A tribute to my Dad...

Lonesome:

I'm so awfully lonesome, so awfully sad
It's a long time since I've been glad
So I know what I'll do
By and by, I'll eat some worms and then I'll die
And when I'm gone, just wait and see
You'll all be sorry that you picked on me!

When I was a little girl, my Dad would sing the lonesome song to me when I was having a feeling sorry for myself moment. Eventually it would make me start to giggle and what ever I was feeling bad about would go away. Even now, I find myself everyone once in a while singing that silly song to myself still when I'm having one of those bad days.

I can't help but to think about my dad on Father's Day. It will be 8 years since he passed away. (June 20, 2000). I can hardly believe it's been that long. Sometimes it seems like so much longer. Sometimes the memories of him are so clear it seems like it was yesterday that he was here. There are so many times I catch myself asking my mom, if Dad were here, what do you think he would say or do? I still wish I had his wisdom at times. He died when I was 23 1/2. Hardly old enough to be an adult and benefit from some of the wisdom he tried to give me when I was a rebellious and ungrateful teenager. I'm soooo glad I grew up and grew out of those phases of life. I just wish he was here to see it. But on the other hand I'm glad I had to give him a run for his money when I was young... How else would I have received some of his great wisdom?

My father was a sweat and kind man. Easy to get along with and always happy. If you caught him on a day off, it wouldn't be in the house. It was usually in his garden. At Family gatherings he sat at the head of our table and told stories about when he worked on the farm in Missouri when he was young and some of the funny things that would happen to him and Ron & Don (my older cousins who are identical twins). He use to love to sing silly little songs to me when I was a little girl and also to the grandkids when we were all young. I know that if he was still here he's be singing these songs to Mason.

All Because She kissed me goodnight:

I climbed up the door and closed the stairs.
I said my pajamas and put on my prayers.
I turned off the bed and jumped into the light
All because you kissed me goodnight.

Or

Mares eat Oats and Doe's eat Oats and Little Lambs eat Ivy. I Kit will eat Ivy too, wouldn't you?
(spelling is bad!)

I'm grateful for my dad. He had a strong testimony of the church, of life lessons, and of family. I'm glad that one year he decided to write a little pocket book of Dad's life lessons and advice and give it to each of his children to have. I'm grateful that he loved me enough to adopt me into his family forever. I can't imagine my life with any family than this one. He's the best dad a daughter could ask for and I'm glad that he's mine.

I miss him each and every day that he is gone, but I'm grateful for the knowledge that we are an eternal family. Even though I'm young and I feel like I have a VERY long life to live before I see him again, It's only but a brief moment that I am with out him.

I love you Dad! Happy Father's Day!