DANICA -- my darling Daughter

Sea Camp when Danica was in third grade.

Danica wrote a few of her fondest memories of me. I can't give it justice, but I will attempt to note a few of my own memories. When she was about three I worked in the valley helping David Farr with constructing houses. I left Holbrook every Sunday afternoon and returned on Friday nights. About mid July Danica was tired of me leaving. She thought that if she got in my pickup then I wouldn't leave her home. However, she over estimated my departure time. She crawled into the pickup around 2 in the afternoon and I didn't leave until 5. When I went to kiss Danica good-bye I couldn't find her. There she was in the pickup, all sweaty, all most dead. We had to rehydrate. What a scare!

We went to Sea World in San Antonio. Of all the kids, guess who got lost? One Sunday Paula and her six kids were at our house. We all left in two separate vehicle to get to church. We thought Paula had Danica, so we left without her. We had to wait on the train and were about 20 minutes behind Paula by the time we got to church. To our dismay, she wasn't there. I jumped in the pickup and Tamra called her on the phone. I had to wait 20 more minutes for the train. She was home waiting for me when I got there. Tamra had been talking to her on the phone.

We moved to Vernon. On a cold October evening I had taken the kids to Show Low, returning around 9 because Tamra had a primary presidency meeting in our home. The next morning as we were calling all the kids to breakfast Taralee reported that Danica didn't come to bed. Tamra and me looked at each other and hit the back door at the same time. We found her all curled up in the front seat of my pickup nearly frozen to death. We put her in the tub with warm water and she eventually thawed out. She only had minimal damage - a frozen thumb and an other body part.

Then she was helping me build fence in the back of our lot in Vernon, she crawled into the pickup to watch me. Rather than saying she needed to go to the bathroom, she just wet right in the driver's seat. What a surprise when I jumped in!!!!

A wealthy cousin with a very large, nice home asked if she could watch our kids after school because Tamra and I didn't head home till 4 and she got out of school at 2:30. When we went to pick her up, she wasn't wearing her school clothes. She had gotten nervous, couldn't find the bathroom, and wet her pants at this nice lady's house. The lady didn't ask to watch her again.

Danica always got part time jobs during the summer. She would take every penny and safe it, then just before school started we would go to the valley and she would spend every penny on school clothes. One year Tamra couldn't go, so it was Danica and me. I have to admit I was embarrassed as many of the mannequins were barely dressed. She finally had to buy like three tops to cover her up - one to get things high enough, low enough, and then something to go over the top of those two that was cute. I was so impressed by how well she chose what to buy and how to spend her money wisely.

I deny paying any boy to date her. She had no trouble finding her own dates.

We did have a problem when she was like 13. She thought she should have the same privileges as Taralee. We tried to explain that Taralee had worked her way into her independence, but Danica wanted to be 'old' and 'responsible' much younger than necessary.

One time she let the dogs into my chicks and they got killed. So she quickly threw them over the fence into the neighbor's yard. Shortly after, the neighbor lady came out and asked Danica if she knew how those dead chickens got into her yard. Danica told her that she had no idea how they got there. That evening as we were leaving to go clean, the pickup turned down the hill rather than continuing on the straight path to the buildings. It stopped at the front door of this lady. Danica said,"What is going on?" I said, "I think you have something to tell this lady." A flood gate of tears were opened, as she approached the door and told the lady how the chicks really got there.

As Danica was preparing to go to college, she was working at Torreon, and Tamra went to put some things in her room. Tamra opened a drawer and heard some rattling, she looked to see what it was - a 12 piece place setting of fancy, high dollar silver ware, taken from Torreon. We put it in a box, drove to Torreon. I went in and told Danica we had something for her out in the pickup. She said, "what, a puppy?" I said, "no, you'll see." We showed her the box and as she opened it she exclaimed, "my silverware!" We said, "no." She had to sneak it back in without getting caught. Next day at church the speaker was talking about obeying the commandments, Tamra and I kept giving her the evil eye. She said, " I feel like you guys are throwing daggers at me." Tamra replied, "It's more like steak knives!"

The best story was when she was working at Torreon (refer to other frozen body parts). It was hot and she was stocking shelves with several heavy boxes and having to reach really high. She was all sweaty and hot. As she stretched to put a box way high, something fell out of her shirt and bounced across the floor. The guys in the room gasped, as Danica quickly grabbed it and excused herself from the room.

She loves scary movies, and often scares herself to death. I safe those stories for another time. This is getting way too long. Danica was a joy to raise. She was always so tender and teary. We couldn't sing "I Am A Child of God" or many other spiritual songs without her sobbing. We had to be careful with prayer, testimony meetings, scripture reading, and tender stories. They always required a Kleenex. She was a great helper, cool traveling companion, terrific yard cleaner, tree decorator, pine needle bagger, and Christmas light hanger. Our home hasn't been the same since she left for college. She always had us laughing, crying, or wondering what was up. I am so proud of her and grateful to be her dad. She has a tender heart, a devoted work ethic, and is a neat freak. She loves to paint her room - even hot pink- and keep things neatly decorated. I know she will make the best little mommy! I Love you Danica, Dad