What/Who I Love Most Today is my Dad...

I would never think to do a month of "love posts" without including my dad.  This post has been long in coming but I struggled with this post because I don't have a lot of pictures to show for my life with my dad, which makes me uneasy because pictures carry me a long ways, since I"m not the most prolific writer.

Also, with regard to my life with my parents it's hard to know where to draw the line between sharing too much and keeping things "kosher."

Having said this, these blog posts have been a way of journaling, a way of jotting down my family history.  So with this in mind I will share about my dad and me and our life together as I have remembered it so far.

I've never met anyone like my dad, ever.  I suspect I never will.  There is a very, very special place in my heart just for him.  I've shared a little bit about the beginning in other posts.  He and my mom were never married so they had fifty/fifty custody and I saw him every other weekend and spent the summers with him.

My dad is always learning.  He's always studying.  He's always abreast on events that are shaping our culture, country, the world whether for good or bad.  And I was inspired by this, which led me to my degree in Political Science.  My dad is also a "mans man."  To say he loves nature sounds ridiculous. It's so much more than this.  "He's one with nature....", no this doesn't sound right either.  He has a great appreciation for the outdoors.  I guess this will have to do.

Thanks to my dad I can say that I have hiked Mount Whitney, the tallest summit in the Untied States.  Never mind that he had to carry my overnight pack along with his less than half way up.  After all I think I was about ten.  I have been to countless caverns, caves, hikes, bike rides, ponds, streams, lakes, camping spots and fishing spots.  It doesn't stop here.  He loved four wheel driving.  I went along for the ride, until we were sideways on a mountain side and I found myself yelling, "dad, I want out, please I can just walk, I know how to get back!"  I can't remember if I ever actually got out but it's fun to recall these times.

What's really great is that I get to see my dad with my children and I'm literally reliving my life again with him.  But guess what?  He has grandsons!!!!!  I know my dad loves having a daughter but with all of this passion for the outdoors he's had to have missed having a son just a bit.....so I'm glad to be of service dad, my sons are all yours.  :)  Well, he's already taken the boys camping a lot.  He's taken them out by where he lives in Santa Cruz and he meets us on our Tahoe vacation in the summer.  These last couple summers he's taken the boys camping in Tahoe.  And of course he has taken them fishing.  Fishing is a must.  From my dad, Kalen has already been gifted his own tackle box with lures, fishing line, etc.  My dad adds to Kalen's tackle box every so often.

My dad is also very intelligent.  He spent most of his career working as an Electrical Engineer.  Near the end of his career he was working with optics, if this means anything to any of you.  So, you can imagine he has had the boys doing fun stuff in this realm too.  A couple of months ago he spent the evening with the boys, building electrical devices by soldering onto circuit boards.  The boys had a blast.

The kids already come home sharing their thoughts about my dad, which reminds me so much of the thoughts I carry about my dad.  They've already noticed his acute appreciation for simple things.  Like grass for instance.  I have the funniest story and I told my children a couple months back.  Speaking of this appreciation for simple things....

When I was younger we were hiking.  All of a sudden my dad calls me over with urgency in his voice.  "Shauna come look at this."  So, I come over quickly, thinking it will be an animal or something like this.  Nope, it was grass.  Yes, he was fascinated by a type of grass we had come across.  I wasn't fascinated but definitely fascinated because he was so fascinated.   I wish I were more like him in this way.  It's like he sees certain things with different lenses, lenses that have an enhanced perspective.

There were animals involved in our adventures too.  The kids love for me to tell them about the "rattle snakes."  Simply put, when we came across rattlers on our hikes my dad would show me how to pick them up.  He would pick them up and demonstrate.  I'm sure my sons will get their chance soon enough.  And I'm sure my mom did not know about this.  :)

Below is my dad with Gwyneth.  He met us at one of our campsites to spend the evening with us.  I like these pictures of my dad because when I picture him in my mind I picture him here.

Like my mom, my dad is a recovering Alcoholic.  He has three years of sobriety in April of 2012.    Seeing him in and out of sobriety has been hard over the years.  It's been hard to understand.  I've got two parents that share the same addiction and I really can't relate.  All I have ever wanted to do is help.   But, I really can't do anything.  Addictions of all shapes and sizes are helped only by the person with the addiction.  When they are ready to change, then the help begins.  Until that time, loved ones have to wait in uncertainty for this person to "want to change." Today, my dad seems to be doing great.  He's been sober longer than any time I can remember in my life.  I hope and pray for him everyday that he continues to stay sober.
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My dad looks happy and healthy here.  He hasn't always looked like this...

In 2003 my dad was in a horrible motor cycle accident.  He was life flighted off of HWY 17 (highway to get to Santa Cruz) to Valley Medical Center.  There he fought for his leg and endured many surgeries and three plus months in the hospital.  He still has his leg today.  He walks pretty normally but he can't run anymore.

He needed caring for, so he came to live with us for about six to eight months.  I can't remember exactly how long.  This is the room off of my kitchen area, where my homeschool area is set up these days.  We put a bed in for him, he had a dresser and some other tables for his belongings.  This doesn't look like my dad at all. He got so skinny, I've never seen him like this.

This was my dad's little area.

Here is his leg, it was like this for so long it seems.

I chose to end with the picture below because despite my dad's challenges, they don't define him and I look back with mostly fond memories.    My mom and dad have always (for the most part) been friends.  We can all be together and spend time together without it being uncomfortable.  As a matter of fact we usually spend Christmas Eve with my dad and his girlfriend, Cynthia, and my mom comes a long and has a great time.

If someone were to ask me what my dad has tried to teach me the most it would be empathy for others and being able to reflect upon myself.  My dad bought me my first set of scriptures.  He was raised in the Christian Science faith.  I chose to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  He told me I should read those scriptures everyday and he talked to me about the Savior.  I didn't take this to heart then, but I do now.  I read the scriptures daily and we're passing this on to our children.

My dad wanted me to be aware of other people.   To be kind, to treat others as I want to be treated.

We talked about self reflection a lot as I grew up.  Being able to see our part in situations and in the life we create for ourselves.  I am so grateful for his helping me to understand this quality of being able to self reflect.  It has helped me to be a better wife, mother, and friend.

I have so many great memories with my dad.  I love that he is my dad.  We've had great times together and I know there are more to come.  And because of this What I Love Most Today is my dad.