Today we got to visit my relatives Dick & Judy Webber. Dick is actually my Dad's cousin, so I don't know what that makes them to me, but I have known them my whole life. My Dad's Dad, Noble Webber, died when my Dad was just 2. Noble's brother John stepped in to help their family and get them back on their feet. He played an important role in Grandma Zelda being able to purchase her home in Montrose, which became the family gathering place for so many of us throughout the years.
When I was a child we would visit John and Ruth, as well as Dick and Judy on our trips to Utah. They always had the most beautiful and well decorated homes. I loved climbing up the ladder stairs in Dick and Judy's kitchen to the secret loft that overlooked the formal living room. Today my girls got to make their way up those same stairs to the secret loft. I also have fun memories of playing in their basement and seeing lots of plaques and awards on the walls. I have such good memories of these two and the kindness and hospitality their family has always shown to me.
On one of those childhood trips, their son Brian accompanied us to Lagoon (an amusement park in Farmington, Utah) and he won a good sized teddy bear for me at one of the carnival games along the midway. I can still picture it, and remember feeling very special that someone would win something especially for me. Brain had recently returned home from his mission in Germany and had brought back some pretty fancy cars. He took me for a ride in one, I think it was a small two door Porshe, and I had never gone sooooo fast in a car before. That was probably my record, until Robert bought a small two door BMW a few years ago.
Years later, when Brian was working out in Century City he took Robert and I out to lunch at some nice place while we were home on break from U of A. At the time I didn't think much of it, but looking back I can recognize that he was a very busy, successful business executive, who took time from his schedule to take us out. I think we also got to enjoy a ride in whatever his current REALLY fast car ride was, around the streets of L.A. That may or may not have contributed to Robert's love for 'fancy FAST cars'.
I so appreciate this branch of my family tree. I appreciate their kindness, generosity, hospitality and genuine love for others. I am so grateful that my girls experienced all of that goodness as we visited with them in their home today. After a wonderful visit and breakfast with cinnamon rolls and pumpkin chocolate chip bread and fresh squeezed orange juice, they still had more to give to our family.
From their home, we were continuing our Fall Break journey up to Park City.
Dick is a ski legend, who continues to race and medal in Masters National Championships even in his late 70's. He helped design the downhill course at Snowbasin for the 2002 Winter Olympics and is in involved in the Park City Utah Olympic Park, which housed bobsled, skeleton, luge, and Nordic ski jumping events during those same Olympics.
Utah Olympic Park is now open to the public with tons of outdoor adventures and activities. Dick and Judy provided Gold Passes for our entire family, which allowed us access to ALL of the activities available there. Their legacy of kindness, hospitality, and generosity continues on and touches another generation of our family tree and we are so glad we got to visit with them today.
Thank you!
