Today's Collaborative Post

Today I wanted to focus on first impressions - on our first memories of Dad, whatever they may be.

One of my first vivid memories is from when I was probably 3 or 4. We lived in the country near Peoria, and when it was bedtime my parents put me to bed in their bed while Heidi went to sleep in our room. Then, once I was asleep, my dad would carry me across the hall into my bed.

I looked forward to this ritual. I'd pretend that I was asleep so that I would be awake long enough to feel my dad's big, strong arms lift me up. I loved it. Now that I'm older, I wonder if he ever knew that I was faking sleeping. It was my favorite time of day.

Heidi's contribution
My memory is similar to Heather's, in that it involves stolen moments with dad.

When we were young, our dad used to leave for work at 4(?) in the morning, so he could come home earlier to spend time with us. I used to try to wake up while he was leaving for work, because then I could go into the kitchen, and he would give me a glass of juice and send me back to bed.

I know it doesn't seem like much, but those 30-seconds of dad-time in the morning made me feel loved and cared for, and I could go back to bed and fall into a very contented sleep.

From Sherry:
I remember being impressed with your father's work ethic, his willingness to give a hand even before being asked, his awareness of others and their needs, his bringing over warm donuts after choir when he and your mom started seeing each other, his work on the fireplace at the CYC and his astute knowledge on a lot of subjects, his riding his bike to work, his being available for you children at any time and in any way...it is good to reflect on God's blessings to our family through your dad!

From Lisa:

I'm sure this isn't a first memory. (One of my first memories was dad showing me how the potty-training doll went in the toilet and then telling me I could do the same.) I remember waiting for dad to come tell me a story at night. I'd get impatient and yell through the vent for him to come tell me a story. I often asked him to tell me a story of when he got in trouble when he was a boy. I also remember putting raisins in the cinnamon rolls.

From Emily:

One of my first memories is more of a family memory. I remember when we would walk across the golf course to go to TCBY and get frozen yogert. Dad would carry me on his shoulders.

My first memory with just dad was our birthday breakfasts. On our birthday Dad would take us out to breakfast where ever we wanted to go (just the two of us). There was a place in Peoria that served bear shaped chocolate chip pancakes and that is where I always picked, util we moved to Plainfield then it was Hardee's and then Larry's Diner.

From Kathy:

It was 1973. I had just finished all but one history course (that I completed by correspondence) and moved home from Chicago to start up a private studio and work part-time at Moody Bible Institute. My former roommate was getting married in July and I needed to get to work on my tan. I heard from my sister, Sherry, that the college group from the CYC was going to the Warren Dunes in Michigan for the day on Saturday, so I decided to join them. I knew most of the people and headed off. At some point during the day I was walking barefoot in the parking lot and cut my foot. A young man I'd never met before found out about it and had a first aid kit in his car. He immediately offered to help (intending to impress my sister, Sherry, because she was a nurse.)  He fixed my foot up and we continued on with our day. I remember playing some game with a ball in the water and having a brief conversation. He found out that I was a voice teacher and later that summer asked for lessons. He spent the summer trying to impress my sister and we didn't have our first date until the end of October.