Mason Madness: Happy Birthday Daddy!!!! (Very long post)

Today is my dad's birthday so I thought I'd post of few of my favorite memories and pictures of him on his special day :-)

Growing up:

When I was younger we lived in Utah. We had a two level house with a really big back yard. I remember my dad constantly building something. When you went out the back door there immediately was a patio and then lots of stairs that led down to the yard. My dad built a really nice deck at the bottom of the stairs and covered it with astro turf (?). Then he built a "playground" for us. The play ground consisted of a deck with a shed on it (our carpeted play house) with a slide going down from the deck, swings attached in the back, sand below and rail road ties all around it. We spent sooo much time out in that play house and had so much fun having slumber parties on the back deck. I really missed that house when we moved to AZ.

My dad has always been quite the story teller. Anyone who knows him knows he loves to talk and to tell stories. Growing up my dad would always either tell or read to us a story before going to bed. I used to LOVE listening to all of his wild and crazy stories about his childhood and growing up. I'm sure that my great love of reading, particularly mystery novels, comes from my dad reading us "The Three detectives" series by Alfred Hitchcock every night until he'd read us every single one.

Personality traits:

I take after my father in sooo many ways. Some good and some not so good :-) We both tend to get very emotional over the littlest things (crying) and have a short fuse at times. Several months ago after listening to a talk in general conference, my dad called each of us children up to tell us all how much he loved us and how proud of us he was. He couldn't get through the entire phone call without crying :-) I'm pretty sure he'll probably start balling after reading this post. My dad is like a huge teddy bear, a little rough around the edges at times but a big softy at heart and so fun to snuggle with (just ask Jacey).

My dad has always been really good at poetry. Growing up, he would write a poem for every occasion: Birthday's, Graduation's, Mother's Day, etc... He would always say "I'm a poet, didn't know it, my feet show it...they're Longfellow's". I have no clue what it means or where it came from but I remember my dad saying it all the time!!

Maybe one of these years he'll write a book of poetry???

Here is a poem he wrote for my Grandma Skousen one year for her Birthday:

"I learned to speak through countless error

first sound, then tone, then verbal fare

and yet the ear is caught in quandary

for mine is far from singularity

a hint of Father is only half

as Mother dear is in my laugh

now so in living I find the same

what I foresee or be is not my fame

the credit goes to all before

laid foundation, stem and even more

so as we revel in our birth

a change is made to Mother Earth

eternity may never this tiny spot review

but it exists because of you"

Loving Father:

My parents only live a few minutes away from my house, which is really nice. If I'm having a bad day I will often leave and go chill out at their house :-) When I was pregnant with Keely my hormones were a little crazy and I had a tendency to get upset over everything (okay, so maybe I still do). One night Thad and I had a "disagreement" and I needed to get away and vent. I normally would have gone over to my parent's house to talk to my mom and tell her all my woes. Unfortunately my mom was in Oregon at the time. I knew my dad would be asleep (it was 10:00 at night) because he had to get up for work early, but I went over there anyway. I had no intention of going in I just needed somewhere to go. I parked in front of their house and just sat in my car and cried. After about 10 minutes I heard a knock on my window. It just about scared me into early labor. It was dad. He heard my car and had looked out his bedroom window and saw me just sitting there. He convinced me to come inside for a little while. I remember him saying "Now, I know I'm not your Mother and I probably won't have as good of advice but I'm willing to listen if you need me". I spent the next 30 minutes or so telling him all my troubles. He told me stories and gave me some great advice and made me feel so much better. I will never forget that night!!!!

When Thad and I were dating or should I say not dating, I was having a really hard time. I was living on my own, Thad had just broken up with me and all my roommates had decided to move out at that exact time. Needless to say I was a mess. I can't even count the number of times I went over to my parents house to have my dad give me a blessing. He was such a great comfort to me at such a horrible time in my life. I am so thankful to have been raised by a father who has such a strong testimony and love of Jesus Christ, has installed those same beliefs in his children, and has remained faithful and strong no matter how tough things have gotten.

Thank you Dad for everything you have done for me; for your faith, determination, example and great love for your children, grandchildren and wife. Happy Birthday!!!!

Loving Father