“Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.”   Proverbs 22:6

Children love to walk in their Father’s shoes if given the opportunity.  This is a  picture of Shepherd our 8th grandchild walking in his grandfather’s shoes.  We constantly set an example for our children and they will be much more likely to follow what we do than what we say.

I believe that a family that prays and plays together has a much better chance of staying together.  I am thankful that both of my daughter’s husbands provide great examples for their children by the lives they lead.  Honesty and loyalty, love and respect and a strong trusting faith in Jesus Christ is continually taught not just by their words but by their actions as well.

I am also so blessed that my husband is a man who cares deeply about his family and shows it.  Our children and grandchildren know that they can count on him to find time to be there when they need him, to listen to them, understand them and play with them because he loves them with all his heart. 

If one of our children was in a ball game, a recital or school program, he always managed to leave work early to come to it.  Weekends were spent at home playing with the kids and our vacations were some of the best family times of all.  Following you will find a list of wonderful memories with Dad that one of our daughters made a few years ago.  This list was written before she had children of her own and I know that it would be much longer now.

• roses every Valentines Day  
• Teaching me to drive
• Basketball in the driveway
• building a clubhouse
• leaving work early to come to my basketball games
• me and Dad verses Jim in basketball
• teaching me to play golf
• buying 5 notebooks even if I needed only 1 (always doing above and beyond no matter what)
• wedding day – walking down the aisle with him  
• watching Celtics games together on T.V,
• watching U.K. games together
• staying up until I came in at night
• always glad to hear my voice on the phone
• Chauffeur when needed
• going to piano lessons in old car
• restoring old 39 Ford together and winning prize  
• letting me play in Cub Scouts car race/camp out and cookout
• wonderful vacations
• building all those fences for the dogs
• building a doghouse for Snoopy with me
• all his jokes
• all his laughter
• always so patient and loving with Mother and us
• wonderful example and my #1 cheerleader

Two dozen reasons that mean so much and I know that if our other children and now the grandchildren made lists, they too would be able to think of countless reasons why their Dad (Daddo) always makes them feel loved.  And we want you to know that we love you more than you can ever imagine!  Thanks and Happy Father’s Day!

Father’s Day present craft

Remembrance rock paperweight

• rock for paperweight ( if your child goes fishing with Dad or plays at a nearby  stream let him choose a rock about 4″ by 4″ with a smooth top for this project) or a small tile for a “surprise project” bought at Home Depot on a trip with Dad would also work
• Elmer’s glue
• hot glue gun
• Mod Podge clear drying sealer and clean brush
• small photograph of child or child and Dad. VERY IMPORTANT TO USE A STORE MADE PHOTOGRAPH, I tried printing photos on photo paper with my inkjet printer 3 times and even allowed it to dry overnight.  The photo looked great, but the Mod Podge lifted ink off paper.
• thin piece of cardboard large enough to mount picture on
• felt large enough to cover bottom of rock

If using a creek stone be sure to wash and dry the rock thoroughly before beginning  this project.  Check to be sure that picture will fit top of rock or cut to fit.  Mount picture on the thin piece of cardboard with Elmer’s glue and let dry.  Use hot glue gun to secure picture to top of rock. Lightly brush several thin coats of Mod Podge over picture and top of rock allowing each to dry thoroughly before adding another.  When finished glue a piece of felt to bottom of rock so it will not scratch your furniture.

Let your child wrap up his remembrance rock in pretty paper and delight Dad with the gift he made him.

Any Father’s Day tribute would not be complete without mentioning my own   wonderful Dad.  He loved God, worked hard, took us to Sunday school and church every Sunday and inspired me to always try to do my best.  I have  many wonderful memories of evenings together with him.  Summertime was such a special time and  I use to love to sit and talk with him while he grilled burgers in the backyard.  Occasionally for a real treat, we made homemade strawberry or peach ice cream with a hand crank freezer.  

Daddy had an on going battle with the squirrels that would raid our bird feeder.   He was always trying to come up with some hilarious invention to stop them and of course the inventions never worked, but provided many laughs when we would watch the squirrels succeed in getting up, over or around the latest contraption.  I wish I could show him the bird-feeder we have now that takes squirrels for a little merry-go-round ride when they try to raid the feeder.  So  far the squirrels have not outsmarted this new design as long as we remember to keep it charged up.  Daddy would have loved it!

When I was little he made a wonderful log cabin playhouse for my sister and me in the woods behind our house.  I usually imagined that it was my bakery and spent hours and hours of fun fixing delicious treats and decorating them with honeysuckle berries.

Be sure to take lots of pictures with your children having fun times with your  parents.  I wish I had more pictures of my Dad, but he was always the one behind the camera.  He loved making things for my children  and once made a car and a boat for them to play in when we were coming to visit.  He also made wooden boats for them to sail down our creek and planted wildflowers in our woods for me to enjoy.  It is such a blessing to have a caring,  thoughtful, loving father, and I just wish my Dad  was still around so I could hug him and tell him just how much I love him.