Miriam

September 6, 1985

Dad

Mirs and the Tu-tu! Dressed to kill, baby. You loved it. How bout Mirs playing the Entertainer Jimmy Hendrix Style? Upside down laying on the piano Bench? Miriam and her friends - as a placid, "go with the flo" kinda guy, I could never understand the drama/pain that was always involved! Mirs, sorry for the trauma of your first backpacking trip. The fierce wind and almost losing hannah over the cliff... Beautiful child, my "brown -eyed girl" Mirs played the organ for the ward when she couldn't even reach the pedals. People were like" what's that little kid doin up there?" Once mom and I made Mirs go to church despite her protests of being sick. She launched right in the middle of Sacrament meeting. Can never forget Mirs and Lynn, the piano teacher.

Sarah

Miriam: I have memories of her playing music beautifully, hiking with her and just generally having a good time. But it wasn't until before her mission that we really bonded. We exchanged some emails that were so deep and philosophical that I can't believe we could communicate so well without even talking on the phone. I loved her thoughts, wisdom and deep ambitions. After her mission, we still corresponded that way and I talked to her a lot about feeling "normal" again. I loved this time of her (and my) life.

Naomi

I remember Miriam always being so stylish. She did the short hair, the skirt over the pants, made hemp necklaces, awesome earrings, and the vests. I have always looked up to Miriam from style to talent. Miriam and I spent an entire summer together after her mission and became closer than we had ever been. That was one of the best summers of my life. Work, Humboldt Branch, Dating, Beach, outside adventures, Florida, Utah, Meeting Aaron- that summer was awesome. Each summer since, I think about our time together. I am so proud of Miriam and all she has accomplished. I am so happy she's going to be a mom. Miriam and Aaron will be great parents. Love you. Naomi

Bethany

miriam: roooommate!! the best memories were laying in our beds trying to make the best weirdest sounding noises....i never got any sleep!

Thank you everyone that came to my surprise party! And thank you to all who sent emails. Please comment if you have your own memories to share!

EDITED TO ADD:

Hannah:

My favorite, most endearing thing I remember about Miriam is the letters she would send me on my mission. She has always been beyond her years. Someone so careful as to not step on the imaginary lines she created with the corners in the furniture, I knew she was special. Miriam has always loved the things she loves. Whether it's heart shaped glasses or teaching piano, her passion for those things shines. Her love for the gospel radiates. Thanks for being who you are Mirs, I hope and pray you never change. I love you for all that you stand for.

And two from Mom:

Miriam loved her tappy shoes.  After wearing them to kindergarten for a few weeks, Mrs. Piland called me and said that she would not be able to wear them because they were not safe on the playground, being so slippery.  I explained this to Miriam and banned the wearing of them to school.  She was OK with that.  At the end of that week, Mrs. Piland called me again and asked me to not let her wear them to school.  I told her that she had not worn them to school all week.  Oh no, said she, Miriam has had them all week.  What?  Come to find out that Miriam had worn her school shoes to school and had smuggled her tappy shoes to school in her backpack, changing as she got to school!

 

I was playing the organ one Sunday and had practiced "America, the Beautiful" for sacrament meeting.  It was challenging for me but I felt mostly prepared.  In the middle of that hymn, to my horror, I glimpsed little baby Miriam crawling toward the organ.  Dad must have been distracted (can't imagine how!) and had not seen her escape.  So I realized, helplessly, that I was on my own.  It was in a few moments that Dad began to hear some crazy base notes coming from the organ.  He saw Miriam climbing over the pedals while I continued as best I could.  He did rescue me, but the congregation had a good giggle out of my plight. 

Gideon

August 19, 2010

Dad

I remember sneaking bottles to Gid when he was supposedly weaned. And who could forget the "splat/burp" routine he used to do - ya know, the face plant followed by the long belch? Gid's wrestlling career was better than any Horatio Alger story! He started as an 85 lb runt, I don't think he had to cut weight til he was a senior. Loved those wrestling tournements. The classic was the viola/cello duet that Gid and Tate did. Ya shoulda seen it! It was so bad it was funny. I think Ms. Rust was the teacher. How bout Gid and Richie Messerly in Limited? I think they drove Rust over the deep end!

Sarah

Favorite memory of Gideon: I went away to college for a year, came back at age 19, and took Gideon on a backpacking trip. We went for three days, two nights, near fern canyon. We had a great time. I seem to remember packing mostly marshmallows to eat... maybe some onion soup that I cooked for us. I set up the tent and we hunkered down for a cold Humboldt weekend. We spotted a long pole the next day, I think it was a bear pole, and Gideon climbed up to the very top. I remember thinking... man, this is dangerous, Dad probably wouldn't like this much, but ah well.

Edited to add Sarah's comment:

I loved Gideon's "chick phase" before his mission (and before Katie of course!). He would talk to me about each one of them and about what he liked and didn't like. I think he was loving life in the college atmosphere.

Then he met Katie. I remember how much I loved her the first time he brought her up to meet us. They came to our home in Lehi and before long Katie and I were discussing Oprah and Africa and how we wanted to save the world!

Gid was confused a little after his mission and so was Katie. Finally, they both closed that distance together. And I am forever grateful they did.

So proud of you Gid bones!

Miriam

From roughly age 2 to 8 years, Gideon lived on the spinner. At the fair he rode the Gravitron like 20 times in a row since there was no line. Then when he was probably 10 he threw up for like two weeks straight. I think all the spinning finally caught up to him. He always liked to destroy things; plates, plastic containers, milk jugs, my dolls...eh hem. He was a studly bass and wrestler in his later years in high school. Sorry I wasn't the nicest big sister when you were a freshman...but you were always so happy-go-lucky about everything - and still are. Thanks for being a good example to me Gid.

Naomi

Gideon: One memory I have about Gideon is his cinderblock head. He jumped off the dresser and bounced off the bed headfirst into the wall. It left a Gideon's dent... in the wall! I recently went to my teachers house and was telling his kids stories about when I was kid and when I told them about head, they couldn't stop laughing. But Gideon always knew what my buttons were. He found pleasure in making me as angry as he could. But despite all of that, Gideon and I are the best of friends. I am so happy for him and all that he has done with his life- especially for his lovely wife. Thanks for bringing her into the fam Gid. Hope you had an awesome Birthday. Love ya. Naomi

Bethany

Gideon: i remember when he convinced dad to let him toss a lead brick into the screen of an old TV. it made a HUGE explosion!!

We hope you had the best birthday Gideon!

Thanks to everyone who submitted their memories, you can post a comment and share yours too.


EDITED TO ADD:


Memories from Mom:

Besides sleeping for the first year of his life, one memory of Gideon sticks out vividly.  When he was about three years old, he wept through every meal.  He sat there (next to his tender, doting father, and under the eye of his exasperated mother) completely awash in tears.  Dad would tenderly lift his chin and spoon in a bite, talking encouragingly to him.  Gideon would never refuse a bite and would resume the sniffling until the next dose of food.  I would roll my eyes and declare that he can feed himself and that Dad was only causing Gideon to be an emotional wreck.  Dad would say cheerfully, "he isn't spoiled, just well taken care of!" 

 

My favorite memory of him was his agility and fearlessness.  Every Sunday after church he could be found somewhere in the rafters (aka basketball hoops) swinging around.  He would run up the wall and grab the bar support, swing up onto it and sit up there watching all the other kids try the same stunt.  It was to the dismay of Bishop Bingham, who would tattle on him to us, shaking his head and sporting a wee grin when he did so. 

Edited to Add:

Katie:

Aw you guys are gonna make a pregnant girl cry with all these nice things about Gideon! If I had to pick a favorite memory of Gideon in all our four years of lovin each other, I'd have to say it was when we first became friends and we were working at the Pita Pit. He would blast Nickle Creek on the sound system when we would be closing, mopping floor and such, and he would sing like crazy. Customers actually commented on the nice singing coming from the back of the shop from time to time. I knew then I had to keep him.