Blog Challenge #22: Father's Day

From my friend Lee, who was responsible for posting this week's blog challenge:

In honour of Father's Day and since mine has been on my mind of late: tell me, what is the greatest lesson you ever learned from your father?

Here's my list, because I can't narrow it down to just one thing. My dad is full of wisdom.

My daddy taught me:

to look out the window on long trips. He didn't want us to miss anything on the journey.

to be kind to people. He always makes friends no matter where he goes. He has the "you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar" mentality.

hard work pays off.

not to take things too seriously.



if you don't have something nice to say, say it sarcastically, or in a funny way, or just don't say it at all.

pay attention to the details.

to drive safely and not be in a hurry to be anywhere.

how a man should treat a woman.

to never stop learning.

to wave to strangers.

how to check the air pressure in my tires.

how to be silly.



I'm sure there are many, many more, but those are the top few.

I'm forever grateful that I have an awesome dad. He means so much to me, and I cherish him. He is a fabulous daddy, but he's an even better Poppy to my kids. I hope they realize how blessed they are to have him in their lives.

I know I do.

Blog Challenge: Picture Perfect

This week's Blog Challenge from ScrapShare, posted by my friend Joanie:

I love pictures that capture that essence of who we are. It got me thinking about my own loved ones and how much I treasure those few photos that capture the magic of that person I love. So the challenge this week is to post a picture of someone you love. It can't be just any picture, it should be one of those pictures that you look at and you really see something about that person.Once you find that special picture, post it in your blog and tell us what it is that makes it special.This is not limited to children, or spouses. It is for anyone, even beloved pets.

This is my choice:



This is the photo that came to mind when I read the blog challenge. It's one of my favorite photos that I've ever taken.

That's my daughter, Lillian, on the left. She was 2, I think. That's my dad on the right, doing his "I'm gonna' make you laugh" face for Lillian. It worked, 'cause she's laughing.

My dad loves me and my sister so much, and he always made it a point to tell us that and show us that love as we grew up. I'm so grateful to have had a sensitive, caring, loving, funny daddy, because there aren't many of those in this world. I was blessed to have married a man just like Dad, too. The men in my life truly love their families, would choose their company over any other, and that is precious and rare.

My daddy has a great laugh. He doesn't laugh at everything; he's kind of selective. He loves slapstick humor and intelligent humor the most. I have to say I swell with pride when I make my dad laugh. I am honored that something I said tickled his funny bone, because he's a smart man, and he appreciates a smart joke. The same can be said of my husband. He's very similar to my dad in a lot of ways, but that one area more than any. I love making those guys snicker, because to me it says I'm smart if I can make a smart person laugh.

I love that picture because it reminds me of my dad's love of laughter and his love for his family. I can almost hear Lillian giggling when I look at it. It makes me giggle, too.