A Few Fond Memories

This post was inspired by my sister (Jill) and her post about my Dad's birthday. Here are some fond memories with my family:

1. Rendezvous Beach Camping Trips- It seemed like every summer we would spend a few days camping at Rendezvous Beach at Bear Lake. Aunt Tammy lived in Bear Lake, so we got to see her a lot. I remember always having cooler with Shasta (Cream Soda, Black Cherry, and Kiwi Strawberry). Probably the most memorable Rendezvous Beach experience was when Dawn (friend) was baptized in the lake.

2. Driving to California- My Dad's relatives live in California. The last trip we took as a family, we drove to Sacramento and then down to Bakersfield. At the top of Donner pass we got stuck in a snow storm, so we pulled over and slept. If I remember right, it was summer. We stopped at a relatives house in Stockton (I think) and they had fresh almonds that they grew. Someone please tell me who they were.

3. Wedding in Portland- I think I was a Freshman in High School when I got to go with Amy (sister) and Russ (her husband) to a wedding in Portland, OR. I got a new suit and we drove up there. We made a bathroom stop in Pendleton, OR. Russ and I had come out of the bathroom and were waiting for Amy. When Amy came out she looked at us really weird and said to turn around. We turned and to our surprise the wall behind us was covered in porn magazines. The strangest thing about this trip was that we heard the song "Walking on Broken Glass" about a hundred times on the radio.

4. Dishes on Saturday Morning- Every Saturday morning my three older sisters and I would do chores. We didn't have a dishwasher, so we would have to do the dishes by hand. We would usually pick or draw what we would do (wash, dry, put away). I always wanted to put away. We always listened to Casey Kasem on the radio.

5- Hidden Easter Baskets- The Easter Bunny would always hide our Easter baskets and we had to find them. They were usually hidden outside (weather permitting). I think that my basket was always the hardest to find. The older I got, the more I hated having to look for it. One year, a basket (I remember it being mine) was wrapped in a garbage bag and burried in a flower garden. How is anybody supposed to find that?

6. Kids, Kids, and more Kids- My mom has had a day-care at her house for about 20 years. Most of the kids have been family, but not always. The first of them was a baby named Josh. My mom watched him for a few years. His first word was JD. I learned a lot about caring for kids from watching my mom with these kids. Thanks, Mom, for preparing me to be a good dad.

7. Going To The Dump (Landfill)- When I wasn't helping with the dishes on Saturday, I was helping my dad in the yard. We would frequently haul a load of trash to the "dump". The old blue crew cab was the best truck to ride in. Back then, you would drive up to the little station at the landfill and an old guy (always the same guy) would be sitting there, and you would just say "Providence" and drive on through.

8. Providence Second Ward- My family has been in the Providence Second Ward forever. My grandpa was born into the Providence Second Ward. It is a great ward. The building is one of the only buildings I have seen with a picture in the chapel. Front and center, behind the pulpit, is a large picture depicting Joseph's first vision, and the Saints traveling to Utah. The ward also has a very long-running Turkey/Saurkraut Dinner (100 years I think). It is one of the things I look forward to most each year.

9. Softball Tournaments- Every spring we would spend hours at the ball diamond. It started out with my my mom's siblings playing in softaball tournaments, and then my sisters. The worst was the Wellsville tournament that my sisters played in. It was so long. But at least they won it, so it was fun to watch.

10. This one is for you to fill in. What is one of your favorite memories of my family? And feel free to correct me if my memory was a little off on any of these.