Friday, June 19, 2009

Happy Father's Day

I loved being able to see Tyler become a father all over again this last year. I loved how sweetly he sped to the hospital to see Bailey and I between coaching two football practices a day that first week of practice. I love to see him now as he plays peek-a-boo with her and he helps her "practice" her gymnastics by flipping her in the air. She adores her father so much and just loves to sit outside and watch him work in the yard.
IMG_1660

This year Tyler will coach Caiden's little league football team again. Caiden adores his father too, though he might not like my use of that word. He always has to keep tabs on where Tyler is at and often asks him before bed to play a short game of sword-fighting of Call of Duty. This year Tyler taught him how to rappel and now it's the first thing he wants to do when we arrive in camp. Tyler is an excellent teacher.
Caiden and Dad/Coach

Here is a picture of me and my dad when I was little.

Alene&Dad Violin
I don't remember that picture specifically, but I do remember loving it when he played his violin.

When I was little he sometimes had to go on overnight business trips and would take turns taking each of us. I remember one time on such a trip I had just learned to count to 100 and I did it aloud for him in the car. I remember finishing and then asking him if he wanted to hear me do it again and I remember him saying yes. I can't imagine how annoying that must have been, but it seems an important memory for such a small little event.

One of the greatest things my dad taught me when I was little was to help me learn to waterski. I hated it the first time when I was 9. I couldn't control the skis and they always ended up behind me with my legs behind me and I couldn't get them to come around in front and then stay parallel pointing up in the water. Eventually the next two summers my dad would get in the water behind me (he did this for my sister and I) and he would hold the bottom of the skis steady under the water and wait there while I took off and went as far and long as I could. At first that wasn't far at all, but eventually it got longer and longer and the end of the summer I turned 11 I finally was able to waterski for a long time and began to learn to get up on my own. A few years later he led us kids in being able to drop a ski and eventually get up slalom waterskiing. I love waterskiing still and thank my dad for teaching me!

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