Happy Fathers' Day

In my typical crummy wife fashion, this comes a day late, and many dollars short. In my defense (feeble, though it may be) I DID have a week! I was sitting in Relief Society (the organization for women in the LDS Church) and my friend asked me how my week was...At first, I said "Oh, pretty normal". Then, I thought...not one, not two, but THREE low blood glucose episodes with Kayty (one with seizures, one after a young adult activity away from here, and the final one on Saturday night, right after Ethan and Cameo left, right in front of me...It took me awhile to realize what was going on), Nathan getting injured at football practice, involving a doctor visit and then getting x-rays (nothing serious, thank goodness, though it took me a moment to think of what COULD have happened had the straight on hit to his chest caused his heart to stop beating), an adult child's consequences from past mistakes catching up with him, (Moms...even though they are adults, you NEVER will fail to feel sick every time they have troubles...but sometimes, the hardest thing is to let them suffer the consequences and pay the price, knowing that you are here loving them.), Visiting Teachers from church coming to visit AT THE SAME TIME Dee is "attending" a weekly meeting with India via phone/computer, a son having friends over for pizza, me having jury duty, Nate volunteering at a ranch for recovering teenagers, plus the on-going pizza oven project (he's doing the pretty stuff: river rock on the bottom, stucco still to come), Kayty looking for a car, Nathan's every morning football practices and weekly big man tournaments, Young Men's church activity...Ugh! So, needless to say, the men that mean so much to me and my children and grandchildren got quietly put on the back burner.

I think the prime example of one of the things I love most about the father of my children came last night: daughter and dad talking on the phone, her desire to save money to build a new piece of furniture, and him, finding there was a need, sprang to action, with solutions, one of which, is a well built, straight from the great grampa that just loved her to pieces, piece of furniture. It may not be perfect, but oh, the history...oh, the love...and it's sturdy, and she can make it whatever color she wants. That...the "jump and help, find a solution" Doran is the Dad/Papa that I cherish. If there was a science project needed to be built, he was there with design advice, and material help. If there was a problem in a sport, he was there to pitch balls, take to the cage, coach a team. If there was a band, or chorus concert, he was there-cheering all the time. Vehicle trouble, you guessed it...there to fix, or advise, or purchase. If someone needed something at a yard sale, he would ask at every one till he would find that something for his special children or grandchildren. He has built playgrounds, fixed up bikes, folded paper airplanes, purchased and played marbles, taken dress shopping (a truly terrible torture!), photographed, baited hooks, chaperoned field trips, cooked the best Chinese food, taken hunting and fishing, driven to Pismo Beach, and the Grand Canyon, and Medicine Bow Wyoming, and Yellowstone National Park, and Monterrey Bay Aquarium, and Black River, and ... well, way too many places to mention. He is their biggest and loudest cheerleader, and, whether they truly realize it or not, the most loving and dedicated and forgiving man...he truly wants only for them to be the best they can be...He has proven himself, time and time again, and, though the delivery sometimes can be rough, and his sense of humor can be hard to take, and he isn't the most subtle when it comes to his opinion, he truly loves them with every fiber of his being!

Now, for Mike, the sweet husband of my daughter, and the father of my grandbabies. I just love him so much. I knew he loved my daughter when he sat up all night with her, in my living room, and cared for her every need when she had her wisdom teeth removed. I remember, after losing a pregnancy, my daughter needed rest, and could not climb the stairs to their room. That sweet guy carried their huge mattress, all by himself, out of their room, across a family room, down a flight of stairs, and set it up downstairs so she could be comfortable...What a guy! And as a Daddy, he is superman! He can find the best sales and buy the cutest dresses for Grace. He can fix cars and bikes and everything. He can grill and dutch oven cook like NONE other! He reads to them, bathes them, feeds them (the yummy things that Mommy is not so fond of!), and I have watched as he really tries to help my daughter work the magic that she does! I saw a very ill young man go to the hospital, go to a school presentation, go back to the hospital, stop and bring a treat on the way home to big brother and sister, hope to go to bed and get rest, and then get a call from his worried wife and return to her side to comfort and love. He loves my daughter, and Adam and Grace and Joshy.

Daddy doesn't mean just here on earth either. My Doran and his sweet Danyel lost a baby over a year ago. His brain did not form, though he had a perfect, but very small little body. That Daddy sat by Mommy as she labored for days, suffering sickness, and sadness, knowing that there hopes would not be at the end of their labors. I saw his love for sweet Charles as he looked at him. That Daddy sat by her, loved her, and then took picture after picture of his sweet son that had returned to the Lord. We have those pictures to cherish...He put aside his sadness to record the passing of this sweet little son of Heavenly Father. And this Daddy is also one super duper Uncle! He gets to deliver furniture to Las Vegas, and, when he gets time, there is nothing better than to get a visit from Uncle Doran. He loves his nephews and niece to death, and you can see it!

I used to love it when my Uncle John would make this "special" drink for my brother and sister and me: seven up, cherry juice, and a cherry in a small glass. Imagine my shock when we went to a restaurant and ordered a "shirley temple" and got Uncle John's special drink!! Uncles are special people too! And sweet Ethan is one of those special uncles. He makes sure he takes trips to see those sweet little grandbabies of mine, and he loves to visit them and play with them.. I remember when Adam used to stay at our house while Mommy worked, he would love to come in and scare the beejeebers out of Adam...and Adam would jump every time Uncle Ethan did this! He scares the beejeebers out of me every time he gives on a little "toss"! He is the uncle that brings a special Barbie doll to a birthday girl on his way back to Phoenix from a softball game. He is the one that has the best video games. He is the one that works and works to make babies giggle. Uncle love...nothing else like it in the world!

So, to all the Dads and Papas and Uncles out there...Happy Father's Day, and thank you for making the world stay in balance, for doing the "Non Mommy And Grammy Approved" things! And thank you for being understanding about a Mom/Mother in Law/Wife that had a week not to forget. Your "unforgettable-ness" makes weeks like the last one tolerable...you are truly a happy, and wonderful memory!