Happy Belated Birthday Dad!

My dear Daddy turned 59 on July 12th! He had hurt his back, so we postponed celebrating until this past Sunday the 20th due to busy weekday schedules and Pioneer day on the 19th. Mom and Katie made a great Mexican dinner and Mom made Dad his favorite... an all natural, no added sweetener carrot cake. Mom, you know I love you, but I do not love that cake. :) Dad, however loves the fact that it is only sweetened with honey and he eats it up. I swear my Dad looks 10 years younger this year than he did last year! He shaved his moustache and beard off earlier this summer and he looks like he's about 40 now instead of almost 60!

My Dad is seriously the perfect man. He works hard at all he does. He works outside day in and day out with his lawn business, then he comes home and works around the house and yard to get whatever done that needs be, then he eats dinner with the family, helps others with their projects or works more around the home, and then finally will make it to bed only to start again the next day. Dad always has time for his family and will drop everything at the drop of a hat to help you. I can't even begin to tell you how often Dad has been over here helping with random things. Just tonight he helped us get a door on that was giving Jarom and me fits. Dad is so good with Addie too. She loves him and the feeling is definitely mutual. Her favorite thing to do with Gramps is pull the glasses off of his face. You can't quite read the hat Addie has on in the picture but it says "I love you Grandpa"... can you guess who bought it for her?

Even when Dad was working 2nd shift at the police department I never remember a time when he didn't come home for family dinner. He turned down promotions because they would take him away from his family more than his current job did. I remember countless bike rides, walks, trips to the park, and backyard games. I remember him taking us as a family out to eat to Morrison's, Piccadilly, and Cracker Barrel weekly and then getting a "treat" after of a health candy bar or hard candy and if we were at the mall we'd get to go into the dollar tree and pick out a toy. When we were littler I remember him taking me on his knee at church and bouncing me, and me riding on his back around the house. We always took a family vacation each year to Panama City Beach and made many additional trips to theme parks such as Disney World, Six Flags, Oprayland, or other places such as Rock City, or even the little amusement park off of Drake that used to be there. Now I realize how much money and effort it takes to do these things!

A tradition that Dad always did with us that is fondest in my mind is all five of us piling into Dad's truck "Old Blue" one day after thanksgiving and going to cut down a Christmas tree. That was always the most exciting day and we would drive out past Ditto's landing to the tree farm, spend forever looking at all the trees until we found the perfect one, then Dad would cut it, let it fall on him and pretend like he couldn't get out (which sent us into fits of giggles), and drag it back to our truck. We'd then go eat breakfast at Shoney's and would park the truck near the windows so we could look at our tree that we were SO proud of! We'd go home, Dad would get it into the tree stand and then we'd put the lights on and decorate it. This last year we all went to find a tree for their house and ours (mind you I was 9 months pregnant and HUGE walking all over that farm) and we are excited to continue this tradition with Addison.

Dad also is one of the most spiritual and wise people I know. He took five years studying religion before he found our church and has never taken the priesthood or the church lightly. He has given me numerous blessings and we always got our father's blessings at the beginning of each school year. He also is very knowledgeable when it comes to health matters. Dad became a vegetarian a few years before I was born and so I grew up around health food and "veggie meat". I know, it sounds gross, but the veggie meat is REALLY good!!! I prefer the fake sausage to the real stuff...really! He has told us things for years that doctors are now starting to preach. Though his lectures warranted many eye rolls growing up, I know that he knows and knew what he was talking about and we are probably much healthier now for it.

I am so thankful to have been born into the family that I was. I had a wonderful childhood and the best parents in the world. I'm so thankful for my sweet Dad and for all that he has done for me and for everything that he continues to do for us. I'm thankful for his example as a parent and a husband, because it helps me with Addie and helped me to choose my hardworking hubby Jarom. I love you Dad and hope you had a wonderful birthday!