Dear Old Dad!

My Dad

This photo was taken at Hannah's wedding and it is one of my favorite photos.

When I look at this picture, I'm filled with love for my dad.

He is a great man.

There are so many things I could say about my dad.

He is someone I love more than I can adequately express.

He is my hero in many ways and I'm so happy that I've been able to share my life with him.

He makes me laugh with his crazy sense of humor.

I've always thought it was strange that he would read the dictionary just for fun, but I also love that he knows what every word means. And just for fun, he loves using those big words that no one else can understand.
Except for my sister Shawna, who also loves the English language.
.....strange little birds. :)

He has a tender heart and isn't afraid to show his emotions. I love that he showed my brothers that you can show your emotions and still be a strong man. 

I love that...so very much.

I have some very special memories with my dad. 

And the older we both get, the more important those memories are to me.

Some of the memories I cherish the most are ones of my dad praying.

I can't remember one specific prayer he said from growing up.

But, I remember him gathering us for prayer, and I remember how I felt when he prayed.
I remember him ALWAYS giving thanks for my mom.

And I remember him ALWAYS getting emotional as he did so.

I have always been thankful for a dad who has loved my mom so much.

It was a rule in our home that NO ONE disrespected my mom.

And we all knew he was serious about it.

I love that about him.

He does this dance-jiggety-jig thingy.

It's impossible to describe, but just the thought of it makes me laugh.

And then there's his laugh. 

No one laughs like my dad.

And my favorite is when he REALLY laughs.
It's extremely contagious and you can't help but laugh along.

When you look at this picture, can't you just hear it?

My dad is a hard worker.
He's never been afraid of working hard.
And that has been a great example to me.

He can fix anything and always knows the answer to every question you can throw at him.

One of the memories I cherish the most is dancing with my dad.

When I was growing up, we had youth dances at church, and my dad was there often.

And I always got to dance with him.

The best thing is that he didn't just go around in a circle, but he would waltz me around the room.

I love the feeling of being in his arms dancing.

He holds you tight and guides you.

And I have always loved that feeling.

When I met Big Daddy, one of the things that made me love him so quickly was that he reminded me so much of my dad. I've taken some pictures of him lately as he's interacted with the kids, and I have caught myself thinking about my own dad. 

Ricky is a great father.

Just like my dad, he has MANY kids and the weight of the responsibility to take care of them, is very heavy at times.

He takes his responsibilities to our children very seriously.

Not just to provide, but to teach and to guide.

He wants them to be great adults.

Just like my dad, he loves each child.

And magically, he finds ways to make them all feel special.

To be a father is a tough job.

I believe mothers are born with a natural tendency to nurture.

But, I believe fathers are born with a natural instinct to protect, to provide and to lead their families.

I am grateful for the father I have been blessed with.

And I am equally grateful for Ricky, for the father he is in our home.

I'm so happy to be lucky enough to say that this applies to both of these great men.

I am a very lucky girl.