For My Husband, The Father of My Children

This has been, by far, the most difficult to write. It is not that it is hard to find wonderful things to say about this wonderful man. My thoughts, however, bring such emotion, such tears to my eyes, that I find it hard to type, to think, to remember without wanting to immediately drop to my knees and express my gratitude to my Heavenly Father for this wonderful, this precious blessing that He has so richly blessed me with.

My sweet husband has always wanted to be a Daddy. From the early moments of our relationship, he expressed a sweet love for children and a great desire to have a large family. As we held hands across the temple altar, when we were sealed for Time and All Eternity, Brother Vance urged me to look at those hands, for they were the hands that would work to provide a home and a life for my family. They would be laid on the heads of each of us, at one time or another, to bless us when we might be ill, to give strength through a trial, to help through life. And all that has come to pass. Those hands, those wonderful hands...

Those hands held mine through each and every labor and delivery. They were there to wipe my brow, to hold me up, and even to cut the cord on the last baby we would bring to the earth. Those hands lovingly held those babies for the first time. With Allison, he was sooo ill, but just looked in awe at this beauty...this wonderful blessing. With Ethan, he stayed by this baby's side as they were concerned for his health, and he had dreamed a dream that concerned him as well. All was fine, and he carefully held him, and handed him a new football. With Doran, there was great happiness, for this was the child that would carry his father's name. With Morgan, the labor was especially difficult, and he was there, as I looked and worried, holding my hand in his, reassuring me. He begged for another baby, and a few years later, those hands first called Allison when she finally had a sister, and then held Katelyn close to his heart. And, when Nathan came, he was right there by Dr. Matson and was able to cut the cord...to take him from the Dr. and be the first one to hold and share love.

Over the years, those hands have done many things for these wonderful children. They have thrown baseballs, built swingsets and teeter-totters, cleaned cuts and scrapes, baited hook after hook after hook, repaired bikes, built science projects, made the best Chinese food, guided tball teams, constructed kitchens and 4 story Barbie doll houses, held the head of a little one getting stitched, put up tents, read books, rowed boats and canoes, set apart, baptized, blessed, repaired transmissions, designed playgrounds, poured cement, held while swimming in a pool, drove everywhere: Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Bartlett Lake, Camp Geronimo, Utah, Monterrey Bay Aquarium, Pismo Beach, San Diego, Black River, Woods Canyon Lake, and Las Vegas. Those hands, scarred from being a machinist, from working around the yard and doing it all himself, and recently, from cuttng wood for me, show how much he loves, how much he cares, how much he wants for his children, and now his grandchildren. Those hands...they love us.

Thank you, my sweet wonderful hubby, for making my longest dream of being a mother come true. Thank you for helping me to be a good Grammy. Thank you for putting up, for saying the things that Need to be said, for being willing to be unpopular, and for sometimes feeling very unloved, and then waking up the next morning, and willingly doing it all again. Happy Fathers' Day!