My Father

Happy Father's Day to all you dads! What a great blessing you are to the rest of us! This video was on lds.org today. It is a great story that hits home in many ways. Many of our fathers haven't gone through exactly this kind of life, but they each have their own challenges.
My dad is a great dad, fabulous father, and caring friend! I would never wish for another one! I have great memories of my dad fathering me and my siblings. Here are just a few of those memories:
Hiking to Congo Falls with Michael on his back in one of those really old kid-backpacks- not quite as luxurious as they are today. Probably a little rough on the back.
Safari adventure in Kenya...I could actually give a ton of memories of the great adventures he has taken us on. Just the fact that I am talking about foreign countries shows the adventurous journey he allowed us to all experience. And he has not stopped adventuring, now living in Greece.
Always involved in our sports and activities. I have memories of this when we were young little ones running around, all the way up to Michael being obsessed with basketball. Dad would come home from a long day at work and ask Michael if he wanted to play some hoop out on the court. No offense, but basketball isn't necessarily dad's strength, however, he was the challenge that helped Michael gain his skills!
My dad baptised me at age 8 and took me out for frozen custard afterwards! He has ALWAYS had a weakness for "ice cream", and maybe that explains my addiction to frozen yogurt. This reminds me of home- we ALWAYS had ice cream in the freezer- multiple 1/2 gallons in a variety of flavors. And once the carton was 1/2 way gone, making it difficult to scoop out without it getting all over your hands, he would then open it up from the bottom as if it was a new carton. Unfortunately this great lesson is not very useful with how they do ice cream cartons now.
I don't know how many times I have watched doctor procedures at our home- not just on our family, but all those families that took advantage of the convenience of an "emergency room" right in their neighborhood. He even had a great nurse (without the degree) by his side, who conveniently knew how to take care of my wounds when dad wasn't around.
Endless nights were spent writing papers for each and every one of us children. We all love talking about how this is when the best papers are written- after 11:00 pm. And with the habit already formed, this didn't stop when we went off to college. There were times we would call home for the same kind of help.
Late nights are a tradition in our family. And when dad can't stay awake for them, he is atleast in the same room, opening one eye every once in a while when we start talking about him. I don't think they stay up this late anymore, but it just so happens that when I called him for Father's Day today, which was after 11 pm Greece time, he was awake and sounding alive as ever :)
Dad has always enjoyed thought provoking conversations. And when this isn't available in person, he will send emails with questions to spur conversation. This is a great way to get church lessons planned- for him and me!
My favorite memory of these thought provoking questions was on a drive to Manti from St. George. Just Michael and me were still living at home at the time. On that drive we had a conversation about character. It was on that drive that I learned alone time with mom and dad is priceless!
The last time I was with dad I witnessed the great Grandpa that he is! It is so neat to watch my father with my own child!


And I can't talk about my dad without saying something about my mom. I truly believe in their case that there is no great man without an amazing women by his side. My mother has been his support all along the way for him to become the man that he is. When he was being the caring man that he ALWAYS is, getting involved in way too many obligations, my mother was in the background, picking up the peices and making life as smooth as she could.
I am so blessed to have a mother and a father! I know this and it is one of my biggest motivators when it comes to fighting for the definition of marriage.