Happy Father's Day, Dad!

Me and my Dad in 1950

We had a great time at our house on Saturday night with Dad celebrating Father's Day. We gathered at our house around 4 on Sat. afternoon. We made shish kabobs! MmmMmm! They were so delicious. We had steak and shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes, squash, peppers (red, orange and green), and sweet onions. We grilled them all on the skewers and then put all the veggies in a big bowl. Mom made a pan full of 'fresh-from-the-garden' new potatoes with lemon butter and parsley flakes. Todd made a wonderful lettuce salad, also from the garden. Joy brought the sweetest corn on the cob of the year. Then to top if all off, we had home made ice cream with butterscotch or chocolate brownies and syrup to go on the top of that. Wow! What a feast!

Dad enjoyed his shrimp and corn on the cob, two of his favorite foods. Then he ate not one, but two bowls of ice cream. I sent the extra home with him. He didn't protest a bit either! He loves that ice cream.

After we finished eating, we gave Dad our cards. Last month we installed a new front door and storm door for Mom and Dad for both Mother's Day and Father's Day, so there were only cards. Dad always tries to read his cards out loud. I found the perfect card for my Dad this year. It said exactly what I would want to say if I was good with words. He started reading it out loud. He read the first couple of sentences, got choked up and said, "I can't read this!" He gave it to Mom and she finished reading it. It said this:

They say we all come into this world with nothing,

But I had a remarkable father

Who put food on the table

And a roof over my head.

He prayed for me,

Praised and encouraged me,

Sacrificed his needs for mine,

Showed me love,

Acceptance and self-worth.

So really, I came into this world with everything.

Your love gave me my first glimpses of God.

Thank you for loving me

And for helping me discover

The blessings that come

From the One who loves us all.

Dad-Father's Day 2009

After he read all his cards from us telling him how wonderful he was, he stretched out his neck like he was saying "Tell me more! I'm so great!!"

Something Dad used to say after he'd fix something around the house was, "My, my, my! Is there no end to this man's talent?" We'd all laugh and tell him that no, there wasn't. Dad could fix about anything back then.

My Dad is a very special guy. He worked very hard all of his life so us kids could have what

we needed. One of the special memories I have of my Dad is when I would get to go with him on Saturdays to deliver potato chips. He was a "potato chip man", a "car-hauler", and "insurance man" and many other things. In later years, he worked as a Wal Mart greeter and even had a paper route!

(Dad, The WalMart Greeter) When I was about 5 he'd drive the big truck home that he hauled cars on and we would climb on it like it was a jungle gym. When I was a little older, he even had a snow cone machine, and after school, in order to make extra money, he would load it up and I would sit on the passenger's side of the car and ring a big bell. He'd drive all over the little town where we lived and kids would run from everywhere. If I remember right, back then, we sold those snow cones for 10 cents! And they were so good on a hot day. What fun it was to be "in business" with my Dad. I felt so important because MY DAD WAS THE "SNOW CONE MAN"!!

Yes, my Dad was special and he still is. Thanks Dad for all you have done for me and all the wonderful things you've taught me. Thanks for teaching me how to work and for giving me a wonderful Godly heritage. I love you.