I have had so much on my mind lately, that I forgot to call my Mom for her birthday. My Mom and Dad are two of the best people you could ever meet. Mom and I both were so blessed to have found our soul mates. If it hadnt have been for a train, I wouldnt be here. Now, I know there are all kinds of scenarios running through your heads, but it is much more innocent than it sounds!! Dad and his friends were in a car, and Mom and her friends were driving quite some distance behind them. Dads car had to stop for a train, and Moms car eventually stopped behind them. Dad and his friends got out to talk to the pretty girls in the car behind them, and that was the beginning of a 47 year (and counting) marriage. A month later, they got married in The Rosebud Chapel in Vegas. Eleven months later, I came on the scene. There is much more to tell, good times and bad, which could take up a giant book. (My sister, Julie, is working on writing their history, so someday, Ill post it.) There were 5 of us kids, 3 girls 2 boys, and Im the oldest. Mom was a Stay at Home Mom, and she worked HARD at it. She made all our meals from scratch, baked bread, sewed our clothes, kept an immaculately clean house, had a large garden, and just loved her family. She was always taking food to others, and doing service for them. She rarely took time for herself. She is 67, and still does all that, and more. My Dad had a VERY difficult childhood, which I dont need to go into, but he has always been a very positive person, he has never said an unkind word to us, never even spanked us, and we always knew we were safe and loved. If you knew the story of his childhood, you would be truly amazed that he was able to rise way above it. We spent many good times hanging out with Dad, whether it was playing with his train set up, or hanging out with him as he developed pictures in the darkroom he set up for his photography hobby, listening to really cool music, or flying model airplanes. Mom and Dad took us traveling to all kinds of places, driving all over the West, either in a VW bus, Pinto station wagon, or a Chevette. (All really crappy cars, but we didnt know that!) We didnt have a lot of money or things that our friends had, but our family has good memories, really fun times spent together. Mom took me to the library often and I would usually come home with at least 50 books each time. Dad still remembers the numbers of books from all of the reading contests I won. (1st place, 3 times!) Each one of us kids is a unique individual, and we have all picked up on the awesome traits Mom and Dad have passed down to us. (Except for sewing, though Mom tried to teach us!) I was very lucky to have gotten Dads sense of humor and Moms talent for thrift, and these things have carried me and my own family through some really hard, impossible-to-bear times. Mom and Dad are the type of people who a person could call for help, day or night, and you know they will be there. Im just going to type things I remember. They may not make sense to anyone outside of the Youngkin family, and if anyone wants to know the story behind these things, I will be glad to share it with you! 1. Motorcycle rides to the candy store. 2. Getting ice cream and root beer at A&W and Baskin Robbins. 3. Shutting Julies hand in the Pinto door. 4. Racing the song to clean up. 4. Swimming pool. 5. Literal Chocolate chip (one per) cookies. 6. Pickles, peaches and pears. 5. Trading an old truck for encyclopedias. 6. Willie Nelson, and the cobbled alarm clock radio. 7.Disneyland, Zoo and Lagoon. 8. Sleazy motel!! Sleazy motel!!, and Mom forgot the night light!! 9. All-you-can-eat Vegas buffet. 10. The Great Salt Lake. 11. Dads DJ gig. 12. Go cart, motorcycle and snowmobile. 13. Camping and fishing. 14. Patsy Cline, Petula Clark, Hank Williams, Bobby Vinton, Retro Christmas music, Country/Western, Herb Alpert, Nelson, Charlie Pride, Glen Campbell, Simon & Garfunkel, Bee Gees, Willie, Saturday Night Fever. 15. Fully loaded cars. 16. Bartering for videos: Dominos Pizza, Subway and Fantastic Sams. 17. Going tubing. 18. Moms well worn red, white and blue maternity shirt. 19. Youngkin movie night--slides and reels. 20. Sitting on Dads lap and driving the car on the last 1/4 to Grandmas house in Koosharem when I was 8 y.o. 21. To the dump, to the dump, to the dump, dump, dump! 22. Cookie Monster car wash. 23. Turning down the sound to the TV, and making up our own dialogue. 24. Parker Son, and Parker Sons son (Dad called David and Josh this, because he considered David a son). 25. Lung-crushing hugs from Mom. 26. Getting sealed in the Manti temple, and the big surprise party from the neighbors afterward. 27. Birthday cards, always on time, with funny notes. 28. Tirelessly taking care of sick family members, up until their last days. 29. BYU. Always, BYU. 30. Mom yelling at the TV during Utah Jazz games. 31. Quilts and pillowcases. 32. Teaching me to cook, bake, and my failing miserably at sewing, but she tried!! I know there are a lot more memories, and these are just my own. My siblings will have some of these, plus their own, too. As Mom and Dad are going through their own personal crisis right now, Dads cancer and Moms ankle surgery, they are still staying positive, and being the same people they always have been: Great parents, great people, and great partners. What more could anyone ask for? (Except a better car, and more chocolate chips!)
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 16:17:41 +0000
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