Fathers in my Life

I thought I'd follow the pattern I set for Mother's Day & write about qualities I admire in the fathers of my life. I have been very blessed and I'm so thankful!

My Sweetheart

-Patience. I know a mom is supposed to have the lion's share of this quality, but I don't think that's quite how it is in our parenting. Jason is such a patient person - much more than me. He will have a parenting situation that would have made me get so frustrated, but he is patient and usually handles the situation much better than I would have. Even when he's trying to do a project (most recently our sprinkling system), he was so patient when McKinley would constantly come over and ask to help him. He would find projects for her to do, or just let her sit there & talk to him and ask him her endless "whys?" while he worked.

-The ability to teach. I've been noticing so much lately how much Jason teaches our children. He taught them how to go up & down the stairs. Zippers, shoes, tricycles, games...our children would not know half of their skills were it not for their father (or at least it would take much longer). McKinley is constantly saying "Daddy teached me" It goes with patience, but he has this ability to get on their level and work on it until they get it & then he is a great cheerleader. I love him for this quality. I see his handiwork in my children's lives every day.

-Cuddling. Some dads don't really see this as their roles, but Jason is every inch a teddy bear with his children. He loves to just sit or lay with them, cuddle, play with their hair, rub their back, read them a book. I think nothing makes him happier than in the morning when we're all in our bed, cuddling, talking, laughing, and giving him endless hugs and kisses.

-Time. He is so devoted to our family. The primary reason he went into the finance industry, instead the the health industry which he might have enjoyed more, was to be home more and have a regular schedule. He loves being at home with his family. He loves spending time with us, and that makes us feel so loved and important. He loves to take McKinley and do things - fishing, to the store, wherever, on little dates and she LOVES IT. He's been gone for the past few days on a scout camp and we sure have been missing his presence. McKinley turned to me yesterday and said "Mom, I want daddy to come home." Well, that says it all. We all adore daddy.

-Love. The most important thing. He shows in so many ways that he loves his Savior, he loves his wife, he loves his children, he loves life.

McKinley says she loves her dad "because I play with him a lot," "dancing on the stage," "putting sunscreen on when I was a baby"(??)..."because I love him so much that he loves me."

I love you sweetheart. THANK YOU for being such a wonderful daddy.

My Dad

-Family Vacations & outings. Oh...so many memorable family vacations. Disneyland - multiple times, camping, Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, Moab - white water rafting, Spirit Lake, (just to name a few), not to mention our many skiing trips and Lagoon days. He spent the time, money, effort, and sanity to make sure we had many wonderful family vacations. Also, for each of our middle school graduations (when we were 14), if we got good grades, my dad took us each on a trip. Recently, on our drive from Phoenix with my sisters, we all reminisced about each of our trips with dad. It was a lot of fun to hear their experiences. Mine consisted of a trip to Orlando (my first plane ride) - we went to Disney World, Epcot Center, the Kennedy Space Center, and at I remember watching old movies and eating Cup-O-Noodles in our hotel room. Dad certainly didn't take us on these trips for his own health. I still don't what what gave him the idea, but it was a wonderful time that I'll always remember.

-Good Health. My dad has ALWAYS been an example of good health and exercise. Every few years or so, my dad has run a marathon & I always enjoyed when I went and could cheer him on when I was younger. It took quite a few years for the "running bug" to catch me (until college), but I absolutely know that I wouldn't be into the athletic endeavors that I enjoy were it not for the example of my dad. I hope this is a trait I can emulate and pass on to my children.

-Good grades. My dad was always a stickler for good grades. He knew our potential and he pushed us to achieve the best we could. As much as I complained about his "striving for perfection" when I was younger, I truly sought his approval and did really well as a result. It opened many doors for me & I was able to get an academic scholarship at Snow my first year. This dedication also spilled over into many parts of my life because it wasn't just about getting good grades - it was about doing my best.

-Structure. Sundays consisted of church, family council, family home evening, going to grandma Potts, and "interviews" with dad about the week, how we were doing, etc. Weekdays started VERY early with scriptures and family prayer. Again, I complained A LOT growing up, but I was EXTREMELY blessed to have this structure, this time as a family and spiritual armor that helped me face my growing up years, and I am trying to incorporate much of it into my own family.

Thank you, dad, for putting up with the drama of 4 girls. I KNOW it wasn't easy dealing with issues of earrings, makeup, phone calls to boys (we weren't allowed to call boys), maturation "issues":), dating, curfews, and boyfriends, but you did it. And I love you for it. (and it appears we're going to get our turn soon :)

McKinley says she loves her Grandpa Potts "because he loves me, because he tickles me, because he does the spider to me."

Grandpa Tew

-Family memories. Much of my memories of Grandpa Tew are of water-skiing & camping. He was always the one to drive the boat, tongue halfway out of his mouth. He loves sitting around the campfire, singing songs while my mom plays the guitar, and telling stories.

-Knowledge. Jason says that my Grandpa Tew is a genius - and I think he's right! He will AMAZE you with the knowledge he has. That man has a basement FULL of books. And the thing isn't just that he has read them, but that he REMEMBERS them. He's 81 years old! That's not to mention the memory he has of childhood stories, not to mention jokes and soliloquies. One time, he dared us to give him ANY topic and he would think of a joke related to that topic - he did it! I sure wish he passed his mind on to me, but maybe it will show up in one of my children.

McKinley loves "GG (grandpa) Tew" because he loves to give her hugs when she comes over to their house.

We were reading a book the other day & it asked who were the priesthood holders they most looked up to in their life. Jason's answer was my Grandpa Tew (his dad is not a member of our church). He really looks up to him and so do I. Love you Grandpa!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!