For Father's Day

     Not everyone has a dad, and many do not have a good dad. One of the greatest blessings in my life is to have the best dad that a girl could ever be gifted. God gave me an exceptional dad!

    God also made me just like my dad. We share many interests. We both love white water canoeing and adventures in the woods. We both love to create. Our collaboration on my cabin will be interesting and my home will be like no other. We are in love with farming and it consumes us. We both enjoy being alone in the woods. We seek solace there. We both have inherited the stubborn gene from my great-grandmother and our determination propels us. My dad is the hardest working person I know besides my grandfather. My work ethic was instilled in me early in life, and I am happiest at work with my dad.

     Many strangers, at first meeting are a little scared of my dad. They are met with a stern look and a big grizzly beard, but my dad is one of the most kind hearted men you will ever meet. Don't get me wrong. In such an event that he has to, he becomes a warrior for his family. Believe me! I have seen it! He is not someone that you want to battle against!! At the same time, he has a giving heart. The man would give the food off his plate or the hole ridden boots off his feet. He has very little monetary wealth, but he counts his blessings in grandchildren. He always says, "the most important crop that we grow is children."

Each one is in love with this Grampa and each longs to follow him day and night. From the toddling babies to the growing teenagers, they all march after Grampa like he's the Pied Piper. The tune he plays for them is of kindness, but is firm. Lovable and playful. He's a listener and a corrector. An example. My dad is the best example any child could ever have. He doesn't compromise his beliefs for anything. He is as firm as an old oak tree. He believes his Christian values are worth fighting for and he is steadfast. He is fair and just.

     His sense of humor has been passed along to us girls. He loves to sit in the dark and scare any passerby to the point of tears. This past time is enjoyed by us all. My sister and I have inherited this strange sense of humor. You know, the Mr. Bean type of humor? The British comedy loving sense of humor? Some people just don't get us, but oh the fun and laughter that ensues when we start joking around! I love many of the attributes that I have gained from my dad, but his bad luck is one that I wished I had dodged. Our luck is so bad that people joke about it! Many times it is just laughable. The things that go wrong are unbelievable! Some events have been so funny that they have inspired a book that I am currently writing at the expense of my dear dad! So, with this in mind, one of our desires for adventure is quite upsetting to my mom. Our dream to build our own ultralight and soar above the tree tops is always cut short by an angry mother who insists that we are going to die! The fear is that we will get high above the farm, and as we take in the grandeur of what God has created, we will hear a sputter. "Did you fill the fuel tank?" one of us will ask the other. "No. I thought you filled the tank!" will be the reply. I think you know the rest of the story......