Happy Birthday Dad!!!

It was my dad's b-day December 1st and I just haven't had a chance to post his Birthday Blog-o-love yet...I'm sorry dad:( However, my dad was in AZ over his b-day and we celebrated it in UT before we left town...so he was pretty well taken care of, but I still love to recognize him officially:)

My sister Jen did a very nice tribute to my dad on her blog (theroperfam.blogspot.com), which listed 55 nice things about my dad for every year of his life. Seeing how I can't top that, I figured I would make a slide show of all of the pictures that I took of my dad over Thanksgiving, since he LOVES to look at pictures of himself and his boys:)

Dad, we love you so much and you are the "Bestest Dad" and the "Bestest Ampa" EVER!!! Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Jen!!!

Today is my older sister's (Jen) Birthday!!! As many of you know, I am extremely close with my sisters...they are my best friends! However, Jen is not only my sister/best friend, she is a mother figure to me. Since my mom passed away in 1996, Jen has always served as that motherly presence in my life. She is always there for me no matter what the situation and I know that I can always count on her for advice, comfort, laughter...you name it and she is there.

Now that I am a mother myself, I have grown a greater respect for my sister and all that she does for her three little boys (4, 2, and 3 months). She is an amazing mother and she teaches me so much everyday. I hope to be a mother just like her and our own mom someday:)

Jen also is an incredible wife and homemaker. She is always on top of everything: cooking, cleaning, date night, working out, fun activities for the kids, family home evening, church activities, etc., etc. I don't know how she has time in one day to accomplish all of her many tasks, but she seems to pull it off day after day. When I was in pharmacy school, I always looked forward to taking a break from studying to call Jen and hear about her day with her kids and all the things she had to do that day. I couldn't wait to be a stay-at-home mom like her someday and now that I am, I try not to take it for granted and to make each day meaningful and thank my lucky stars that I can be home with my sweet little Logan.

Jen is such a good example to me in so many ways and I feel so blessed to have her in my life:) Jen, I hope that you have a wonderful Birthday and I want you to know how thankful I am for all that you do for me and the person that you are. I love you!

Happy Birthday Ben!!!

Today, December 17th, is Ben's birthday. He is the big 3...1!!! I know, he is getting old! We both are! Despite being old, Ben is an incredible husband and daddy. Logan and I are so blessed to have him in our lives. Ben is the most selfless person I know. Not only will he do anything for me and Logan, but he would do anything for family, friends, ward members, and even complete strangers! He is a very hard worker, which is a wonderful quality that he learned from his parents. Since Ben was young his motto has always been, "Work like a beaver, be an achiever" a song that he often sang to me while I was needing extra motivation in pharmacy school. He is the second oldest of 7 kids, so he has always been a natural born leader, example, and friend to all of his siblings. He will never fail to volunteer to help anyone in any situation.

Coming from a big family, he also learned how to go with the flow, be easy to please, and adapt to and make the most of any situation. In college, he lived with a bunch of guys in an apartment and all he had for his room was a sleeping bag, his dinosaur blanket, a foam mattress, his clothes, and of course his ski gear tucked in a little corner of one of the rooms. All of his friends called it his "nest" and Ben was completely happy with his little set-up.

Ben also is one of those naturally smart people (which I despise)who hardly ever have to study to get decent grades. He actually would go to his classes 30 minutes before a test and START studying for the first time and he would pass! I like to say that Ben skied his way through college, but he learned all that he needed to become successful in his career. Ben is also very confident, but not arrogant. He doesn't get nervous to public speak, approach people he doesn't know, or teach an Elder's Quorum lesson with 5 minutes notice! He is very approachable, sincere, and completely dorky...which I love! For example, every time he is in the bathroom for whatever reason, he always starts to sing "76 Trombones Led the Big Parade" in the most cheerful and upbeat voice possible. He always has a song in his heart, which I think is one of the ways he maintains his positive and silly personality. People are drawn to him because he is so genuinely nice and fun.

He is such a good man and I couldn't ask for a better example for me, Logan, and all of our future children. I just want to thank him for all that he does for me and the happiness that he brings to my life. Happy birthday Ben and I am so thankful to be able to spend eternity with you! Love you!

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Where to start about my dad...next to my husband, he is the most incredible man I have ever known. Not only is he my dad, but also my friend, confidant, role model, and even my mom (at least in this life)! I will never forget what he said just moments after my mom passed away, "This is the first chapter of our new lives." He didn't just say that, but he lived it and transformed into a new person (not that the old one was bad, just different). He took on the hefty job of not only being a father of three girls, but being our mother as well. He was and still is the ultimate "Mr. Mom"! He also made it possible for our family to be sealed for all time and eternity, which meant the world to all of us! I am thankful that my dad was able to hold us all together through the tragedy of losing our mom and we are a much closer family having gone through this experience.

I also admire my dad for the intellectual giant that he is. He has and always will inspire me to never stop learning and expanding my knowledge. He has a photographic memory and is one of the smartest men I have ever known. His knowledge of the Gospel, history, politics, chemistry...you name it, he has studied it and is ready to spout off facts and figures at anytime! In fact, when he visits us in AZ he spends that majority of his time with his grandsons playing in the orange grove and hunting for ants/etc. and watching the ever dreaded Military channel! He refuses to get cable at home, so when he visits it is a special treat and he can't get enough of all of the "geek" channels: Military, Discovery, History, National Geographic, etc, etc.

My dad is also the "bestest Ampa" in all the world! He adores "his boys" Wade, Seth, and Logan. They go on a number of adventures together and my dad really enjoys re-living his mischievous boyhood through them. Logan is still a little small to really participate in the fun, but he is perfectly content with "Ampa" holding and loving him. They all just light up when "Ampa" comes through the door!

He is an incredible dad and I am so thankful to be his daughter forever! I always look forward to our long/deep conversations and love teasing him about all of his little quirks. He was the first man that I fell in love with and will always hold very special place in my heart. I love you dad and hope that you have a very wonderful Birthday!

PS: Thank you Paula for being such a wonderful wife and for keeping my dad on track all of these years!