July 3, 2011

When were you baptized? What do you remember about the event?

Here is my account from my personal history stories.

Baptism Interview at the County Fair

Rural communities and counties seem to have their own special characteristics. I remember all the years that I was growing up our Duchesne County Fair. I liked going to it when I was young because of the candy and other treats that we were able to buy at the booths set up around the fair grounds. We always had a ferris wheel and a rodeo also. I remember only once going on the ferris wheel but I remember quite a few rodeos. In fact the stories form my father about his days in the rodeo were always a lot of fun to listen to and repeat.  I should probably include my memory of some of them in these stories also. Anyway each August near the time of my birthday we would get the chance to go to the county fair if the hay were in the stack yard and the chores were done. I went to a number of rodeo’s and always enjoyed them but the things that I remember most are the exhibits that were in the old buildings. You could walk from one building after looking at all of the jams and jellies that had been made to the next building with the quilts and handmade throw rugs to dollies made by many grandma’s loving hands.   There were also pressed plant specimens and other forestry  and 4-H exhibits that I would actually have of my own later when I turned 12. There was one year though that I will always remember because my Bishop, Bishop Phillip Moon was a sheep farmer and so the county fair was always a place to exhibit his prize livestock as well. But he was still a Bishop and a busy farmer also so he did his duties where ever and whenever he could. At the county fair that shortly followed my eight birthday I remember Bishop Moon calling and setting an appointment for me to meet him at the fair to have my baptism interview. We held it in his truck and I still can also remember that even though it was in a truck it was conducted with the spirit of the Lord by a very loving Bishop. I don’t really remember the words or what I was asked but I do remember the feeling of climbing out of that truck relieved that I had passed my interview. I must have recited several of the Articles of Faith  perfectly for I had studied and memorized very hard so that I could and I must have remembered some of the primary lessons because I am sure I must have been asked about the gospel and what it meant to me in my life. I can’t remember how long it was either but I remember it was long enough for an 8 year old taking his first big test. Later at the start of September I was baptized by my father just as all 8 year were supposed to be baptized. (At least that is what it seemed like to me at that age. I have since learned otherwise.)  Dad baptized me but the two of us had a hard time getting our act together. The first time he missed a couple of words and the second time my toes came out of the water or maybe it was the other way around but the third time we succeeded. I was baptized in the Duchesne Stake Center font only a few days after the county fair.

July 2, 2011 Alma's Birthday

What religion did your parents and grandparents practice?

My parents were both raised as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and that was the religion that we practiced in our home. Marie’s parents were also raised that way and practiced it as well. Both sets of my grandparents were also members of the church and had raised my parents that way. Dad was also raised as a rancher and fell into some bad habits with his brothers of swearing, not attending church regularly and of smoking. My mother however happened to be attracted to him despite the habit and he fell in love with her and was willing to change his ways for her. He still did some swearing through his life but I remember him best from going to church with him to other wards as he visited them due to his High Council assignments and then of having him in the Bishopric during part of my youth years. He was also very involved in scouting for many years and may be part of why I have learned also to love it.

July 1, 2011

If you had it to do all over again, how would you change the way you raised your family?

I am not sure I could change things from what I did. I sometimes think that more family vacations would have been good but there is only so many vacation days from an employer and I would not change the way I used my vacations since I was able to be with my children at Scout and Girl’s camps for the majority of those times. They were so special and the experiences are among those that I treasure most.

June 30, 2011

What advice would you give to your children about being a parent?

The best advice that I can think of for my children is to depend on the Lord and to seek His help every day before starting the day and as you end it to give thanks to Him for that help.  The second thing I would give is to be united as parents and to not be afraid to use discipline as a united effort. Then the last thing is to love them regardless of their decisions and always support them but be sure you support them with the Lord’s guidance because even though they are your children doesn’t always mean they have done things correctly and are not at fault. Gather all the facts and support the truth.

June 29, 2011

What was the most difficult thing about raising a family?

Wow this is a loaded question.

I almost think that the most difficult part of raising a family is that it doesn’t come with any instruction manuals that are current. Each child comes with their own personalities and their own set of challenges for their parents. We do have our own parents examples that we can use for reference materials and we have had classes along the way in learning how to discipline and love each child with their own needs. We have also had specialists to help with repairing injuries and helping with speech therapy. We have had Bishops and other church leaders to give wise council but in the long run the greatest help in raising our family has been a loving Heavenly Father that has blessed us so as difficult challenges come along we have been able to make it through and love the outcome.

June 28, 2011

What did you find most rewarding about raising a family?

On July 11, 2009 we were all seated in the Manti temple as a family. Each child with their own spouse was there as Brittany and Jeffrey became an eternal unit. The fact that they were all able to be there and not all without effort is what is the most rewarding thing that has come from raising a family. There are so many things that are involved in reaching that moment that are rewarding, memorable as well as difficult at times that it is impossible to explain in any other way than that we were all there. 

June 27, 2011

What are some of the blessings you have received from raising your children?


More Children & Grandchildren!!

These are the greatest blessings that I have received and the fact that each child has chosen a wonderful spouse and have been faithful to the gospel. They are also raising their children as we tried to raise ours and that is a blessing that I cannot even try to explain as far as the value of blessings that we have received from raising them. It is fun to watch them try to help each other as they are raising the children.

June 26, 2011

Do you remember anything your children did when they were small that surprised or amazed you?

Children are always amazing. Memory is always fragile. So remembering specifics is almost inconceivable. I think though that children seem to be so much more advanced in their eternal growth prior to being born that they seem to be coming with power and knowledge far beyond that developed by my generation. I am sure it will continue to be that way as each generation comes along. Our grandchildren seem to be advanced even beyond that of their parents at the respective ages as well. We are truly coming closer to the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior because the spirits coming to earth in these latter-days seem so ready to prepare the world for that event.

June 25, 2011

What are some of the funniest moments (things they said or did) you can remember about your children?

Ben, scouting experiences

Ben was a rather short small boy for his age until he decided to grow in his teenage years. However as a 12 or 13 year old scout he wasn’t really very big compared to the other boys. So one time as he stood up to one of the younger boys who was making comments about me his short swing only landed air and the other boys long swing broke Ben’s nose.

Another time he was goofing off around the large open ring campfire pit and stumbled falling right into the glowing coals. It only took me a split second to reach down and pull him out but his jacket carried the holes from the burned areas cause by the hot coals.

Jeff, followed home by angry visitor due to speed of driving on Larsen lane.

Some of these were not too funny at the time especially for the child. Jeff was a soccer coach in his later teen years and one day had forgotten something for practice so in his hurry to come and get it he was traveling fairly fast down Larsen lane (800 West) and one of the neighbors sons decided that since he ignored his signaling to slow down that he would come and have a talk with him. Jeff ran into the house and asked quickly where something was and so I told him and he headed on out to the shed. I couldn’t figure out why he was in such a hurry or why he seemed worried. A few seconds later I found out why though when the fellow knocked on the door asking for my son. I talked to him and he told me about the incident and so I told him that I appreciated the concern and would talk to him about it. It took a few minutes to get him to believe that and he finally left. I don’t know if Jeff drove back to the school on Larsen lane or Main street however.

Hayden, flour all over him.

I got a frantic call from Marie one day asking how to use my camera. It seems that our little toddler had discovered something of interest on the counter and pulled it down spilling the contents of the flour canister all over him.

Tia, ability to make Loren mad

There are a number of memorable experiences of the funny and not so funny nature depending on if you are not Loren or if you are Loren. Tia has always had the ability to get Loren’s scientific mind in a battle of wits with hers. There are several memorable quotes due to this fact that still carry on to this day so it would be wise to pass the  milk when you are at our table in “The Traditional Manner” since Loren would rather not have it passed to him as you would pass a football.

Loren. Speech, crying up the statue of liberty

Loren gave us a lot of concern when he was learning to talk because as we have since come to learn he has a very special mind and a different way of thinking. Due to that fact when he was learning to speak he invented his own vocabulary and used it all the time. We didn’t know that was what was happening until a speech therapist explained it to us as we started the counseling sessions that would teach him the correct use of the language we all spoke in.

Loren’s most memorable experience though was when he was still quite young around 4 or 5. I don’t recall when we went to the National Jamboree exactly but it happened during that trip. We were climbing the stairs up the Statue of Liberty and Loren was petrified. We stood in line to be able to go and the walkway became only big enough for a fat person to walk  in s when he began to cry there was no way that I could carry him back down the stairs. So consequently I swung the video camera over my shoulder and picked him up and carried him to the top. The video was proof that he didn’t stop until we got to the top. It was recording each of the locations of the bolts near the stairs as it swung on my side as I carried him to the top and of course the sound was also recorded as he cried and was telling me all the way up. “I want to go back down!” This was also recorded in his vocabulary which I cannot quote now as I have forgotten most of it. It was mainly made up of “R’s” as I recall.

Brittany, Tia’s first stave

For Brittany the most memorable and an event that started a new hobby for me, occurred at Tia’s first or second year at Girl’s Camp. Marie had gone with Tia to camp and so I went up in the motorhome that David Nemelka had given to us and set up camp outside of Bennion Creek where the girls were camping. I would then take Loren and Brittany with me to camp after we had breakfast and played around the motorhome camp site for a few hours. I would go in and help the leaders teach the girls skills that I knew from scouting such as starting fires and use of  a compass. Well britt and Loren would just play and britt found out that Tia had a “secret sister” who became no secret shortly after that. Tia was so upset with me for bringing her to camp that I spent the next day carfing anf woodburning a new stave for her. She used the stave for several years at camp and I began going to camp every year after that as a priesthood advisor and carved a lot of staves for young women leaders over those years. 

June 24, 2011

Why did you give them the names you did?

I really don’t remember why the names were chosen other tan that Marie wanted Ben not Benjamin. I misspelled Jerfrey and spelled  it Jeffery.

Hayden was named after a Hayden whom I had taught in the missionfield but couldn’t baptize due to an alcoholic mother that would not give permission. Tia was named by the boys as I recently explained. I just liked the name Loren and after he was named later realized that I had an Uncle Loren in my mother’s family. Brittany was a favorite name that Marie had and wanted to name her that but since it was so long we didn’t give her a middle name.