her laughter could light up a room and she had a crazy sense of humor. People always had fun at our house and her good home cooked food was legendary. Mom loved her church work and she served God by serving other people. Her positions included Primary President, Relief Society President, YWMIA President and she taught classes in all of the ward and stake organizations. My mom loved to sing and had a beautiful clear soprano voice. She sang in the ward and stake choirs with my dad. Besides church work and homemaking Mom had many and diverse interests. She was the 4H Leader for four of the clubs that I participated in. She was a leader in the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. She enjoyed politics and served as a judge of elections and our home was an election polling place for many primary and general elections. Many of Mom's other interests included: reading, travel, history, cooking, family (especially the grandchildren). She and my dad loved sports and never missed any of my ball games. Mom loved the BYU Cougars. We watched the games on TV and before TV we would gather around the radio and listen to the Cougar games as a family.
I guess you could say that our family was a middle income rural family. We always had good food, a warm home, and tons of love and respects for each other. We were sometimes poor in worldly goods, but we had each other and that was what counted. I loved my Mom and Dad and I am proud of them and so thankful to be their son. Even though many years have gone by since Mom and Dad have passed on I still find myself reaching for the telephone to call them for advice or to share a bit of news with them. Mom and Dad live in my heart and continue to help and guide my life. I know that we will all be together again some day. Love, Dad
TYLER:
(Tyler's dad passed away from a heart attack when we were dating. Tyler's parents divorced while he was on his mission and Tyler was living with his dad when we met. I have several memories of his dad and they are hilarious and very much cherished. Although he passed away before we were married and our children were born, our children know their Grandpa Johnson well and his memory is very much alive in all of our hearts and minds.)
My father, Larry Luvern Johnson, was born in Duluth,
Minnesota, on October 7th to Alice Luella Johnson and Engner Axel Harris Johnson. His mother was a school teacher and his
father was a railroad worker. He had an
older brother Ed and a younger brother named Rick. He grew up in a home out in the woods of
Minnesota. It sometimes doubled as a
hunting lodge throughout the hunting seasons.
I remember a story he used to tell me about a pet deer they had while
growing up. He truly loved his time
there. At around 14 he, his brothers and
his mom moved to Port Orford, Oregon.
He served a full-time mission in Oslo, Norway. Both his father and mother spoke a little
Norwegian but he had grandparents that were all fluent in it. He really loved the people there and always
had such amazing stories about living there and being in such a beautiful
place.
He began his undergraduate at the University of Oregon in
Architecture but then changed to Political Science and he transferred to BYU
and went on to complete his Masters.
He worked for a bit in Provo utilizing his Political Science
degree but was offered a job with IBM selling what was then new technology in
giant server computers. In his training
for this job he learned many of the programming languages which gave him a
whole new career in computer science. He
worked in the programming industry for many years and ended up becoming a
professor of computer science at Utah Technical College (UTC). It changed names from UTC to Utah Valley
Community College to Utah Valley State College to the now known Utah Valley
University. He loved teaching.
My dad also loved to garden and landscape. He truly
loved working outside in our yard.
Whether it was the many rose bushes that we had in the front yard, the fruit
trees in back, the blackberry bushes, or the enormous garden.
He loved to go camping.
I have so many memories as a kid being up in the woods all over in
California and Utah camping with my dad.
We always had this awesome canvas tent that was huge or so it seemed and
then when we got older we had a tent trailer for our camp outs. It was always his dream to be a camp host at
a campground near enough to home that would allow us to camp all summer long
and still allow him to work and commute.
We did spend one amazing summer up in Yellowstone. My dad took a position as a night auditor
with the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. This
allowed us to have an all access pass to the entire park. Dad would work through the night and then most
weekdays and every weekend that entire summer we explored every inch of
Yellowstone. During that summer we lived
just outside the park in a mobile home in Gardner, Montana. It was a very memorable summer and such a
great opportunity. Part of the reason
for this trip was for dad to share his love for the National Parks. In one of his summers during his college
years he spent the summer as an official park ranger in Teton National
Forest. He had such fond memories of
that time and always wanted us kids to know the beauty and splendor of those
national treasures.
Dad was a voracious reader.
Going to the library with him was always fun and interesting. Trying to guess the size of the stack he
would be bringing home was always a surprise.
Dependent upon the size of the books his stack would be a minimum of 12
inches tall. Sometimes it would be
multiples of that stack. The crazy part
is that he would always read through that stack of books in under his two week
checkout time.
Dad never forgot about his degree in Political Science. He was always very involved politically in the community. He even ran for a city council position in Orem and had the whole family involved in his campaign.
Dad also loved to sing.
He joined a barbershop choir and also was involved in a quartet as
well. He sang bass and was always taking
us kids along to sing in the ward choir.
Both mom and dad were very active in the ward choirs throughout my
childhood.
Tyler and his Dad
Out of all the things my dad taught me over the years I think that his example of hard work was the most important. He was a very dedicated provider for our family between his job and what we did at home; he was always showing me by his amazing example the importance of work and getting the job done right the first time. I love my dad and his amazing example to me and I will always cherish the last year that he and I had together.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
