Happy Birthday, Dad!

On June 18, my dad turned 88 years old.  We celebrated by having him and Karla over for dinner and cream pies (key lime and chocolate) and a surprise Zoom meeting with my siblings--My sister, Robin, couldn't ever get her sound to work and only her camera for a brief moment which I didn't catch with my camera.  My dad was delighted with seeing and talking to everyone although he missed having Robin be able to be there the whole time.

From the top

Dad, me, Mike

Scott, Todd, Lynette

Rick, Valerie, Robin

Last year, we were trying to arrange for all of us to gather in Salt Lake for his 87th birthday because he had been told that his heart was failing...when Covid hit which cancelled those plans...and we had a big family Zoom meeting instead.  This year was a bit quieter celebration with just the siblings but it was great to be "all together" with dad to wish him Happy Birthday.

A story:  When I was growing up, I told my mother that one reason I didn't want to play the piano was because "I didn't want that to be the only thing I did in the Church."  When I was first called to be a Relief Society president when I was 31 or so and called my parents to tell them, my mom said, "And to think you could be playing the piano, but instead you learned your dad's talents."  It made me laugh, but it is true that I share some of the same talents with my dad, although perhaps express them in different ways.  

I am pretty sure that I talk WAY more than my dad at any point in his life.  However, I learned to faithful in my service in the Church by watching him, I loved science and math like he did, I developed my talents to teach and to give talks in part from watching him do those things.  I learned to love live theatre and to take part in plays and roadshows like he did.  Of course, my mother also shared many of these things as well.  That is what made the two of them a great match and the perfect parents for me.

Happy Birthday and Happy Father's Day, Dad.  Thanks for being my dad.