Father's Day 2013

I am forever grateful for my father.  I would literally not be here without him.  By him holding the sacred priesthood, he brought me back to life as a newborn.  I am sure there were times in my teenage years that he may have second guessed that choice... ;-)  I was not the easiest teenager (to say the least).  I remember one night I snuck out of the house and went to go hang out at a friend's house down the street.  I'll never forget the "Oh NO!" feeling I felt as we heard a knock on my friend's door and opened it to find my dad there to collect me and take me home.  He didn't yell when he saw me.  He just said something like, "Get in the car."

I don't know how he put up with me and my teenage girl angst.  I am just grateful he did put up with me. :) 

I have many things to thank my dad for (besides the obvious: "Thank you for not killing me as a teenager.")  My love of a variety of music I get from him.  He exposed me to a variety of genres and music artists... from Led Zeppelin to Andreas Vollenweider to Eric Clapton.  He also plays the guitar and I love hearing him play.

My dad helped me learn how to be generous.  He and my mom would have our family do Secret Santa for less fortunate people at Christmastime.

Also, I even though my mom taught me a lot about baking and cooking, my dad also cooked and baked.  I learned a lot from him and how to be experimental with cooking and flavors.  When I was pregnant with Rebekah, he became obsessed concerned with my food intake.  After all, I was growing his first grandchild.  One time, about a month before I had Rebekah, he had me write down what he was doing so if the creation he was making turned out good, we could remember how to make it.  I really enjoyed doing that and watching him play with flavors that I wouldn't image putting together.

My love of games (video and board) come from him.  We make a great team when we play games and opponents beware!  We are extremely competitive and one of our most favorite games to play as teammates is Time's Up.  That and Pictionary... "Is that a mirror? Africa?"  Ahhh, the memories.

Because of my dad, I know how to look up information.  That may sound silly, but before the invention and common usage of the Internet and the ability to google things, I had to learn how to look stuff up.  Not only how to use a dictionary but how to use the topical guide in the scriptures to learn more about a certain subject.  I remember asking him what such-and-such meant and he would say, "Look it up."  At first I thought he just didn't want to talk or didn't know the answer, but I learned later that it was to help me be self sufficient.  Because of that, I became well versed in searching for information.

My dad loves taking pictures and I get that from him.  And those that know me, know I LOVE snapping photos.  I also hoard photos like it is another form of currency.  I may or may not have photos that belong to my parents of their childhood... :-)  Shhh, don't tell them!

Along with taking pictures, my dad was also at school things recording my brother and I.  I do that for my kids because it meant a lot to look out there and see my dad with the video camera.  He was very supportive of me.  I wonder if he still has the video of my 3rd grade play (the one I wrote and the class performed), "The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig."  He also used to let my brother and I put on silly shows and skits at home and he recorded them.  It was from one of those skits that I learned not to say the word, "Bastard."

When we were young, he and my mom would wake us up early so we could listen to the scriptures on records.  Through that, I was shown how important it is to read scriptures daily.  My testimony is stronger because of those early moments.

Even when I say prayers with my family, I think of my dad every time I am the one offering the evening prayer.  The reason being one of the things he would always pray for, I now prayer for: that we would sleep well and wake up in the morning refreshed.

On the day I had my first child, his first grandchild, he was there in the room when I gave birth to Rebekah. (And the birth of Lillian.) I was able to give my dad his first grandchild a few days before his 50th birthday. I am so glad he was there to share in those moments.

Those are just some of the things that I learned from my dad.

I am forever grateful for my dad.  We became closer after I got pregnant with Rebekah.  Something about him becoming a grandfather really changed our relationship and we grew closer.

Thank you, Dad.  For giving me life.