This Ones to My Dad

So I'm a big Daddy's girl and my Daddy is in California so I never got to tell him on Father's day why I love him. It's a tradition at my parents house, to go around the table on someones birthday and everyone has to give a reason why they love that person. Some might call it weird but I think it makes that person feel loved and it helps everyone remember who's day it is. Anyway, I'm going to let my dad know some of the reasons why I love him on my blog.

My dad always looked out for me when I was little. This might come as a shock to some but I'm a whiney person. My family would always tease me but my dad was always there to make me feel loved and listen to me. He was always there to stay up with me and help with my homework too. I remember getting math and geography lessons with salt and pepper shackers and whatever was on the table. He has always been the smartest man alive to me because he knows the answers to all my homework problems. I still can call him up any time of day and ask him questions. He likes to say he doesn't know sometimes but when I remind him that he knows everything he gives me an answer, it's always right too.

One memory that I will always charish of my dad is when I was in the 8th grade. I was hanging out with some girls that I shouldn't have been. It effected my spirt and I was no peach to live with. I remember on a Wednesday I threw a fit about going to young womens. It was pretty bad, I was crying and yelling and I just refused to go. My mom tried to talk to me about it but she doesn't respond well to complaining and whining. She held in there for a long time but eventuall she left probably wondering if she took the wrong child home from the hospital. About a half hour later my dad came in. He's not a man of many words so it was silent for a while. Eventually he simply and calmly asked why I didn't want to go, I just started crying. I remember telling him that I didn't want to go to church things when I didn't know it was true. My Daddy, in all his wisdom, asked if I knew it wasn't true?. He told me that if I read the scriptures and prayed and decided that the church wasn't true then he wouldn't make me go to church or their events. But if I read it decided it was true then I would need to live up to that aswell. After that night I started reading my scriptures. I was so grateful to my parents that I changed the words to the first verse in First Nephi to say, "I, Caroline, having been born to goodly parents...". I read to First Nephi 4:6 before I knew it was true. It is still my favorite scripture to this day. I am so grateful to a man who took the time to listen to me and challenge me in a time that most LDS parents would have a hard time dealing with.

One last memory I have that I feel is an example of how my dad lives his whole life. I remember driving by the temple with my dad and I saw a cop car. I acted on my first instict which was, "Dad, slow down, there's a cop up there." He said, "I'm already following the law, I don't need to slow down." My dad lives his life in a way that he has nothing to fear of the road ahead. He stays on the path in life that has only one destination and I hope and pray that I can live my life without the worry of wondering where I'll end up.

I have always wanted to marry someone like my dad, to be able to guild my family the way my father has. I feel like I have done better then I have dreamed. I am so excited to have Mark's baby and see him grow into the father role so wonderfully that even I will be surprised. He has had a wonderful example of what a father should be by his own father and I know that he will make his father, my father and our Heavenly Father very happy. Mark, I love you so much and I thank you for letting me be closely apart of your life.