80 Years

 My Dear Daddy,

Happy Birthday!  Today you are 80 years old!  That is definitely worth celebrating!  It is an honor and a privilege to be your daughter.  I am so proud to be yours!  When I think back of my memories with you two things stand out in my mind.  First, we worked along side you.  We were normal kids and had plenty of time to daydream and play and use our imaginations, but we were also expected to help carry the load of a family farm.  I fed calves, hauled hay, helped corral cows that had got loose, cared for a garden, rolled hay bales, moved water and any other tasks that needed completed on a farm.  You were a gentle task master and worked right along side of us.   At 80 years old, you are still out there working!  You don't know what "retirement" means!  I'm so grateful that you taught me to work!

The second thing that stands out to me is our family vacations.  Every summer we would plan and go somewhere.  Some of our trips included:  Disneyland, Black Hills of South Dakota, Nauvoo, Texas, Montana, Seattle, Oregon, San Diego, St. George, Yellowstone, Colorado, Mesa Verde, Branson, and others I'm sure that I'm missing.  The point is that we went and spent quality time together, which was usually a hard thing to come by on a Dairy Farm.  I remember swimming in the ocean with you, having picnics, telling us to turn off movies in the car and look out the windows!  I remember many a hotel room with kids wherever we could find a flat surface (two chairs pushed together was a favorite) and Dad snoring away.  :)  You always wanted to go out to a nice sit-down restaurant while us kids just wanted Happy Meals from McDonalds and a swim at the hotel pool.  You taught me to swim on these trips and would usually get in the pool with us, tossing us in the water and playing games with us and letting us hang around your neck.  These are sweet memories to me.

Daddy, I love you!  I'm so grateful for your example.  You love the gospel and live it.  I love your motto, "it's just fine" and I think of that often as I'm worrying and things that don't really matter in the end.  You have always been there to support me and my family and I'm so grateful for your gentle influence as I raise my own children.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!  Here's to many more!

Love,
Your #10

Daddy, I'm loving your pant/shirt combo in this one!

Daddy with 11 kids (one more to come):

Me and my Daddy:

See Grandpa's tie?  I got it for him while on my mission in Australia (see the kangaroos?) and he dutifully wears it to every "Wendy event".  I love it!

 Love you, Daddy!