Father's Day Part 1

This is my dad as a young'n

Every time I look at this picture all I can think about is how much my brothers look like him.

Am I right?  Anyways, on to what I'm really here to talk about, and that's my dad.  It's Father's Day, and I want to honor the man that my dad is.  I have so many wonderful memories of my dad it's hard to even begin, but one thing that really stands out in my mind is our rides to school, Kindergarten through 5th grade.  My dad has been an elementary school teacher, and an incredible one at that.  I can say that because he was my 4th grade teacher.  No, I didn't call him Mr. Plumb, I called him Dad, and no he wasn't easier on my cuz I was his kid.  In fact he was probably harder on me because I belonged to him, but I only remember getting detention in his class once, but that's because he wanted to give me a hard time.  That was tough on this teacher's pet over here.  That's right, I'll admit it.  

So, back to our rides to school.  The drive to school consisted of many things.  We would sing. When we were young it was a lot of the days of the week and months of the year songs.  Along with a song that he made up to help me learn how to spell my middle name.  We could also be guaranteed a round of You are my sunshine, with our names inserted. "You are my Angela, my only Angela..." you get the idea.  And to finish it off, he would pray over each of us as we were sent off to school.  When I was a kid, I thought this is what all kids did with their dads.  I didn't realize just how intentional and loving my dad really was.  This takes a lot of thought, time and effort, and I am so grateful that he instilled those values into each of us kids.  

Something else that I love about my dad is his love for other people.  Growing up, we went on mission trips to Mexico on a regular basis.  My dad has such a heart for these people, and he has such a gift of helping other people feel comfortable and enjoy serving others too.  If you have ever been on a trip to Mexico with my dad, or had a conversation with him about it, you know that he is called to help these wonderful people and he is fulfilling that call incredibly well.  

Not only does my dad have a heart for missions but he has a heart for his family as well.  My dad really values the time that we spend together and always has.  Another thing that I took for granted as a kid was the fact that both of my parents were teachers.  So, every summer we went on these really fun, sometimes very long, road trips.  We always came away with a good story for sure.  Not only did we follow the Oregon trail one summer, but we also drove to and from Ohio several times, (one time at the last minute straight through because Isaac got the chicken pox and we could no longer fly) and one summer we were in between houses so we traveled around the north west part of the country for 2 months straight, camping and riding our dirt bikes.  These are just a few of our family vacations.

I have so enjoyed watching my dad become a Papa, let me tell you, he was made for this.  He brags on his grandkids every chance he gets, he spoils them (in a good way) with fun treats and adventures. He does a great impression of Donald Duck, and is animated and exciting when reading and telling stories even if it is through face time.  I know that each of our kids will know that they are loved by their Papa, and will be so grateful for their relationship with him.

Thank you dad for loving on me, my hubby and our babies.  We are so grateful for the ways that you are so intentional and thoughtful. You have taught us well, we love you and Happy Father's Day!

With Love, From Charlotte