PATIENT, KIND, GENTLE, SMART, GENEROUS, STRONG, HARD WORKER, HUMBLE and a little bit of a TEASE!

I wanted to write a Father's Day blog, but I am a little late- life has been crazy lately. But I finally found a few minutes, and even though it is a little late, here it goes.

All growing up I was pretty much a daddy's girl. I did a lot of cooking, cleaning and sewing; but I also did a lot of stuff outside with my dad also. I loved going out and helping him do chores. I grew up helping feed and take care of the animals, hauling hay, irrigating, fixing fence, riding horses, and all of that fun stuff. I don't really know that the actual chores were fun, but I LOVED spending time with my dad. And when I was with him I always felt like I was the most special person in the world.

One of my favorite things about being with him was listening to his stories. Whether it was about hunting or fishing, when he was growing up, or about different ones in his family, they were always so fun and interesting. He is a genealogy buff and knows some amazing stories about his ancestors. He comes from a long line of pioneers with great faith, and I have often found strength in some of the stories he has told me. I have always taken pride in my ancestors and the heritage that I have.

My dad is one of the hardest workers I know. He has always worked long hard hours to provide for his 11 kids. We were never rich with money, but we were so rich in other ways. He would work overtime at work, then come home and have to irrigate or cut hay. Often he would work all day and then travel several hours to watch one of the kids play ball. He would do anything for any of us...and still does.

He went to 1 year at BYU, but then his parents needed his help on their ranch in NM, so he quit and went home to help. Even though he didn't get a 'formal' education, he is still one of the smartest people I know. He has an incredible engineering mind and often amazes us at what he comes up with. If you look around his house most people see a bunch of junk. I will admit that I was embarrassed by it when I was growing up. I remember numerous times while he was at work my mom would get all of us kids to help her 'clean up the place'. We would load up the truck with 'junk' and just be about to haul it off when dad would get home and be so mad at us for hauling off all his stuff. You know the saying..."one man's junk is another man's treasure"...this truly applies here. I know that all of us kids just didn't understand why he hung on to so many old cars and pieces of equipment. He just always told us that 'one day he might need it'. Honestly, I never really believed him. But since he has retired and has had more time, he has used quite a bit of his 'junk'. He is now doing some of what he loves most...farming. He has built a sprayer for his corn out of his junk...hydraulics and everything. He will bend, cut and weld and make different equipment out of his piles of metal. It truly is amazing some of the things he has come up with. The hardest part is that he has a hard time getting around and just can't do the things that he wants to do very easy.

Justin has been working on the farm with dad the last few summers. It is hard work and my dad can work him into the ground. But I have gone over there and seen some of the things that he is having Justin help him with, and I am so thankful. Not only is Justin learning the value of hard work, but some of the mechanics and other things that he is learning will be so valuable to him. I know that Justin has a great admiration and respect for his Grandpa and they get a kick out of each other. Justin often tells me of some of the stories that Grandpa has told him that day and it reminds me of the times that I worked with him and the stories that he told me. I don't know if Justin really understands how lucky he is to have this time with his Grandpa, but I feel quite confident that one day he will look back and realize it.

Ariel also feels a special connection with him and loves being around him. He has helped her with her passion...horses and animals. Another strong point of dad's is his way with animals. We grew up with horses, cows and all kinds of farm animals. Not only did he have a calming way with them, he knew how to take care of them and doctor them as well. He could have easily been a vet. I know while growing up the vet was only in town a couple days a week. Dad would often get calls at all hours to go help someone doctor their animals. Ariel has that same way with animals and wants to be a vet. She could (and sometimes does) spend hours talking to him about the animals and what they need and how to care for them. She loves her horse and 4-H animals and he has been one of her strongest supporters. She has helped him brand, pull calves, give shots, and doctor many of the animals.

I don't think that it is just my kids that feel a special connection with their grandpa. He has a way of making each one of his grand kids feel like they are the most important and that he loves them most. His quiet, gentle way has calmed many of them down when their parents couldn't. He loves to play and tease with them and they just love going back for more.

Since I have moved back I have learned to love and appreciate my parents more than ever. I still love going over and helping him around the farm. I have got to help him irrigate, fix fence, work the fields, and other chores around the farm. And still he tells me stories...some that I have never heard before. I know that whatever I need I can ask him and he will help me however he can. I am still calling him for gardening tips and other info. all the time. And he still makes me feel like I am the most special person in the world.