Happy Father's Day!

I love my dad, he's taught me a lot... probably more than he knows just by his example alone. He's the reason I choose to be an honest (to a fault) person, because he would often tell me how proud he was of my honesty... especially that one time when I wasn't being honest and I felt so bad because he stood up for me, that I decided not to lie anymore. He taught me how to clean behind and around a toilet, where people often forget to check and clean. He taught me how important it is to let your kids know you love them, all the time. He always made the effort to take us on family vacations (with my mom of course!) not an easy task with so many in tow (I'm just now starting to appreciate this... though not completely as I'll never have so many kids as they did). He loves Christmas and always tried to make it awesome, which it was. He's been a great example of putting family first, giving service to the Lord by helping others and serving in his various callings at Church without complaint (at least none that I can recall), being a hard worker and having a strong work ethic, standing up for chastity and morality... even to full grown men at his work... what a great example to his 5 daughters and 2 sons (which he always proudly told anyone who would listen how many kids he had). I won't forget him waking us up on Saturday mornings by shaking our beds really hard or turning up his amp and blasting his guitar, all so we could have a nice breakfast together and then get to work cleaning the house. I won't forget that my dad came, after a long shift at work, to give me a father's blessing before Liam was born and to tell me he knew Liam would be special to our family. So much more to say, but suffice it to say, I really love my dad!

I love David too. I couldn't have asked for a better father to our children. He loves the kids so much and takes time to teach and play with them, and to plan beach trips every other week for us during the summer. His poor heart is constantly broken as the kids often want me and let him know it... Violet is better about loving us both, she loves to sit by both of us and hug and kiss us, but she has her moments where she just wants mommy (but that's pretty normal isn't it?) Liam somehow thinks that loving his dad means he doesn't love me. So tonight for Family Home Evening we had a talk about dad and how much he loves us, what he does for us, and that showing dad we love him shows me (mommy) you love me too because he is the daddy I picked for them, and that it is a commandment from God to honor your mother AND father, and to show God we love him we obey His commandments. David, being such a sweet father had placed cookies in the oven as a treat after (and I didn't even know he had done so). We might need this lesson again, but I hope it starts to sink in. I know someday these kids will know what a great father they have.