Father's Day

The greatest gift I ever had

Came from God; I call him Dad!
~Author Unknown

As thoughts of Father's Day have lingered in my mind over the past few days, I knew that I wanted to do something special for Steve. Days often pass by quickly in this household, and we don't always slow down and take the time to express our gratitude for each other.  Through a few conversations I recently had with the boys about their Dad, they expressed not only their love and admiration for him, but also how grateful they are for him.  They spoke of him with exuberant joy, interrupting one another with funny stories and bragging testimonies of their experiences with him.  Oh, how blessed I felt listening to them triumphantly praise and honor their papa with heaps of love and thanksgiving!  A testimony indeed to the incredible father he is to our boys.  Here are some snippets of our conversation, my questions to them are italicized:

From Benedict:

"Hey, Dad, this Father's Day I want to thank you for all of the fun things you take time to do with us. Not every dad gets to take their sons to do fun things. Even though I have many memories of doing things with you like sports and hunting, my most favorite thing so far is the ski trip we took last winter.  It was a blast!" Why do you look up to your dad, Benedict? "Because he has a strong faith, and when I grow up I want to have a strong faith like him."

From Andrew:

"My dad is great because he took me to every single wrestling match last year.  He coached me a lot and told me he was proud of me.  I really admire my dad, because he is such a good athlete. I am thankful to him for helping me get my calf, Rosemary, for 4-H." 

How do you feel most loved by dad, Andrew? "Well, when I do things wrong and I feel bad about it, he helps me to understand my mistakes and how I can fix them, then I feel better about myself."

From George:

"My dad is so awesome because if anything is ever broken he can fix it.  I know he is very crazy, because Granny tells me funny stories about things my dad did when he was young like me.  I always laugh at him!  I like to make crafts for my dad with glue and I like to trace pictures for him and surprise him when he comes home from working all day." 

What do you love most about your dad, George?  "Well, I love how he coaches me in wrestling and football and spends time with me even though he's busy."

From Henry:

Henry, what's your most favorite thing to do with daddy? "I like to ride the tractor with daddy and get tools and work on things." Anything else? "And, I like to eat snacks, too, and steal his beer (Giggling)!"

From Charles:

"Daddy, if I could tell you with words how very much I love you I would. For now, I will tell you with my eyes. You will know each time I look into your eyes and smile!  My mommy tells me every day just how lucky I am to have a daddy like you.  She says that when I get bigger we will conquer the world together, just you and me and my big brothers.

Your soft shoulder is one of my favorite places to sleep, and when you hold me in your strong arms, I feel safe and warm.  Thank you for being my daddy - I just love being your little 'Sugar Bear!'"

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!