Dear Dad,

Dear Dad,

We've all been missing you like crazy.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm in denial or haven't grasped enough yet that you died. I'm not sad, mostly because you're still such a big part of my life. I feel like you're still always around - I'm sure Ryan feels it too since I've still got so much junk of yours around the house and yard.

Every day I think of something that reminds me of you, or something that I'd like to tell you that would make you smile. I want to call you or text you so bad and let you know what's up, or ask you a gardening question. The girls are growing up so fast and doing and saying funny things. They still love princesses and dancing. They love the Barbie House you made. Thanks for saving all those dolls and clothes in there. It was so cool to see all that stuff again after 20 years. I sometimes send Floyd and Rick pictures or videos of the twins which I'm sure you'd be sending on to them anyway.

I'm not really sure how Aubrey is handling things, but Heidi seems to be hit really hard. I wish I could help her get through it easier. We talk a lot about you and things you'd say or do. We laugh and remember the good times. I talked to Grandma a few days ago and she misses you so much. She doesn't want to get out much anymore.

We've been taking the girls to church just about every Sunday. They love going to Nursery and "All the kids, Mama!" They love to learn about Jesus and they love to pray. After every prayer, they say, "AMEN! That's it!" They do that with every prayer in Sacrament Meeting too. It's nice and quiet after a prayer and you can hear them saying "That's it!" Too funny!

I'd love to call you and chat about McBride genealogy. I've got a few people I've met online that are related from way back in the family line. We've been exchanging pictures and stories and information. It's been really great. The new Church genealogy site new.familysearch.org has also been really cool. It tells you whose work isn't done and you can get "dibs" to do it yourself. Like Grandma's parents aren't done, so that will be cool to get that done eventually. It makes me want to try harder to get to the temple.

We've got a great new ward, much like 9th Ward - it's so easy to go to church every Sunday with all that support. Mom's been a great help to come over before church and help get the girls ready so I can get ready.

I want you to know that I'm so proud of the life you lived, the friendships you forged and maintained, and the example you set for everyone. It was such an honor to be your daughter, even though you could be a pain in the butt sometimes. You said it best yourself, "When I'm in Utah, and I've got at least two daughters mad and not talking to me, I know it's time to go back home."

It's been on my mind fairly constantly that you're up in Heaven preparing another little soul to come to our family. I can't get it out of my mind. Ryan and I have talked about having more kids and I'm feeling like the time might be soon, so STOP WORRYING ABOUT IT!

I love you, Dad.

Empty Milk Glass

I remember being a little kid at the dinner table. We'd help Mom set the table and we'd all sit up to eat. Dad would sit down and Mom would ask what we wanted to drink for dinner.

"MILK!"

Mom would first pour Dad a nice, tall glass of milk. Then she'd turn her back and start pouring smaller glasses for us. As we sat at the table waiting for Mom to sit down, we'd watch Dad tank that glass of milk - gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp.

Mom would be done pouring for us and for herself and walking back to the fridge to put the jug away. Dad would then say, "HEY! I didn't get any!"

Dad's glass always had mysterious streaks of milk inside even though he "didn't get any."


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As an adult, I realized how much of a country boy Dad was. He would only ever drink whole milk, and to him that was barely acceptable. He'd be much happier in the mountains laying under a cow and squirting milk from the source. To his city-girl daughter, that seems so unsanitary!

Personal Memory by Mariann

I was just in the kitchen making dinner for my husband: Oven fried Chicken, dipping the chicken pieces in seasoned flour, then in an egg and milk bath, then back into the seasoned flour. I suddenly remembered one day when my Brother Rex had come over to our apartment in Sonora for dinner. He had arrived about 2 hours before dinner, the first time I think he was ever early for anything. We had talked and I started to prepare dinner. Rex was watching and asked if he could do something to help. I had a bunch of things going so I said he could help me with the oven fried chicken. I prepared the seasoned flour in a large bowl, while he sprayed sheet pans with non stick. I whipped the egg and milk mixture in another bowl and showed him how to dip from the flour , shake it off and then onto the sheet pan, telling him when he finished that I would show him the next step. This was the easiest way to do it and the cleanest way I knew.

When he finished, he actually thought he was done, ha. I then showed him step 2 take chicken from sheet pan into the egg and milk mixture with one hand and with the other into the flour again and back onto the sheet pan. I said "... like Karate Kid Movie... wax on, wax off. Egg on with one hand , flour on with the other." He was so serious and tried very hard. Known for His famous 8 finger biscuits, I thought he would have it down in no time. By the time he finished, he was so sticky and gummy, both hands, eight fingers, up all past his wrists, and just a mess. Then he tried to get it off. I was watching and a few moments went by when he said in his high pitched little boy voice, "Its S-T-I-C-K-Y!!!!!!"

He was so funny to watch. He had created a huge gummy mess between the egg milk and flour mixture, I laughed so hard - we both did. That was so fun and such a great memory of Rex!! Just us cooking together, and laughing so hard! Good Times!

Far Side: Boy Scouts

The boxes read "Big Boy Velcro Kit"

I found this Far Side newspaper clipping in a bunch of Dad's old pictures and keepsakes. I'm sure he got quite a chuckle out of this one!