:: Memories of Dad::

Currently my cousins and I are working together to put a Bentley Family Reunion together.  We haven't had one for such a long time.  I've been tasked with putting together everyones memories for our geneology.  We're going to record the stories and put the family group sheets on CD's for everyone.  I'm very excited for this.  Geneology is fascinating.  Especially the stories that are unveiled.  I started thinking about our current Jones family and would like to do the same.  Cody responded to my request and sent me some of the great memories that he had of dad.  He loved riding bicycles with Dad and the rest of the family in England and Japan. There were so many parks close by that we could ride to and play for awhile.  We did this every Saturday and took a picnic along with us.  In England we lived in little villages.  We loved to ride through the villages and we would see ducks and pheasants.  There was even one tree that always had an owl in it.  Cody looked up to his dad so much!  He thrived doing things with him.  Dad would always go to his baseball games and practices.  A few times he would even coach.  Cody also loved playing catch with Dad. They would do this frequently along with Kailie. He loved having counsel with his Dad personally. Dad always provided good advice and would listen to anything we wanted to share with him.  Cody started playing chess tournaments.  Dad always supported whatever we wanted to do.  He was always up for a game of chess with me.  Cody joined the chess club at school.  His chess instructer quickly discovered what an amazing player Cody is.  She recommended that he go to a club at a different school because they had a better instructor.  When Cody got home from chess club he was always excited to show dad the new things that he had learned.  Pretty soon we were travelling all over the state while Cody played chess tournaments.  He never left a tournament without a trophy.  He came in 3rd place in the state of Utah.  He also went to the Elementary School National Tournament in Pennsylvania.  They  had a great time.  They even took in some sight seeing.  Sometimes  Cody would keep playing chess tournaments just so he could play catch with dad inbetween rounds.  Cody loved that dad always wanted to do things with him even when he was tired. The weekends that dad would get chemo treatments and was so sick he couldn't get out of bed, he let me come snuggle with him and talk, watch TV or play with a small ball.  Cody loves that he is an example for me. Cody realized how hard it is to follow dad and his example only after dad was gone.Dad taught him the immportance of prayer when they
went deer hunting.  Dad encouraged Cody to keep going when he was confused.  Cody had patience with him when he shot dads bow without his permission. Dad is a great man and example.  He loves his family so much and always did the best he could to teach us virtues and be good and have fun doing things without money.  The best times are just sharing time with each other no matter what you're doing.  Dad loved us and none of us ever doubted that, because of the things he would do with us.  Dad never stopped being an example to people up to the day he died.  Still today we remember what dad taught us and we try to be like him.