8 more things

1. I too, feel nostalgic at this time of year when the cotton starts to turn white and the pickers start going up and down the fields. Since mom was working, Dad would call and have me bring him a sandwich or a green chile burro or whatever I had. He always wanted me to bring Jordan or someone up to ride with him for a little bit and then he would call and say they were ready to go.

2. For my sixteenth birthday, Dad said I could invite a friend and we could go to El Paso with him and Mom for a Swig meeting. It was the first time I had ever been so close to the Mexico border. We stayed in a fancy hotel and ate all kinds of good food. I remember we had some ice cream dessert that had some alcohol in it. I was a little afraid to eat it but Mom and Dad said the alcohol had all been cooked out. Hopefully, that was right.

3. Dad drove up to Colorado all by himself after Sarah was born. He said he hadn't even stopped to get anything to eat. This was right after he had found out he had diabetes. A few days after he had been there he was laying on my couch, moaning and groaning. I asked what was wrong and he said he felt like he was having a baby. He was having kidney stones again. So Mitchell took him to the emergency room and we took care of Dad for a few days until Mom got there.

4. When I was in Tucson waiting to have Katelyn, about once a week I would end up in Labor and Delivery. Except for the time Carrie showed up, Dad was the one who just happened to show up. He would come and find me and say, I just felt like coming and visiting you today. Most of the time, Mitchell didn't even know I was there. I was very grateful to have Dad there.

5. While we were living in Tucson whenever Dad and Mom would come to visit, they would always stop at the Quik Mart by our house and get a bag of M&M's for Nicole and Michele to bring to them. Dad always had M&M's on the mountains, too. I can't hardly go there without a bag of them.

6. Remember the Christmas morning when Dad and Mom made "the rounds"? They started out at our house, then headed to Willcox, Benson and on over to the Mesa area. Talk about dedication!! I'm not sure where you were at the time, Richie. They were sure worn out when they returned home.

7. Back in the olden days, when we would eat dinner after the Proms, Dad would invite whoever was in my group to come over for steaks, baked potatoes, salad and homemake ice cream. It was midnight and even I was tired, but he acted like it was twelve noon instead of midnight. He loved being a part of his children's lives as well as his grandchildrens.

8. Another fond memory are the weekly cook-outs at our house during the summer. Hamburgers, homemade ice cream, homemade rootbeer sometimes, guitar playing and our family and friends. Songs like "I see the moon, the moon sees me....., You are my sunshine... , Gladys, Cool Water, and others always remind me of Dad. I rarely remember Dad not being cheerful , patient and serving someone. I think of his example often, in hopes that I can grow up and be just like him.

Now it's someone else's turn! Cheri