We went to Kemmerer, WY for Father's Day weekend to check things out, since the kids had never been there. We were hoping that would help us make a better decision. We bought donuts and chocolate milk the night before and woke up to eat that and get ready for church. There are 3 wards in Kemmerer, and we went to Sacrament meeting at one of them, and peeked in on the rest. Then we went to the park for a picnic to eat the subs we bought the night before, gave Dave our card we made and the golf balls we decorated for him. We also gave him a WSU Butch golf driver cover, he loved that. We drove around the town a bit and went to the park to play for a bit. Dave is so fun with the kids, they love him and look up to him so much. He’s the perfect mix of disciplinarian and they respect him and fun dad that they can talk to and enjoy being with. Then we went over to Amy’s (took only 35 minutes) to hang with them and have dinner. Mom and Dad, Mark, Mayela & Amber came up too, so that was great to be all together! We decided to come down last minute so I was very glad everyone could make it. Kids played, even Emma plays with Boji a lot, they had an epic sword fight, and the kids all gushed over sweet little Kanon, rode bikes and played outside, went on side by side rides and more. We had grilled chuck hamburgers, yum! We made peanut butter bars and Grandma Di made a pumpkin cheesecake. So tasty! We stayed up late talking then in their awesome barn that night. They are pulling for us to move to the “Promised Land” as Kolb puts it. We also video chatted with Dan and Grandpa Chuck, always great to talk to them! The next morning, we went to check out housing options in Kemmerer. Pretty scary really. Then we went to the Buffalo State Park in Evanston. Then we headed to Morgan to go see Randy & Erin. We went boating, and it was a blast! The kids especially loed their water weenie, or as Sydnie called it, the big hot dog. Cal kneeboarded and surfed, and Erin and I surfed, even Sydnie was brave and did it, she loved it! We also did some swimming and Randy showed us his body boarding and Erin wake boarded to end the night. We had a sleepover there and partied hard, the kids were wiped out! On our way home, we hit up Maddox Restaurant, the kids were impressed! We have the greatest families and Dads in our lives. Dave’s parents were out of town in Idaho, so we missed them. I was thinking of one of Dave’s favorite talks called “Wake Up, Daddy!” by Elder F. Melvin Hammond this Father’s Day. "Do your sons ever wonder if you are asleep when it comes to the things that are most important to them?"
"I would suggest that there are several
areas that would indicate whether we are 'awake' or 'asleep'."
Elder Hammond recounted an experience of
camping and fishing with his son many years ago. After kneeling in prayer that
night, they climbed into their large, double sleeping bag. "I felt his
little body snuggle and settle tightly against mine for warmth and
security," Elder Hammond said.
"As I looked at my son beside me,
suddenly I felt a surge of love pass through my body with such a force that it
pushed tears to my eyes. And, at that precise moment, he put his little arms
around me and said, . . . 'Dad, are you awake?'
"To every father, I pose the same
penetrating question, 'Dad, are you awake?' "
Elder Hammond then highlighted three areas
fathers should consider:
"First: Our love for God and accepting
our role as the family leader in keeping His commandments...Every father in the
Church should function as the patriarch of his home. He should take the lead in
spiritually guiding the family. . . . He should call for family prayer, family
home evening, scripture reading, and occasional father interviews. . . . It is
the father who should lead, unify and solidify the family unit. . . .
"Second: The relationship we have with
our wives — their mothers...The Spirit of the Lord cannot be expected to bless
our lives if we persist in being angry, callous and cruel to our mates. We
cannot expect our sons to develop respect and gentleness toward their mothers
if we do not provide the proper example. . . ."
"Third: To provide discipline that is
just and administered with love. Too often, out of our own frustration and
weakness, we raise our hands to strike our children, usually in an attempt to
protect our own selfish pride. Every child needs to be disciplined. . . .
Discipline gives direction and teaches self-control, but in all discipline
there should be a sense of righteous judgment and pure love."
"Dads, it is imperative that the
challenges I have mentioned be mastered in our lives if our sons are to be
spiritually and emotionally mature. If we do, then they will not be ashamed of
us, nor will they ever be ashamed of themselves. They will become men of honor,
respect, full of love, willing to serve the Savior and submit their will to
Him."
Dave exemplifies
these things, and for that I am grateful. Happy Father's Day!
