Daddy

I've probably heard it a hundred times - and I'm sure he's heard it even more.

"You have how many girls? Oh! Your poor husband!"

"I wouldn't know what to do with all those girls . . ."

"Please tell me that you at least have a male dog!"

These conversations always leave me incredulous. Are fathers with daughters given special instructions? or are they less manly? do they feel less involved and less like real fathers than dads of boys? is their life harder or sadder? Poor men . . .

As I was scrubbing plates and counters and folding towels the other day I was thinking about my handsome partner in parenting. I was thinking about my own daddy who raised four daughters (and two sons). I was thinking about Nels teaching his girls how use a spoon or tie their shoes or figuring out, together, how to fashion a ponytail. And I thought of my dad teaching me how to drive a manual car or (attempting) to teach me how to not backtalk. I thought of him teaching me how to serve.

And I realized:  A father doesn't do what he knows. A father does what is needed.

Fatherhood doesn't come with an instruction manual. How to Train Your Daughter - it doesn't exist.

A father to five girls does it in the same way as a father of five boys. A fathers sees a need and does his best. A father acts.

A man isn't born knowing how to provide, preside, and protect a family. A man - a father - is made while doing so.

A father has the courage to do what he doesn't know how to do.

I am so thankful.

I'm thankful for my dad. I have watched his example my entire life.  He seems to be a wealth of strength and knowledge. I have looked up to him my whole life and even at 32 years old, he continues to teach me and challenge me - always encouraging me to do things that I don't think I can do. He walks me through it, but let's me do it. He loves to see me succeed.

I am eternally thankful for Nels. I am continually amazed at his wisdom, his thoughtfulness, his creativity. I love his open mind and open heart. He teaches me how to love more fully, more freely. He has been at my side for more than 12 years now and there is not one day in all those years that I have tired of his company or wondered whether or not I made the right choice. He is the best choice I ever made. I think our daughters are the luckiest girls in entire world to have him as their protector and teacher.

And in all honesty, I don't feel bad for him one little bit - even though he doesn't have a male dog . . .

He's got it pretty damn good.

They Love Him

For Father's Day we headed, once again to the mountains! The girls wanted to show Daddy all the fun places we'd found the month before and I really wanted to get out of the house. I'm sure Nels probably would have loved for us to come home from church and have me tell him to go nap the day away, but he humored us anyway. :)

Such a gorgeous day . . . albeit windy.

Before heading out, we did have dinner. I made him lasagna - his favorite. And the girls were so excited to give him a couple of presents that we got for him. The classic tie - as well as a new white shirt, since I'm pretty sure most of the ones he owns are about 10 or 11 years old! :) I also decided that it was time to buy Nels something exciting with all the moola HE makes. :) Somehow or another, I always weeny out on presents for him . . . there's always something that he needs like new pants or garments or a shirt :) or else everything that he wants is TOO EXPENSIVE! Are all husbands like that? I know my dad is. :) Is there anything that would be exciting to him for under $200? Seriously. So, we decided to splurge and bought him an iPod Touch. He loves it -- when he's home -- and the coolest part? He can listen to Pandora on the radio through the WiFi. (I'm sure that someday in the not too distant future, I will read through this last paragraph and marvel at how antiquated it is. :) Anyway, it's fun.

Five Chicks that pretty much think he's the bomb-diggity.

They sure love this Daddy Man.

Nels is such a fabulous husband and father. I'm so thankful to share my life with him. He's always there for us when we need him and gives so much to each of his ladies.

In high school I never was really one of those girls that dreamed about getting married and having kids . . . heck, even in college that wasn't even something I thought about much --- getting married, sure, but having kids? Not really. Not that I didn't want them or that I was dreaming of some grand career instead, I just couldn't really picture being a mother.

However, with Nels at my side, I could picture being a parent.

With him.

No one else in the world that I would rather share this responsibility with. Forever.

My Dad

I love my dad so much.

I'm so thankful to have been blessed with the father I have. He is truly one of my very best friends.

I can remember sitting on the driveway or in the garage with him as he worked on the car or welded. I loved riding with him in his old brown Chevy. The seat was bouncy. It was awesome. I remember riding with him to Phoenix and playing "I Spy".

He seems to always have an answer for any question I ask. It's amazing. As if he's already thought of all the questions I could ever think of . . . :)

To this day, I love the smell of welding. I don't know how to describe that metallic smell, but it will forever remind me of my dad.

My dad knows how to work. Hard. Such a good example to me.

He also knows how to have fun. Such a good example to me. :)

As I was watching through some home videos recently, I realized that, as a child - and a teenager, I most often called him Daddy or Daddy-O. As an adult, I unconsciously still do it. I'd never noticed before.

One of the defining phrases in my relationship with my dad is, "You can do it."
A FEW examples:

     - Making wooden "treasure" boxes and other awesome things with my brother (out of his probably-useful lumber and with his nice tools)

     - Driving a stick (he tricked me into it)

     - Changing the oil with only verbal instructions over the phone (in which I almost became a felon, but the oil got changed perfectly, thank you very much)

     - Changing brake pads and rotors

     - Cutting and laying tile (seriously, how many dads lend their tile saw to their daughter???)

     - Driving home through mountain passes covered in snow

     - Snowmobiling in deep snow (and never getting mad when I get it stuck :) and 4-wheeling up steep hills

     - Teaching me how to shoot a gun, throw a baseball, use a knife (although numerous scars may prove me a poor student :)

Such a wonderful teacher. I genuinely believe that in my dad's eyes, there is nothing I can't do. And because of his faith in me, I believe him.

My dad loves the Gospel of Jesus Christ. My dad lives the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In simple, unassuming, everyday living, he has shown me what it means to follow the Savior. He is so willing to serve and to give. It seems to come so natural to him.

So many things that I love about my dad, I'd never be able to share them all. So much that I've learned from conversations he's shared with me and also just by watching him throughout my life. I could never have asked for a more wonderful father.

One of the most amazing things to me, is that through my relationship with my dad - I've learned more about my Heavenly Father and the relationship that I have with Him as well.

Thank you, Dad. Thank you for your example. Thank you for your sacrifices for me. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for being my friend. I love you more than words can say.