Father's Day Edition

Father's Day

I wasn't blogging really during Mother's Day. So, I have some guilt about not blogging about how awesome my mom is, so I will need to set aside some time soon and tell you all about her!

But, in honor of today being Father's Day, I think it's important to tell you about all the Fathers in my life.

First, is my Dad. My dad is a Southern man made into a Northern man. He was raised in the south by his parents. His own dad passed away when my dad was young so he and his 5 siblings were raised by a single mom with not a lot of money. When he went away to Bible college, I'm sure this was a big deal to them all. That's where he met my mom. They met and fell in love. I'm not actually sure why, but she came home after only a year away at school and well, he followed her. And that was it. A couple of years later they were married. A year after they were married I was born. He is a HARD worker. He has a tremendous work ethic. Most people could learn from my dad. I could learn from my dad. My dad is the kind of man that has a BIG heart. He is very tender hearted. He has an opinion on most things, he knows a lot of stuff, he came back to the Lord when I was a teenager, he meant business when he was discipling you, but you knew he loved you. My dad loves my mom more than I can say and shows it by actions and words. He loves me and my brother by the way he raised us by teaching us ethics and morals and the ways of the Lord and what's right and wrong. My dad is my little autistic boy's big buddy. They have a little thing and it is one of the sweetest things to see.

My Papa (pronounced paw-paw). Well, my Papa has been gone this summer 8 years. He was a man who had been through a lot. He was raised in the south as well and moved north for work. He worked in a place where he moved to a place where he could have had a more prestigious position of management (I hear) but he turned it down, because he didn't want, I don't think it was the responsibility per se, but maybe the drama that comes along with that type of position. See he would have been moving from the blue collar side of the world to the white collar side. He chose to stay on the blue collar side. Still kind of a "boss" but not quite the manager. My grandpa had a brain aneurysm when I was like 7 or 8 years old. I think my mom and I were at a Brownie meeting. That changed our lives forever. That was in the early '80's. We are blessed that he lived, but his personality was never the same. He was a patient man before and kind of lost that. He was still a sweet man, but not quite the same. I don't remember much before he got sick but everyone tells me stories of me running into his house and he would have butterscotches hidden under the couch for he and I to share and watch tv. I was the only grandchild for a couple of years and the only girl for a long time. At his job he ended up having to medically retire because he couldn't do his work anymore. Everywhere we turned around our town we would run into someone he would know from work. Sometimes he would know their name, sometimes just faces. But, I think almost every restaurant we went to there was somebody. I hear he was tough, but fair. One memory I have is that he made a bunch snowballs in the winter and kept them in the freezer until the summer for us to have a snowball fight.

My husband. My goodness what an awesome man I got. Who knew at 16 years old (that's how old he was when I met him) that not only would I meet the boy that would become the man who would not only be my husband but the father to my kids!! He is an AWESOME dad. LOVES, LOVES, LOVES these babies (I say babies but they are almost 12 and 6 1/2)and he is not the kind of man that only plays and doesn't discipline. You know those kind of guys? I hear about them. My husband, thankfully, is not one of them. He plays with them and disciplines them. He loves them, but will talk with them. He shows them how to do things, sits down and does homework with them (I have no idea how I would have helped my poor M with her math this year had it not been for him). He couldn't be a better father. Honestly. I am in love with the man that is my husband and the father of my children.

The Lord.

I saved Him for last. If it wasn't for the Lord, I don't know where I would be. I know a lot people on tv and throughout life talk about God so easily, but I wonder how many of you have people in your lives that have an actual relationship with God. Well, I do. When I was young my parents took me to church. I learned all the stories from the Bible and all the things they wanted me to learn, but it took me becoming a teenager and adult to hear the things and think about them for myself to really think about them to understand them and believe them to know that my God is real. He created this universe. I know the world is scary. I know a lot of bad things happen. But, a lot of good happens too. God loves you. HE LOVES YOU!!!!!! With everything He had (His own Son's life) He gave it all for you!

So, to all my Father's in my life, Happy Father's Day!!! I love you!!!!!!!!