why? Today would have been my dad's 77th birthday! I am sad he isn't around to celebrate it! I would have made him a cheese cake. One of his favorites that I made.
The before photo was taken October 5th 1957 when my mom and him got married. Then there was this photo from when he was in the navy so that was even before 1957.
The after photos were taken September 1995 just 6 months before he died.
Such a wonderful man and an awesome father. I still carry his words of wisdom around with me that I am able to pull out of my head in times of need. Most of that wisdom came from experience and from studying the Word. He didn't always say alot but when he spoke it sure did stick with me.
Praise the Lord he called my daddy home. Even if it meant less time with me.
Shortly after my dad passed away- I jotted down some memories so that I would never forget.
Here are just a few.
- He would say "Be in this world, not of this world."
- when I told him I loved him he would say "ditto" nice huh?
- he would always pat my mom's butt or hug and kiss her in the kitchen and she would always say "oh jack!" like she was a bit embarrassed. He liked embarrassing her that way.
- he loved the song " rain drops keep falling on my head" from the movie butch cassidy and the sundance kid- which he also liked
- he loved any clint eastwood movie
- he rubbed his fingers constantly over the remote control while he watch TV
- everyone always told me he was so proud of me.
- he used to take me camera shopping, stereo shopping, to the second time around store, we collected corvette matchbox cars together.
- He took me to the driving range and in the summers he woke me at 8:00 am and took me down the street to the golf course and an open field - have me hit a bucket of balls to work on my swing and then go pick them up and do it again.
-He held my hand in church. I remember how his hands looked and they were always very soft.
- we had serious conversations too. Especially during long car rides. When I was 13 he asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up and it was through that conversation he suggested I be a car designer. because I liked to draw and I liked cars.
- Then we had a conversation about college, and he asked if I was going there to get my M.R.S. degree? once I figured it out - I was like nooooo....
- He was goofy and I remember one night he came downstairs with green tennis shorts and a cowboy hat and boots. They didn't match but he was being silly trying to make my mom and I laugh.
- I remember the time he spanked me. I stuffed my pants so it didn't hurt and faked cried so he spanked my legs.
-He used to always make this awesome homemade bread. He also made tons of jerky. He was a hunter and a golfer and he liked to dabble in the kitchen.
- He would call me from home after dropping me off at college and tell me my mom cried all the way home. We would have a laugh.
-He used to take me on motorcycle rides on the back of the bike down a dirt road at lake Bellaire in Michigan.
-He used to take me on rides in the back of his corvette. I would crawl into the space behind the seats. I can still feel the breeze and smell the mustiness of the corvette leather.
-He smoked Benson Hedges and used to let me play with the boxes when they were empty. I thought the gold foil paper was so pretty and I liked how the box closed.
-He was a man of routine and a man of favorites. He had his favorite restaurants and his favorite places to go.
- His advice was in everything you do - do it for the Lord.
I could go on I guess with things that don't probably mean anything to you. But I loved that man and feel so blessed to have been his daughter. I had to pay tribute on this anniversary of his birth.
Very sweet, I see him in you.
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