My father spent most of his years growing up in and around Blackfoot, Idaho. The oldest of ten children, he grew up loving baseball, football, skiing, and anything else that would get him out of some farm work for the day. Some of the experiences he had as a child are unbelievable, and I'll have to share them another time. He was quite the ladies man in high school and was voted best dancer his senior year. After high school he attended Rick's College, then while taking time off to earn some more money for school was drafted into the United States Army and fought in the Vietnam War. Upon returning home, he reconnected with my mother who he had known and dated in high school (that part is actually pretty romantic, and I'll have to convince my mother to record that on her blog one of these days). A short time after they married, they moved to Oregon and eventually settled in a little town called Irrigon where they still reside.
My dad has always been the type of person who would spend hours working on his teenagers cars, make sure you had everything you needed and more when you were about to leave the house, and be there to lend a listening ear when you needed one. I regret not realizing all of his great qualities until I became a parent myself and understood what it was like to worry and be responsible for your children. He is one of the hardest working people I know, and believes if somethings worth doing, it's worth doing well. After I emerged from my grumpy teenage years, I came to realize what a very compassionate person he is. He has taught me by example, lessons of helping others for the sake of serving. There were many times when my dad was the bishop that we would receive phone calls in the middle of the night from a ward member needing his help, and my dad would go and assist and comfort, sometimes on only a few hours of sleep after a long day of hard work. I distinctly remember a time in my life when I needed a soft place to fall, and the reprimanding and lecturing I thought were in store were replaced with loving words and a sensitive heart from my father. I will never forget that and how much that meant to me.
He has given me valuable council and words of wisdom that have helped me in various stages of my life, and as a grandfather is passing some of the same values on to his grandchildren. If you think you are a good debater, try taking on my dad. I've taken him on more than a few times, and I don't think I've ever come out on top. He never stops educating himself about history, economics, the agricultural markets, world events, and just has a wealth of knowledge to share on almost any subject. My dad also has a knack for making new friends wherever he goes, and always knew the people that needed an encouraging word the most. During my younger brother Tucker's years of wrestling, my dad would take the other boys on the team under his wing, making sure they had food to eat, water, were getting rest, knew the backgrounds and stats on their opponents, and that they heard a "good job" when they were done. Basically everything their coaches should have been doing, but to most of those boys who had no parents there watching them, I'm sure it meant a lot.
My dad is a meat and potatoes type of man, a conservative who believes in good old American values, a person who would give you the shirt off his back, could probably still beat all of us in a foot race, and a man who gives meaning to the word "father". I appreciate the sacrifices he has made for myself and the rest of our family, and extra specially for being a dad to Riley. Riley lost his father about six years ago, and does not have any surviving grandparents. I'm so thankful for the relationship that my dad has with him, it means a lot to me as well as to Riley.
My husband Riley is an awesome example of overcoming adversity and choosing to make your life better. He had somewhat of a hard childhood growing up. He was blessed to have a hard working mother, an amazing group of friends, and a circle of his friends parents that looked after him like he was one of their own. This means so much to me that he had so many people that cared and still do care about him and rooted for him throughout the years. Riley is and has always been what I like to refer to as a "go-getter". He likes to be busy and grew up being heavily involved in athletics, which were his passion and what kept him out of trouble (mostly). He worked all through high school and still managed to play three or four sports. You could say his motto is "work hard, play hard".
I admire his loyalty to his friends, his bravery, his fierce competitive edge, and his desire to make a good life for our family. He strives hard to be the father he always wanted to have growing up and he does a lot of fun things with our children. I don't have to look any farther than Kendle and Morgan racing to the front door when he gets home to see how much his children adore him. They would probably much rather traipse around after dad than hang out with mom. He's a concerned father who I know will always be there for our family. I appreciate him so much, and I know I don't tell him that often enough. If he can put up with me and my whims, he can do anything. Riley, you are a good man and a good father.
I hope both Riley and my dad know how much they mean to our family and how much they are loved.
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