The Day after Father's Day

This is one of my favorite pictures of my Dad.
While the photographer was trying to take a picture of Raar and Ninja,
he jumped in at the last minute.
Classic Dad (as evidenced by the look on Raar's face)
He is a big tease.
A perennial little boy at heart.
Peter Pan syndrome at it's finest and yet
A man of great strength and conviction
And I have learned much from his example.

A devoted husband. A husband who took his wife out every Friday night on a date and always made sure that he told her that she was the most beautiful woman in the world.  I think it was President Gordon B. Hinckley that said that the best thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother..and he does.

A father that always provided for his children.
A careful money manager that made sure that all of our physical needs were met and that we learned how to make wise choices with our resources.
Always supporting our interests, never missing a concert, assembly or performance and carrying on that tradition with his grandchildren.

A faithful servant in the gospel. He served and continues to serve where ever he is called. From scout master to bishop....from seminary teacher to senior missionary. No calling was rejected and no meeting unattended. I never heard him complain about the time and effort it took to be a faithful member of the church.

A lover of adventure...He is the most active seeker of fun that I know. Traveling the world or his own back yard he seeks out whatever of interest a city has to offer. From walking on the Great Wall of China or attending a local art festival he is like the Energizer bunny...he keeps going and going. I have learned from him to never be bored, there is just no excuse for it.

A man of action
Always be first in line.
To him the early bird ALWAYS catches the worm whether the worm is good seats at a show,  a hot scone at the Swiss days festival, or a plane to catch.

A man who took pictures.  His love of photography and good eye for a picture were passed down to me. I treasure the images of my youth that he captured during a time where too many photos were considered a waste of money. They are priceless to me.

A man who dances. His "try anything once" attitude and his lack of being embarrassed. He doesn't mind that he has been told that he can't dance or sing. He does it anyway. Why should he give up things that he enjoys because of others opinions. I try and remember that when I worry about public opinion.

A man who is always on the move. Whether playing tennis, skiing, hiking he has been example to a couch potato daughter that getting up and moving is always the best thing. And it never hurts to do it in style.

A lover of cards and games. I learned how to play hearts and always keep count of what has been played. His competitive nature only made me desire to learn how I could win.

He called me today.
To tell me that he found a CD I had made for him
Eight years ago for his anniversary.
He just wanted me to know that he had forgotten how much he enjoyed it
and how creative I was.
And what a good daughter I was.
So Dad.....
right back atcha.
I love you.