I Love My Daddy

My Dad Being His Usual Silly Self

So now it's Father's Day and my Dad's turn for me to talk about him (even though he will probably never read this). Some of the memories I have about Dad are when I was growing up my Dad had a passion for ice cream (that's where Jess probably gets it from).  Dad would always take us to the "31 flavors"- that's Baskin Robbins for those of you who don't know - and I would get the same thing everytime, Rocky Road in a sugar cone,  Dad always got Pralines and Cream.  For awhile Dad and I were into Banana Royals with just plain vanilla ice cream.  We would share the sundae and fight over who got the cherry.  He usually let me have it in the end. 

I also remember going out on the tractor with Dad.  I would sit up on the wheel wells and ride along while he drove.  I have seen pictures of my nephew Dallon on the tractor with Dad now, and it brings back a lot of memories.  I also remember going with Dad to "change the water" on the fields.  It wasn't really because I had any interest in changing water, but it was with the hopes that we would get to go get a treat afterwards, but I remember when he tried to show me how to start the water running through the pipes.  He would put his whole hand over the end of the pipe and push it deeper into the ditch and then after pulling it part way out and pushing back in a couple of times before he would drop the pipe with water gushing out of it.  Dad tried to show me with the smaller pipes. I never really got the hang of it.  He was very patient and we must have tried a hundred times.  I think I may have succeeded twice, but it's something I remember.

Dad also loves to go to the movies.  As kids he would always take us (usually running 10 minutes late).  Sometimes Dad would make us "earn" it.  I would spend the whole day cleaning the office in the shed with my best friend Jan just so that Dad would take us to see Star Wars or whatever movie was playing at the time.  The shed office was not an easy place to clean.  Everything was always coated in 3 inches of dust, dirt and grime.  I remember looking at the black rags when we were done wiping something off like the desk.  It was a lot of work for a couple of 10 year olds, but we wanted to go to the movies really bad.  Looking back on it, I happen to know that Dad wanted to see the movie as badly as we did, and he probably would have taken us regardless of whether we had cleaned the office or not, but Dad needed it done and we were willing candidates.

My Dad was the kindest, gentlest, most loving Dad any girl could ever have.  When Mom was angry with us, we kids would always say to each other, "I hope Dad get home soon." Dad was always the softy.  But one of my other memories was when Dad came with me on our 4th grade over-nighter fieldtrip to the Environmental Center.  Since Dad couldn't come into the girls dorm with me to spend the night, and I couldn't go into the boy dorm with him, we were given a place to sleep in the main hall.  Everyone was suppose to be going to bed, but the silly boys and girls kept running in and out of the respective dorms and screaming and giggling. After about the 20th time this happened, Dad had had enough.  He got up and yelled, "You kids get in there and get to bed!" in his loud growly voice as he herded them back into their dorms.  We didn't see anymore giggling kids that night.  I didn't think anymore about it, but the next day at school all of the kids were like, "Man you have a mean Dad."  I just smiled and said, "Not really. You just don't know him very well."  I didn't bother me.  In fact, I thought it was pretty funny. 

Dad is the videographer of the family.  He really enjoys taking videos of all of us especially the grandkids as they grow up.  If we have a dance recital or a choir concert Dad will be there with the video camera.  We give him a hard time about always being there with the camera in our faces, but I am really glad to have the videos now.  Those memories are important.

My Dad likes attention.  When he is sick, he likes having people around him to take care of him.  When it's his birthday, he wants everyone to make a big deal about it.  My Mom is just the opposite.  I am more like my Dad.  Right now Dad is laid up because of some problems with his knee.  He isn't able to get to his garden like he wants.  He lives all winter long so that he can plant his garden and be the farmer all summer long.  He has some of his grandkids and others helping him out, but I know he isn't happy about being laid up.  I hope he is able to get back to his gardening soon.  Dinners are much funner at his house when we can discuss his various corn crops and gardening tips.

He's a fun Grandpa too. When my kids were babies they didn't like Grandpa much. I don't know why, because of the "baby voice" he does when he's playing with them must scare them or something (and this was just my kids), but now all of my kids love Gramps. They especially like the fun things he does. He plays "Colored Eggs" and "No Bears are Out Tonight." He gives rides on his four-wheeler or in the wagon behind the lawn mower. He cooks a mean hamburger on the grill, and he still likes to give us treats. My Dad is the coolest.

Grandpa and Jessica