Memories of South Dakota with Barb and Gary Peters

As you ALL know - Rick loved to hunt, and what better place to hunt than the prairies of South Dakota. Rick and Carla came along with Ken and Sally Krueze for their first trip in 2008. Oh what a grand time we all had. The pheasant hunting wasn't the greatest because we didn't have a dog at that time --- but, as you can see in the photos, they were successful and very happy. I do believe we ate pheasant and it was delicious. Seeing as how we live on a cattle ranch - you can't leave South Dakota without helping move cattle. Rick and Gary and Ken moved the cattle on 4 wheelers and the girls road along behind in the truck.

We also have a neighbor who raises pheasants and has a game preserve. The men (Rick, Ken and Gary and other neighbors)went and helped move and catch about 500 pheasants. They first have to have the blinders removed and then they are put in the boxes for transporting.

We filled out days as full as we could - watching for deer, calling coyotes, hunting prairie dogs, moving cattle, playing games, and of course, eating. I learned that, Rick doesn't like corn dogs. Rick and Carla became special friends even though we were miles apart - Michigan and South Dakota.

The second time they came was in 2010 and Rick's cancer had arrived. Rick was not a quitter --- we still hunted and played and laughed and worked. This time - along with the hunting - the guys worked on Gary's workshop. Rick helped put in an entrance door.

Ricks sense of humor was wonderful. And we know that just might be one of the things his family misses most. We feel it a wonderful privilege to have gotten to know a wonderful man. Thank you for sharing your life with us.

Gary and Barb Peters

DUMONT

I remember heading out to Dumont Lake on Friday evenings (a lot of times with Jim and Corla Kraker and their family).  I have such good memories of tubing, skiing, knee-boarding, etc.  Although, thinking back, I'm not so sure how the memories are so good.

It would seem that our weekly trip would often start out with a short pit stop along the side of the road as we would wait for the Jeep to cool down.  I remember packing gallons of water along for, I believe, the purpose of cooling the Jeep.

I remember many times the boat not starting....

....who forgot the ski ropes.....

.....why is the plug not in the boat?.......

I also remember dad's main goal of pulling us on the tubes was to see if he could get us to fall off (or kill us maybe).  Seriously?!?!  I would have thought he would have at least been gentle on his only daughter, but nope.  I remember a time, being in the boat with him, that  he was so frustrated that Bryan and Mike Becksvoort had figured out a way to balance so well on the tube that he could not get them off.  He said, "Watch this!"  as he proceeded to pull them through a bunch of reeds.  I could hear the reeds whipping their bare backs from in the boat.  Dad even cringed and I think actually regretted that move.

Most of all though, I remember just being in awe of dad as he would slalom ski.  He would hop start from about knee deep in the water, he would yell "Hit It", then he would disappear under the water with a big wake surrounding him for what seemed like forever and suddenly he would emerge.  I remember he could slalom so well.  One time he told me that he could lay so low that his thumb would hit the water.   I don't know if that was true or not, but I certainly remember the massive shield of water that he would disappear behind as he skied around the lake.  I would just watch in awe and amazement, so proud that he was my dad.........and then of course...the infamous soaking!  If you were driving the boat, you knew that you HAD BETTER drop him off close enough to saturate someone with that shield of water.  I always enjoyed watching to see who his victim would be!

I never quite understood it...but dad sure did love that old boat (even though he also hated it), haha!

ATribute to Rick

I've been praying lately for some words from God about Rick. Maybe just because I miss him or maybe I  just needed something from God to comfort me. He has sent the rainbow a number of times since that camping morning and I thank him over and over for his faithfulness of his promise to us but seems like I needed to hear from him. Then this morning someone dear to me sent me these words that God spoke to her. I knew right away that this was from God and found them so comforting that I want to share them with all. God speaks to us in so many different ways, just take the time to listen.

Soft spoken and quiet

Yet when he spoke it was profound.

Seldom a smile did we see

Yet he always brought a smile to others.

Hard worker and tough

Yet so gentle with his grandkids.

Never tolerated laziness

Yet always had time for some fun.

Didn't like to say I love you or give a hug

Yet no one ever doubted his love.

We prayed for a healing here on earth

Yet God knew best and gave him a perfect healing.

He fought a good fight

Yet God said, 'Come home, my son'.

A loving husband, father, and friend to many

Sadly missed by us all.

Fun in the pool...

Bryan's post about sledding got me thinking about some of the fun things he did with us as kids. I remember trying to get him in the swimming pool what seemed like every night in the summer. I am sure he just wanted to lay down after a hard days work but we didn't let that happen. He made the best waves and whirlpools after all! Plus I think I had less of a chance of getting drowned by Chad and Bryan if he was out there.

I remember the time, years ago, when our families were camping at the Christian Reformed Conference Grounds. We must have all been in elementary school or younger. During a worship service at the campground, the pastor invited all the kids forward for a children’s message. The pastor had a single prop, a plastic laundry basket. He invited one kid to enter the basket and try to lift himself, from within the basket, off the ground. The kid obviously couldn’t lift himself into the air. The pastor then looked at the rest of us and asked if any of us believed we could succeed in lifting ourselves off the ground. Bryan responded with an enthusiastic “My dad could do it!” As the congregation laughed, the Pastor replied, “Oh, yeah? You think your dad could lift himself in the basket?” “Absolutely, my dad is so strong he could lift this entire church” came Bryan’s reply. “Really? And where is your dad?” the Pastor asked while scanning the laughing crowd, seeing if anyone would actually dare admit to being this almighty parent. I looked straight to Rick, wondering how he would respond. I still laugh thinking about what I saw. Rick, sitting in his comfortable style, arms across his chest. Then, that smile. The smile I’ve only seen Rick give. I’m lost for words that would adequately portray that smile. It’s almost as though it’s a smile thats actually an attempt to hold back a full out laugh. It was the smile of a man who was proud of his children and that was uncomfortable with the idea of being the center of attention. I like this image because I think it’s fitting. Rick loved life and loved his family. It was apparent to everyone that he enjoyed his life. Yet, Rick didn’t need to be in the center. He didn’t need everyone’s eyes on him. He would rather sit back and enjoy his family. I respect that.

I also just want to let you know that we are continuing to pray for you and your family.

Grace,

Jeremy

Florida '08

Dad loved our trips to Florida, although it took a lot for him to admitt it.  I remember this particular year Katy, Rogue, and I drove down with mom and dad.  Rogue was just a baby, and even though she was really good, there were times where I thought dad was going to snap.  Heck, I thought I was going to snap.  We had to listen to the Elmo Movie all the way there and back.  In the end, nobody lost their temper and the trip was another great memory. 

 

Snowmobiling

I can't believe it took me this long to post this memory because some of my best memories are the times dad would hook sleds up to the snowmobiles and pull us around the house.  I think the lawn mower dump post reminded me of it.

In the winter, us kids could not wait until dad got home so he could pull us around on the sleds.  We would hook up one or two sleds to the back and dad would drive around trying to make us fall off, and he would never stop the snowmobile.  We would have to try and jump on the sled while it was still moving.  I personally loved it.  I remember going for hours at a time. 

Lawnmower Dump

Dad sure did LOVE mowing the lawn.  He liked it done just right.  He didn't like the circles that I mowed in, that's for sure.

When we were young, I can remember him pulling us behind the lawnmower in his red wagon while he mowed the lawn.  We would have so much fun riding in that thing, making up games to play and jumping out and then hopping back in again.

Then....when we were riding nicely; when we were least expecting it.....DUMP!!  Dad would pull the pin out of the wagon and dump us all out.  I'm not sure if we thought it was funny, but dad sure did get a kick out of it!

That Special Touch 2

This picture was taken on Sunday, during the camping trip. We were all starting to say good bye, so I put Enzlee in front of Dad just so he could see her. To my surprise, he quickly lifted his arms and grabbed her. (I hadn't seen him do that in a long time, as he was very weak). He took her and gave her a big hug and said " You are so warm, I think I'm going to hold on to you forever." Almost made me cry.

Grand Dogs

That Special Touch

He just had a way.....his grandkids would sit in his arms forever....and he could always calm them down and get them to sleep in his arms.

Katrina (New Orleans)

Dad, mom, Jer & I went to New Orleans in 2007 to help out in the Katrina aftermath.  I remember them giving dad a chain saw when they heard he had "experience".  I don't think they realized what sort of experience he actually had.  Everyone that worked with dad that day could do nothing but brag and be amazed.  I can't tell you how times I heard, "You should have seen that guy with a chain saw.  It was amazing!  He cut down tree after tree in record time!"

I think dad's only complaint about that entire trip was that they didn't work him hard enough!  Nope....he didn't even complain about walking around down Bourbon Street with all the crazies or about carrying a full grown man, Danny, around on his back down Bourbon Street!

It's not a great picture, but here's dad hard at work in New Orleans.

Tough Guy

Dads handyman knowledge still blows my mind to this day.  How one man could know so much about everything is beyond my understanding.  Because I loved having this knowledge onhand, I always made sure dad was present while I had a project going on.

Not only was dad smart but he was one tough guy.  He could lift twice as many boards as me, do twice as much work as me, and endure 100 times more pain than me.  I remember a time, while building my house, dad was nailing walls together with the air nailer.  A 16 penny, framing nail blew through the wood and into his hand.  He never even flinched.  He finished putting the wall together and then went to take care of it only because he was bleeding everywhere.  Then he went back to building another wall.  That is one tough dude.

I never was able to take him in arm wrestling either. 

Warf

I need to give a little background on Warf.  Dad used to love Star Trek.  If Star Trek was on TV and dad was home, you were watching it whether you liked it or not.  Anyway, his favorite character on the show was a clingon named Warf.  He was one tough dude. 

So anything that dad thought was tough was named after Warf.  He used to have a Makita work light that he would call the Warf light.  He would also refer to his jeep as the Warf mobile.  I remember he used to pat the dash and give the Warf mobile praises after it did something tough like pull a car out of the ditch or get unstuck from a snow pile.  I remember one time I gave the dash a pat and dad looked at me said, "not to hard".   He would always make funny little comments like that. 

I took a lot of stock in what dad thought was tough equipment.  I started copying all purchases that he would consider tough.  For example, I got a jeep CJ5 when I was sixteen, my first chainsaw was a husqvarna, and my lawn mower was the same exact brand as his.  I had faith that if he thought highly of a product, it must be quality.  His oppinion never failed me.