Bounty: A Tribute to Dad and Mom

I belong and am part of a family of “Bounty”

Everyone belongs and everyone contributes. It’s a way of life and seems in our DNA. Let me explain by way of our september adventures to visit some of the family back home. I have pictures to back it up!

My uncle knowing that I work for a truck bed cover manufacturer, ordered a cover so I could deliver it and save a bit of money. He also needed a recommendation for who could do an installation. So, yes, we volunteer each other. If we can we do. If we cannot they understand. It’s that simple. No keeping track of who has done more for the other.

We picked apples and crab apples at Dads. Corn (lot of corn), onions, peppers, squash and potatoes till the car sagged from one of the brothers farms. Meanwhile a sister in law trimmed our little dogs nails in the “pet grooming shop”

Somehow family seemed involved in everything while we who live the furthest away seem out of sync a bit…More in the sense that we are missing out on a lot of things with each other.

One brother is remodeling a bathroom for our handicapped daughter at Dad’s place. Two brothers are collaborating on building the cabinets for our sons new house. Dad often does parts runs for one brothers farm. Family gets really good deals on a half or whole beef from one farm. An Aunt gave me some trout so I brought it over to smoke it (Don’t worry dad has a smoker) and we put in some lamb-pork sausage from the farm as well. We had a couple of hours this morning before traveling the 5 hours to our house so Dad and I  picked up a meal of pike from a little lake casting off shore. Fresh pike filleted boneless is a great meal. It was shared by a brother who is cutting up the blown down trees on his saw mill on dads land. I could keep going on and on about how we work together and help one another but here are some pictures.

                  7 siblings and Dad, and we are Family. Miss you mom.

4 things about Mom and Dad; 1) They were lovers of God, each other, us kids and our neighbors (a lot of others)

2) They had depth of character.  They did what needed to be done when it was needed to get done (Not when they had time).

3) They worked earlier, later and harder than most people. Their kids now do as well.

4) They spent extra time talking and thinking life issues through. Their goals and how to get there were important. Their relationship skills were honed well and they were together in tackling all that life brought upon them.

Becoming a bountiful family is hard work. So is a Bountiful garden, a fruit bearing apple tree, a great herd of beef, straight and true boards off the sawmill, a remodeled bathroom and even a successful fishing trip. As Dad would say, “everything bountiful takes a lot of time, work  and intentionality”.

Hey guys we left some apples ready in the freezer for making apple crisp!

Gary