Memories of Dad for his 66th Birthday

I wrote Dad a list of memories I had of him through the years as a gift for his 66th birthday! 

Happy 66^th Birthday Dad  -  May 28, 2003

I remember when…

You were always in the Bishopric when we were growing up.  I remember you sitting up in the front during Sacrament meeting. You would always look at me and give me a wink!

You taught me how to ride a bike.  I remember riding my little blue two-wheeler with you running in back of me holding the seat.  I didn’t even know that you had let go until I turned around and you were far behind me!!

You baptizing me.  It must have been a Stake Baptism because I remember a whole row of kids dressed in white – each sitting next to their father.  I wanted to be really good after that and not do anything wrong!!

You came with us on a Youth Activity where we hiked the Uintahs.  It was a very long hike with those giant back-packs with our sleeping bags on top.  It rained everyday and we sat in rows by the fire with those big rain ponchos on.

We would go sleigh-riding at Murray Park and Mountain Dell.  One time I rode on your back and you really hurt yourself.

Playing basketball out on our driveway and playing catch with our softball mitts.

Looking for jelly beans hidden in all sorts of odd places at Easter.  Some of them were hidden so well we wouldn’t find them until months later!!

Finishing up our basement with Grandpa with the beautiful rock fireplace.

The big huge compost pile in our back yard and the beautiful rock fountain you made!

The drinking fountain in our back yard.

Pulling things up and down over our deck by a rope when we had outdoor dinners in our backyard.

Doing things with our club-group.  I remember camping and having different dinners and parties.

You taking naps in the sunbeam!

Playing tennis when you would hit the ball waaaaayyyy up high in the sky and we would try to return them.

You and I joined the Stake tennis tournament playing doubles as a Daddy-Daughter team and I think we did pretty well!!

You said we should become professional tennis players instead of running track and cross country – something about better pay!

You singing to us and later to our children….”Pretty baby, pretty baby, how I love my pretty baby how I love my pretty girl, pretty baby, pretty baby…” (I have sung this to my babies too!)

You would always sing silly songs and I would always ask you if they were really real songs or whether you were just making them up!

When we were in the car together you would grab my knee and say, “whoops!  I thought that was the gear shift!”

Shooting flies with rubber bands!

Something to the effect of if you shot rubber bands at us then Mom told you that you wouldn’t get your treat!

Making peanut butter and butter graham cracker sandwiches!

Daddy-Daughter dates all the way through Primary to Sorority!

Going camping and fishing.

Receiving Father’s blessings when we were sick or before school started.  I received wonderful Father’s blessings before I went on my mission and before I got married.  What a wonderful blessing it was growing up with the priesthood in our home!!!

Driving with you to work when you couldn’t take the bus for some reason. It was nice to get that time to talk.

You broke your wrist roller-blading!

I was stressing out over marriage decisions and you said that in your day you never did all this stuff liking going to the temple and praying and praying and praying and everything else – you just chose your woman and got married! 

When we interviewed you on video tape.  Your testimony and words of wisdom really meant a lot to me and still do.

Passing a sewer grate and saying that there were “Heffalumps and Woozles” down there!”  My kids say that every time they pass one!

When watching TV we had to hurry and do our work during the commercials.  I remember you turning off the TV during Disney and us kids all started crying and throwing a fit (I’m sure it wasn’t the only time)!

Having to work on Saturdays cleaning the house and doing other chores.

Our star job chart and scripture reading chart.  If we read scriptures everyday we got a scripture treat at the end of the week.

Rootie toot toot, rootie toot toot, we’re the boys from the Institute.  We don’t smoke and we don’t chew and we don’t go with girls who do!!  I heard this phrase from President Hinckley in a General Conference talk but I had already heard it long before that from you!!

I was the first one to graduate from the same University as you! (Forget BYU! J)

You have always loved to work in the yard – often to Mom’s chagrin!

Janika wrote this about you in her history last year: “My Grandpa Westra likes to collect snails and we help him.  He has a whole bag full of snails in their shells.  He has brown hair and he likes to take naps all the time.  I like to collect snails and feed the fishes with him!”

Thanks for everything Dad, hope you have a Happy Birthday – I love you!!  Wendy

When Scott Was Small ...

 

Scott squeaked into 1963 ... December baby. The next few years he got to be the center of attention for his folks. Small Scott pictures dominate the Dropbox folders for these years. Mom/Margie was good at keeping up with the baby book and recording milestones and memories. Here are a few ...

• Turned over alone at 23 days old
• Started smiling at 5-6 weeks
• Turned from back to stomach at 4 months
• Crawled at 5½ months
• First tooth at 6½ months (8 teeth by 13 months)
• Walked at 8 months
• First words (11+ months) mama, dada, ball, woof-woof, nose
• Taken off the bottle at 13 months 
• Favorite toys were balls, pop-beads, chatter-phone, push-chime
• At 21 months, could count to ten (usually leaving out 1, 5 and 8)
• At about 1 year of age you became very interested in animals. You loved to see them and point them out in books. One of your first words was woof-woof. At 13 months you began to like stuffed animals; your teddy bear, monkey and clown. At 17 months you started taking your monkey to bed with you every night. 
• When you were 16 months old, your mom and dad both got bicycles with a cute little seat on the back for you. You loved to go bike riding every day and would ask "Go bye-bye on bike?" Daddy would ride his bike to work and we would ride to meet him every day.
• You were an excellent talker, pronounced words well and had a large vocabulary. At 26 months you could recite the Pledge of Allegiance" all by yourself. 
• By age 3, you knew many songs, nursery rhymes and finger plays. You started Junior Sunday School and enjoyed it very much. Mommy was your teacher.
• Shortly before you turned four, we moved into our new home on Saint Street. You started nursery school and had your first "friend" birthday party. 13 children came. You were four when you went to the dentist for the first time. You were very good at the checkup, but had two cavities. You were so good and tried so hard to be brave. But when we went back for the second one you bawled and wouldn't let the dentist do one thing!
• Your first plane ride was December 1968 when we flew to SLC for Uncle Merrill's wedding. You had your 5th birthday while we were there. You thought the plane ride was great. After boarding the plane, you asked "When are we going to Blast Off?" We went on five round trips by airplane during that next year, and lived in Los Angeles, California for two months. Started Kindergarten at Spalding Elementary. You rode the school bus, which stopped right next door. 
• April 1970 (age 6) ... lost first two teeth. Bottom center (these are preserved in the baby book!) Started 1st grade at Sacajawea School, there was team teaching in 3-class clusters (there is a big newspaper feature about it). We bought a moving picture camera and our first pictures were taken at your 6th birthday party.

Here's footage from that event!