So I get the call one day.
Gary: Head, we are going to climb the Grand Tetons.
Kevin: Cool, I'm in.
Gary: I have a buddy who is going to take us up as a guide. We should be fine to do it in one day.
Kevin: What do I need to bring?
Gary: Just get some good hiking boots.

This was one of the many adventurous things on Gary's personal life goals list. Now, more than ever, I am grateful that I was part of it.(Christmas is making me miss him more than normal - I'm sure you can all relate)

Of course many people don't know that Gary was afraid of heights and that is why he learned to fly airplanes and wanted to climb one of the tallest mountains in the world. This was one of our greatest adventures together. . . and who knew that on this trip I would see him cry like a little girl. I was in tip top shape before my freshman season at Ricks and I was living in Jackson Hole at the time Gary called. Was Gary in good shape? . . . . not so much. He wasn't necessarily out of shape but climbing the Grand Teton is a beast. We met at the base camp on the night before our big climb. The plan was to get up early . . . did I say early? . . . .to do the climb it in one day you need to start hiking at about 3:00 AM and hope you have some moonlight to compliment the lamp on your head. Not the smartest thing we have ever done but who wants to spend two days if you can do it in one. . . . .typical Gary. It was late when we got into camp. We show up at the check in desk and I wanted nothing more than to get a few good hours of sleep. My only anxiety was in thinking about the climb the next day. Gary had called in earlier to get our permits which are extremely hard to get and the waiting list is long. Strangely enough our name wasn't on the list. This must be a mistake. Gary asked them to hand him the list so that he could double check it. "Oh . . .there we are. You must have misunderstood. We are the Smith party of 6" Wink wink nudge nudge. My butterflies were now too much to overcome as I was not only worried about the hike but I pictured us getting woken up by the real Smiths and getting escorted out of our nice warm beds. Gary never got a permit after all.
The only way I can describe the climb is by saying that it is a roller coaster . . .of emotions, of temperatures, of extremes. We were freezing cold one moment and stripping off layers the next. The part that scared Gary the most was a hellish stretch of switchbacks . . . the steepest that I have ever been on. I was impatient and was having a hard time waiting for the fatties in my group. On one particular stretch I decided to go ahead and the timing couldn't have been worse. The reason, when you jar a rock loose on the switchbacks it gains a lot of momentum very quickly the people below you are left to play dodge ball. If the rock is big enough and you lose the game of dodge ball you don't go on timeout you most likely get injured very badly if not die. After getting scolded by Gary and realizing that he was serious I decided to simmer down. We stopped to eat lunch and enjoy the scenery. All I can say is thank goodness our sense of hearing wasn't dull that day. We thought we heard something like a big rock crashing down the mountain. . . . . oh @%#@ it is(can you just see him cursing now:)) . . . . in a split second we look up and hope and pray that we dive the right direction to avoid contact. A rock the size of a volleyball misses Gary by about 12 inches. Although I enjoyed giving him crap about crying like a girl that day it was definitely justifiable.
We continue to make our way to the summit and made pretty good timing that day. Unfortunately the weather got bad enough that we had to turn back that day. I remember being on a big open hill just after the upper saddle and being totally exposed to some of the biggest hale stones I have ever seen. I literally curled up in the fetal position and put my pack over as much of my body as I could. After what seemed like forever and only a handful of welts it finally stopped. This is when we decided to turn back.

Enjoy the pics below. Of course Gary climbed up and took the one of me on the pot. There was never a dull moment with my brother and best friend.

Tender Mercies

I had an experience today that reminded me of God's love for me and my family. I was running around doing last minute errands to prepare for our trip. I was thinking about some concerns that I have and wondering how things would resolve and if God was aware. I ran out of gas on the way to Jerry's office to get the card to go get gas. As I sat there wondering how things would work out, people came to my aid. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I thought about God sending others to serve and help. I also felt like Gary had something to do with me being watched over and protected. I can honestly say that I felt him close. I know he is watching over us as individuals and a family. I really miss him this time of year and I know his family does, too. I can't help but think of all the lives he is touching on the other side and how his work there is so valuable. I hope I will continue to feel his presence during this holiday season. How grateful I was for this experience and reminder.

Dad

K so this is a picture taken on our family trip to Nauvo the summer of '06! We're riding on the wagon tour, you can see me and Nate up front with grandpa behind us. The rest of the family is in the wagon there somewhere. And of course Sadie, the total daddy's girl sitting there on his lap! But anyways, this was one of my favorite family memories that we have so I thought it might be fun to share :) So a little recap on the trip before i fully explain the picture. We left for salt lake the night before our plane left for Chicago, it took us 5 HOURS to get to Salt Lake city Utah from our house in Rigby. This was due to traffic, horrible directions, pride and tantrums. Good start. We then boarded the plane the next morning and for the most part, all went well. The plan was to fly from Salt Lake to Chicago and then get a rental car and drive across the state to Nauvo. So anyways got to Chicago, waited an hour and a half to finally get the rental. So we decide to go get some food before embarking on the six hour drive. Dad's first stop, Hooters. Mom wasn't too pleased with this decision while Nate on the other hand, was in the back seat cheering for everyone to get out and run in as fast as we could. Needless to say we left and went to a pizza parlor. (Best pizza I've ever had). So by the time this is all said and done, we're ready to start the drive... at 4:30 pm. Needless to say, we sat in stagnant traffic for a good two hours before finally starting the drive. A lot of tears were shed on that drive, but it was all worth it. We had a really good time while we were there, we saw grandma and grandpa's shows, visited all the historical sites and got to actually do baptisms for the dead in the newly finnished temple. This was a really cool experiance for me because this was the only other time, besides my real baptism, that my dad got to do this for me. I didn't realize that it would be the last at the time either. The spirit was amazing, Granny, Grandpa, My mom and dad were all there and it was a really awesome bonding, as well as spiritual moment for me in my life with all of them. But as we all know my dad, he had to be a rebal and take everyone to the amusement park in the midst of this divine experiance. Ha ha but it was a great time, we all got to play games, eat pizza, and try talking the waitress into giving us free tokens.(dad) But the best part of that was the go-carts. Grandpa was having a rough time and had to get out a little early... i guess the intensity was a little too much :) Dad was flying around the corners and slamming everyone into the walls, nearly getting us kicked out twice! But hey, that was his style and we all adore him for it. That was one of the only family vacations we ever took, making it by far the best. Dad always was always trying to do out-of-the-way nice things for people. He loved us more than words can explain. That man taught and influenced me more in the 14 short years i got to be with him, than anyone else ever has or will be able to. Now its been almost two years since he's been gone, and I am still learning from him everyday. He is in everything I do and say. He's my hero. I can't tell you how much I brag about him to my friends constantly. He was a great man and I hope he's touched you like he's touched me. He deep drive and genuine love for everyone inspires me to be a better person every single day. I miss him so much it hurts, but I keep my head up and am very proud to say that he's my crazy, fun, amazing daddy and I love him!!!

Party Train

Face it. You know Gary loved this song.

Hunting

I've been thinking lots about Gary lately because it is hunting season and I know hunting was one of his favorite things to do. I had this picture from my Dad's 70th birthday video. It seemed like with Gary, everything he did was 110 percent. I know hunting was that way for him and I know Cabela's sure appreciated his business! He was a great hunter and I am sure is doing some hunting of a different kind on the other side. Love you big brother!

Gary..never a dull moment..

When Gary turned 40 we didn't have a party for him.. I always felt badly about that because it was his thing to make a big deal about any occasion. I guess I was busy or overwhelmed...So I decided to have an "over the hill" party for him on his 41st birthday.. little did I know this would be his last. He was really happy and surprised. He was always coming up with cool things to acknowledge others accomplishments or just to surprise them and make them feel important. He spent countless hours thinking up just the right thing for each person he wanted to honor. He did this for his dad and mom, brothers and sisters, coaches and friends, work associates and children and for me.





Gary loved to go hunting. Goose, duck, pheasant, deer, elk, bear...whatever he could hunt he would. I don't know if is was just to shoot things as much as it was a chance to get outside and be with the ones he loved. He loved his dogs and he especially loved his boy more that words can descibe. He was kind of a pain to go hunting with sometimes because he was always trying to fit so many things into one day that usually something went south and there was some yelling and frustration expressed...like when the 4 wheeler went through the back window of his truck. Nate just sat really still and tried to not be detected. He actually handled that one pretty well, as he just asked Nate if he was okay...Nate was proud of him for that.

Nate

We had a great time watching Nate play football. He is an amazing athlete and definitely has his Dad's drive and determination. He should not be playing as much as he is coming in as a Senior but he has proved he is willing to work hard and perform. We are so proud of him and know his Dad is too. It was still strange not to have his Dad there coaching Nate. He would definitely be choked up as Grandpa was watching all his boys play.

Song

Football

Football was a huge part of Gary's life. It is amazing to think he will not be here to watch Nate this year at Bingham. We are all so excited to go and watch him play. When I lived in California I remember talking on the phone to Gary and crying because I wanted to see Kevin play at Ricks and missed everyone. Always the caretaker he immediately had his secretary book me two plane tickets to come home and see the games that fall. He was so good to me. He was an amazing support to his family and his friends. I have so many memories watching him play or being with him at others games. If you can coach in heaven, I am sure he will still be coaching Nate this year from the sidelines....

A day to remember . . . . . .

Today is the anniversary of a day that I will never forget. August 5th, 2000. Of course Gary helped make this day possible by volunteering his time, money, and his oh so creative mind. I knew that I wanted to do something unforgettable and over the top so I called Gary to make it happen. He said . . . . I will fly you to Jackson Hole and you can propose over a nice dinner at the top of the mountain. This got me excited. I called up a limousine service and arranged some transportation from the landing strip to the restaurant(the wagoneer limo was tiiiiggghhhht!) I called the restaurant and made a "special reservation." Little did I know this would come to haunt me in the end. I had the ring ordered in Provo and it was supposed to show up at Don and Fayes on the morning of August 5th. Although this was risky I am a strong believer of just in time inventory . . . (with the biggest investment that I had ever made to that point . . . . and on one of the most important days of my life)

The big day finally arrived. Gary kept saying to me . . don't worry about it head(his favorite name for me) . . .we will have a great story ready that will throw Lindsay off. I answered Don and Faye's door at about 9:00 A.M. and it was the mailman delivering the rock. I tried to distract Lindsay because I knew she would be curious that I was getting a package at Don and Fayes. I secured the box in my sock underneath my levis and we took off to IF shortly after. I told Linds that we were going to Jackson and that Gary was taking us over in his plane. We headed to the airport and loaded into the cessna(see pic below). It was a perfect day to fly and the ride over was incredible other than I was nervous beyond belief. I had taken a huge risk by stealing Lindsay's mom ring and having it completely redone without knowing if she would accept my invitation to get married. She had to say yes when she saw what I had done and how beautiful the ring was . . . . . . . . . right?

The fun began with Gary and Teresa when we landed and they started lying like a chicken. It got to the point where I didn't know what was true and what wasn't. Come to find out they were just white lyes according to Gary:) We saw the wagoneer limousine and Teresa told us that they weren't going to be able to accompany us to dinner because she needed some time alone with Gary. She had to break it to him that she was pregnant and he was going be irate because they weren't planning on it and the timing was bad. We hopped in the limo and headed up the mountain to a restaurant overlooking Jackson Hole. I ordered elk fajitas and Linds ordered something else. It was so painfully obvious that the waiter and waitresses were excited for us and knew about the proposal that I decided not to propose in the restaurant. We caught them staring at us on a few different occasions and later had a good laugh at their bad acting. I didn't even finish half of my plate due to my nerves and Linds said later that things were starting to add up.

I took her outside and spotted a bench on the other side of the stream we were walking along. Linds must have known at this point because she wouldn't sit down on the bench when we finally got there . . .it seemed like an eternity to walk only a 50 yards to the bench. When she finally sat down I "busted out the ring" and asked my sweetheart if she wanted to spend forever with me. It was a very emotional moment and she said yes . . . . . . of course.

Gary and Teresa showed up at the perfect time as we were walking back to the restaurant and we all celebrated and talked about the events leading up to that day. They untangled their web of lies and Teresa told us that she was really pregnant(I hope Don isn't reading this) but that Gary wasn't irate. We are all so grateful for cute little Sadie Soupus. We boarded the plane and the turbulence was too much. Teresa, Linds and I were suddenly deathly ill with motion sickness and as joyous as the day had been to that point it suddenly took a 180 degree turn for the worse. . . . . . and it was not just unpleasant it was extremely unpleasant. I was the first to lose it and I filled the magazine pouch with elk fajitas. Linds lasted until we hit the tarmac and then she lost it . . . . .all over the sparkling diamond that I was so proud of and into her magazine pouch. I don't know how Teresa held her lunch down. I couldn't wait to get out of there with the hot air circulating the vomit smell in and out of our nostrils . . . . and then Gary had a clever idea. He said he would be right back.

With his contagious chuckle he pulled two dixie cups out from behind his back and wished us good luck. It was a bonding moment for the newly engaged couple as we cleaned up each others vomit.

I miss Gary. I miss him biting me and making me laugh. I miss hanging out with him . . . . fishing, golfing, hunting, tennis, playing basketball and going to apple gym to name a few things. Nobody told a story like Gary and after he tore you down he would always make you laugh and feel better. I know that he is not far from us. He is watching over his family and will be a part of many special events to come.

Gary and His Kids

Our "d-a-double-d dad" is an extremely loving father who absolutely loves his kids. He's never afraid to show his affection by biting, tickling, and torturing. He is very supporting with all of our sports and activities. He never missed one of his sons games in any sport and was never afraid to give a little coaching, regardless if he know anything about the activity or sport being played. He taught good morals and how to work hard. His infamous tag lines became a part of us. "Trying is what they do in the special Olympics, don't try do", "Don't ever say can't", "you only have to tell the truth 100 percent of the time. Other than that you don't have to" were often part of the daily lectures we all received. He had a deep seeded love for his "little chickens" (his little girls). Every single night without fail, when he came home he would slam the door so everyone heard then he would clap his hands one time and say "where wasa ma....(kid)" and the the little girls would come running from where ever and whatever mess they were making to give they're dad a hug and a kiss. He adored his little girls with loving nicknames like midgets, 25 pounder, 28 incher, turds nuggets....etc. Almost every weekend he would get everyone together to go do a family activity which despite his best efforts usually ended in tears and a whipping. However looking back they were some of the funnest times as well. Rules never really applied to father, he's the exception to all the rules. So we always got to do things that nobody else got to. The kids were taught a deep respect for their father and father made sure that the respect given to him should be doubled for the respect they give their mother.

SLC Airport

This is at the SLC airport before I left for Germany on my mission. I am sure I was telling him a story and we were communicating with sarcasm. We shared a similar sense of humor and with his quick wit we were always laughing. He called me "slash" because I went through a phase where I always said slash in all my conversations. He also called me "wom" for most of my life. I am grateful for the close relationship we had. Gary was always there for every big event of my life. He made the trip with his whole family down to the airport to see me off. He was always so supportive and made the extra effort to do things together as much as possible. His family was everything to him. Whenever I came home to visit he was always the first one there and made fun plans for us. He was the life of the party.

Gary and Landon

I love this picture. One of Gary's best known traits was his love for kids an especially babies. He was outside the delivery room actually talking to my Dr. Crouch and making bets about when the baby would come. I know if I would have given him the word, he would have been there for the birth of Landon although he may have passed out in the process. He loved to be the first on the scene and was always so supportive. Landon had RSV so was hospitalized shortly thereafter. I was a fanatic about having everyone use hand sanitizer. The joke when Landon was blessed was that I was going to make all those who participated in the blessing wash their hands with sanitizer before they went up to the front of the chapel. Gary loved to take Landon and run away from me just to get a rise out of me. He was so much fun and always called Landon "midget." Landon actually thought Gary's name was midget. He tells his friends now about his Uncle Gary and how he lives with Heavenly Father.

Germany

This is a picture of Gary when he came and suprised me in Germany. I was at home during a preparation day when the doorbell rang which is very strange for missionaries to have company. I answered the door and Gary yelled (in typical Gary fashion). He and Teresa had come to Germany on business and made arrangements to stop and see me for a day. It was an awesome suprise. My mission president and companion knew about it beforehand so they had made sure we were home. He had rented a car and had an awesome time driving on the autobahn where you can drive really fast. He did fall asleep in traffic and I had to wake him up because of jet lag. We went to Colonge and saw the sites there and they even came with me to visit a member, Martina Masur. She was one of my favorites and I really wanted Gary to meet her. Another awesome suprise on my mission was when the phone rang one Mother's day and it was Gary. I was lecturing him about breaking the rules and he was telling me "rules are suggestions" when I heard Kevin on the line. It was so neat to be able to talk to Kevin because we were both serving missions at the same time although he was in Uraguay. This is the kind of thing Gary was always famous for....making the impossible, possible. Gary hung up after a while and Kevin and I talked. These are some of my great mission memories. Gary also spoke at my farewell. The essence of his talk was surrounding D&C 82:10...."I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." That is one of my favorite scriptures.

California

This was the trip to California before Gary's mission. We took the truck and camper along with Rack-O, Pit and other favorite card games to play. I think this picture was taken at night at Sea World. I know we went to Disneyland although Kevin denies it. This was one of my favorite trips. I remember petting the dolphins in the dark and it was raining. I also remember a trip to Tiajuana where Dad bartered and got me a $5 blanket. I think we still have that. We had lots of great trips growing up. Gary's presence helped to make these vacations fun.

Gary

I decided to create this blog to help me document some of my memories of Gary and hopefully to create a book of these memories. If you would like to post to this blog, please feel free to do so. If you are unsure about how to post to the blog, email me what you would like to post and I will put it on the blog for you. Also if there is anyone else who would like to post on the blog, let me know and I will add them to the author list. I am hoping this will help me to remember and document all the great things about Gary and his life.