Father's Day 2009 was a week ago and we did our best to make Dan feel really special like the amazing Daddy we think he is! We let him sleep in (which he never does)and were just about to take him breakfast in bed when he came walking down the stairs at 8:00am! Lydia of course was anxious to give him presents and he wore his new tie to church! Of course he wasn't surprised to get a tie because he gets one every year on father's day! But this one was special because Lydia picked it out herself. The rest of the day we tried to give him lots of time to relax and read and feel loved. I went to work on making him a dinner he'd especially love and I even took a picture because it actually turned out really delicious! BBQ ribs, Hasselback Potatoes, Baked Zucchini, Garden Fresh Green Beans & Squash(still on oven & not in the picture) picked that morning from our garden Yum!
I love Father's Day and taking time to really celebrate the good father's in our lives but I also think that we should do it more often than once a year. I hope that Dan knows what an incredible husband and father he is not only on Father's Day but EVERY SINGLE DAY! So just to be certain he has no doubts in his mind I want to post an entry all about what a remarkable man and father Daniel really is! This picture is from a family night hike we went on in Snow Canyon a few weeks ago.
Dan is such a good and dedicated father. He honors the Priesthood of God which he holds and is humbled by his responsibilities. He makes certain that we all come first and he blesses and cares for our family. Not only does he do a phenomenal job providing physically for our family, but he also provides for our emotional and spiritual needs as well. He makes sure we have Family Home Evening every Monday and keeps reading scriptures and having family prayer a priority in our home.
There is no doubt his children love him!
This picture was taken after Lydia's first dance class recital. Dan made sure he had taken time off of work to be there to support, cheer her on and congratulate her with the pretty pink flowers! He always puts his priority of family first and I know my children will never have to question his commitment to family as his actions speak even louder than words. Just this week he took off work to witness Lydia pass off her swimming lessons and take pictures of her. He was also happy to help me with doctor's appointments and caring for the kids whenever I have needed him to!This next picture is Dan playing airplane with the kids. This double decker is a nice demonstration of how he always has time for the two of them and no one is ever left out!
The kids love playing with Daddy and even just being with him. Lydia is a total Daddy's girl and Emmett is his little shadow. If Dan is home, Emmett can be heard shouting, "Dada Dada Dada Dada" until he finds his daddy. If Dan is outside then Emmett's favorite place is standing with his hands pressed against the window staring out as he watches Daddy work in the yard or mow the lawn! It is cute that at such a young age he already wants to be like his Daddy!
Dan is also these kid's hero! If anything is broken Lydia knows her daddy can fix it!He recently designed, had a friend weld, and then built and cemented in an awesome swing set for the kids! He even etched each of our initials into the cement before covering it up!
These swings are now a family hang out spot as we all just sit together and enjoy swinging in the evening after dinner. Dan has a love for work and in addition to the swing set he tirelessly works on home improvements and landscaping the yard so it will be beautiful! When he is all tuckered out from working so hard he comes in and relaxes with us. He loves to read to the children and tell them stories. Sometimes I actually laugh out loud with some of the stories and songs he comes up with but they are so sweet and the kids love them! I'll include just one last picture that illustrates the tender and fun father Daniel really is. He and Lydia love to tease each other and the other day while she was reading and he was stretched out on the floor he started grabbing her toes with his toes and she just started giggling! This continued back and forth for quite some time and she finally said, "Mommy look, we're Toe Hugging!"
Yes Daniel, You are a Phenomenal Father and a Wonderful Husband. We feel so blessed to have you and hope that every day is a Happy Father's Day for You!
