Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Way too far from the tree...

A query about the newlyweds led my father and I reminiscing about the old BYU days or rather his old BYU days. What I gleaned from our journey down memory lane was something that I felt deserved posting, if only for posterity sake.

With five daughters and one more on the way my parents started back to school, I say parents, though my father was the only one in full matriculation, make no mistake, it took two to get his graduate degree! However, for now I will share some of my fathers efforts of what it took to start and finish a BACHELORS AND MASTERS degree in five years being the father of (now) six girls. We lived in Payson, Utah and dad would drive everyday to BYU (via no freeway) a drive which took about an hour. Prior to college dad had been an iron worker so he took on welding jobs there at BYU to help get through school. When the last of the three, five story high-rise dorms had been completed his boss said okay were done, but with unshakable determination my father's quick response was, "Well, I am not" (done with school that was). His boss told him if he could get to the University of Utah (probably another 75 minutes north of BYU) then he would have a job for him. Because of union rules and the company not wanting to pay over time my dad devised a plan with his boss. He was to work 12 hour days on both Saturday and Sunday (driving to and from the University of Utah from Payson, not counting the drive each day to BYU) and his boss would work out the other details. So my father, in order to complete his master's degree took on the work. Mind you, back at home he still had cows to milk, gardens to weed, orchards to tend to (that was the only way my parents could put food on the table) and six daughters who claimed his attention, not too mention, his beautiful wife, my mother. (On a side note about the cows; my grandfather, told my father he could go and gather hay along the creek beds on his land to feed our milk cows). In order to get to his classes on time, my father would bring a change of clothing and change in a dusty old room. Utilizing every minute and every resource he had, dad completed his education.

I hear his words and all but hang my head in shame.... To think that I am trying to decide if signing up for a class on line will be too difficult! Boy, just how far did this apple fall from the tree?

6 comments:

  1. I love you! You know I've been thinking the same thing! I want to do school but with Branden I worry will we be able to afford school and daycare. You father puts us all to shame! He's an amazing man. Now I know where you get it from.

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  2. Hey lady! I guess Bishop's wife suits you well. Check out my blog deanadeanginn.blogspot.com

    We miss Hope Mills but love Benson. I love your blog and also your comments about school. Caroline informed me this week that she wants to go to BYU. I am all for it!

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  3. No shame, just different priorities....you do what works best for you and yours. What sacrifice your father made, and your mother, too! Wow! I've never heard such a story of faithful sacrifice to gain an education.

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  4. Sign up sign up, I am doing it after being inspired by my amazing late grandmother. I have 2 classes down and only 18 to go! The classes have been enriching and it is nice to go at my own pace. Congrats on being bishops wife again, probably the loveliest one I know.

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  5. Thanks for sharing. Grandpa sure is one determined and inspiring man. I love him!

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  6. Wow! That was an amazing story. Thank you for sharing. He sounds like an amzing man. (Lily was born in Payson, and so I could picture the fields and the cows.)

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