On this special day I wanted to write down some memories I have of you that I hope help you realize how much you mean to me as your daughter.
Do you remember.....
Pushing Rebecca, me, and Renaye around on a big cart at a warehouse type place in Orem,UT when I was about 3?
Singing to me the song "Hush little baby don't say a word, papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird" and how I always seemed to choke up everytime you sang that song?
Having us "girls" stand around the big play table downstairs in Nebraska and Midland to put together your Dow Chemical folders for your customers or salesman that always included little notepads and pens? You would get easily frustrated with me and all of us, I'm sure, if something wasn't put in right or the papers were out of order (a skill which I've learned from teaching takes a while for a lot of children to understand and master).
Having the girls and me become the special music number in the little branches in Nebraska when you were a high councilman (Ogalala) when there wasn't one planned? Or when we would sing for your boss or someone from work if they came over for dinner or visited? (So many nights I sit by my window waiting for someone to sing me a song.....And you, you light up my life, you give me hope to carry on!!!!!!!) Ha ha.
Putting your hand in mom's maternity pants on her stomach when she was pregnant with Christopher and totally convincing me (or maybe all of the girls, too) that Christopher was actually kicking so much you could see it (nice hand trick, Dad).
Running down the hallways in Nebraska and Midland like the Incredible Hulk with your puffed up chest and slow jog (good thing your skin didn't bulge out of your shirt and turn green).
Having us learn how to work outside, especially in Midland, with all those TREES and how much raking, and mowing, and gardening there always seemed to be? I've become more appreciative of your desire to want us to do actual physical work now as a mother so my children don't grow up being such wimps physically (ya know, with a wimpy handshake... hahaha..the men in Paraguay on my mission weren't quite used to the "Clark handshake", especially coming from an Hermana missionary).
Going on all of our yearly vacations to Grandpa and Grandma's house for Christmas and to all the church sites? I think we've traveled to almost every state in the U.S. which is a lot more than most people can say with a large family. I still remember once when the girls and I slept outside in the tent in the backyard in Nebraska the night before we drove out west to Grandpa and Grandma's house in Idaho...You came out early in the morning and woke us up with your little "we're going West, we're going West, la, la, la, la, la, la, song.
Spending lots of time fixing up the Midland house-painting, varnishing, etc.so we could have a nice home that we were proud of for the 10 years we lived there?
Coming to our elementary schools as a surprise to talk to the teacher and observe our classrooms and how embarassing it was to have you in there in front of all my friends? I still remember looking out of Mrs. Klaneski's 1st grade classroom and seeing you in the Dow van coming to the school.
Taking us to A&W Root beer in Nebraska for an FHE treat or Dairy Queen for a dilly bar or buster bar or better yet a starkist (remember the dumb drive thru guy when you ordered stars for everyone and he totally misundertstood you...well we've got some grape, some lime, some orange..)
Letting us go to your office in Midland and watching a movie about dominos backwards..we thought it was soo hilareous to listen to the guy speak like russian while he was taking away the dominos instead've setting them up and watching them all go up instead've down.
Sitting in the front row at church in every ward we've been in and how embarassing it was for me to have everyone watching the "Clark kids" while Dad sat up on the stand as one of the counselors. To tell you the truth I was always secretly proud of you when you would stand up and give a talk or bear your testimony because you could capture the whole congregation just by your stature and confidence in extemperaneous speech. You never seemed to follow any notes hardly (a characteristic I wish I would've inherited) and your remarks always seemed to make me realize what a powerful speaker you were in front of crowds and how spiritual you can be.
There are so many things I could list and I'm sure I have forgotten so many or need a picture in front of me to remember but most of all Dad I remember that you have always been there to show us how to try to be faithful members of the church, to have high expectations, to serve others, to be friends and give of ourselves to each other and to make great memories as a family. I hope you will always remember the fun times, the rough times, the challenging times, the learning moments and the happiness we have felt as a family when we are together.
I love you, King Daddy!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love your daughter #2
RaeLyn (Waewin Whitmer :) )
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