Family Moments
not in chronological order
Our Road Trip
Early in the year 2014 I was riding my bike up 300W, around 200N, in St George, when I spotted a motor home. It waws fairly dark and I stopped riding and walked over to the RV to see the for sale sign in one of the windows. I could not be sure what it said, but it looked like $5000, to me that seemed like a fair price. This ate at me for a few days before I told Linda about it. We decided to go over and look at it, it needed some work but for the price felt that it was worth the money, so we bought it. Now we needed a place to park it, Linda mentioned she had seen a place over in Hurricane which was reasonable. On the way over there a tire came apart, knocked the muffler off and bent the fender, and raised a lot of noise. Not bad for our first drive. We pulled into an RV lot, put on the spare tire, and looked at another RV, that was bigger but we felt much better than the one we had, and it was on sale for only $4000. We liked it and offered to trade ours in for it, but the lot manager wouldn't do it. So we said we would get back to him. When we got back to town we looked around a found a beautiful RV at Snowbird Haven RV. The price was fifteen thousand, but we would not go for that. Eventually we got the RV for Thirteen thousand with a $5000 credit for our piece of junk. The paperwork was signed and off we went home. Stopped at Smiths for some Gas before we got home, it was one third full before we put the nozzle in. When the meter read 50 gallons, I looked under the coach to see where it was leaking. It wasn't, I put $174 in that tank, I resolved then that we would just turn it around in the driveway once in awhile and never take it anywhere. However, once the sticker shock wore off we took it for a drive down to Mesquite for dinner. A few miles of the Virgin River Gorge were being repaired and the road was down to one lane with concrete dividers on both sides of the lane, which looked wide enough for two bicycles side by side, not a 33 foot motorhome. Many prayers reached heavenward before we were through the canyon. We made it though without even a scratch. The following day Eric from Snowhaven called me and said the RV I had traded needed a catalytic converter, and he knew that I would “do the right thing” and pay for it, I did to the tune of about $300. Days past, and Linda and I were enjoying fixing up the motorhome, I added three seat belts to the couch, and a few other modifications before we were ready to leave on our trip. The day before we were to leave Eric called and asked if I would drop by. I did and he informed me the generator on the traded RV needed a new carburettor, and he knew I would “do the right thing.” I asked him how much that would cost, and he told me $500, I had no responsibility to pay the first $300, and none to pay this $500, but like he said “I would do the right thing,” I tild him I would not pay the whole five hundred but would give him $300 when I returned from vacation, which he agreed to. So off Linda and I went on our wonderful trip. Upon our return, we couldn't decide what we were going to do with the motorhome, it definitely could not stay parked in our driveway, with the front end sticking over the path. We decided to let Eric sell it for us, and he agreed to sell it and I would pay him what I owed him out of the sale price. The asking price was $14000, but I knew I would settle for less, I had search online and found many of the same model, not as nice as ours, priced around eight thousand. Months went by without a bite, then one day Eric called and said he had an offer on it but it was only $10,000. I asked him how much I owed him, and he told me it would be $1500, $1000 for the sale, and the $500 I had promised to pay him for the old RV. I told him I would not accept anything less than $9,000 in my hand, which he agreed to on the phone. He said they were sticking firm to their price of $10,000 but he would see what he could do, and could I bring the pink slip over and I could pick up my money. I must admit I was relieve to get rid of the ownership responsibility, so I took the pink over and gave it unsigned to Eric, and he promised to make out the check. I told him I was going over the motorhome to speak to the new owners. I told them all the stuff I had fixed and that it was a fine motorhome, which it was, we had a great time with it and relatively no major problems. Eric came in and put the check and the pink slip on the table, and handed me a pen. I did not look at the check, which was totally stupid on my part, signed the pink slip and carried on talking to the new owners as I pocketed the check. I said my goodbyes to Eric and the new owners and started driving back home. Just as I was turning into my street I looked at the check, which made my blood boil. The check was for $8,500, I immediately called Eric, and expressed my anger at being deceived, and said I was driving back over to pick up the pink slip and he was to stop those people from driving off his lot. When I got to the lot, they were driving towards the entrance, I pulled in front of them and told them the sale was off. I then went over the office, threw the check on Erics desk and reached for the pink slip. Eric grabbed the pink, and said get out of here or I will call the police. I called him a thief, but did not have the presence of mind to remind him to “do the right thing.” I went out side and told the new owners that they have dealt with a thief and robber, got in my car and drove off before I did something that I would really regret. On the way home I was boiling, but as I turned in my street I took control of my mind, and decided I am responsible for myself. I resolved to forgive Eric, and I would need to remove the anger and hard feelings from my heart. Going to the Temple might help, I went in the house , got changed and drove to the temple praying for this anger to leave my heart and mind. I texted Eric telling him that I forgave him. All during the session in the temple my mind was trying to forgive, but it was very hard, thoughts of being betrayed, and “do the right thing” plagued me. Concentrating on what I was supposed to be doing in the temple was difficult. Sitting in the Celestial room brought a profound peace, I really had forgiven someone, my anger was gone, just a deep sadness for Eric who had betrayed for money just like Judas. I am unable to describe the relief I experienced at being able to truly forgive, my testimony of the Savior and his atonement grew immeasurably that day.
Becky's Wild Drive
One day in the early 80's, Becky and I took the kids up to Crystal Lake for a day out in our International travelall. I think we were all excited to get away from home, and this was a wonderful ride in the mountains, that is until the engine quit on the travelall. We were way up the mountain, we had no roadside assistance, and here we were with a conked out vehicle and two young children. What should we do, the nearest auto assistance was in Azusa, a little town way down at the bottom of the mountain. I remember it was hot, and I am not sure how much water we had with us, water would become an issue if we stayed where we were much longer. We decided to back up and turn the travelall around and coast down the mountain. This would be a lot of fun, because, when the motor is not running we have no power steering, and no power brakes. We managed to get the vehicle pointed at a ninety degree angle to downhill, but it would take some effort to push the vehicle to get it started. We decided that I would push and Becky would steer, and the kids would hang on for dear life. With no little effort I got the travelall moving, and within seconds I was racing madly alongside trying to climb into the open door. Once inside I climbed over the front seats into the front seat while the vehicle was careening around these sharp bends as we were freewheeling down the mountain. Becky did a fantastic job keeping the vehicle from plunging over the cliffs as we gained speed going down the mountain. This was the ultimate space mountain ride, and I think we were all praying it would be a happy ending. At the bottom of the hill we had another problem, are we going to have enough kinetic energy to get the vehicle into town. We managed to roll into town, where we tried to start the motor again, and it started, I think the altitude starved the carburetor and caused the motor to stop up the mountain. At low altititudes we didn't have any more problems with that big old car. Sometime later brother-in-law Michael borrowed the travelall, and coming off the 91 freeway at Western avenue, lost control and took out a fire hydrant, and watched the water cascade until help arrived. Luckily Michael was not hurt, but the travelall suffered a fatal blow.
