Saturday, June 15, 2013

Photo Friday - Dad

This week's photo challenge is "Dad" so here's a picture of mine. He passed away in 2004 but he's still with me in so many ways. This photo was taken on the 50th anniversary of him marrying my Mom - the love of his life. This is how I will always remember him.


My Dad was a tough old farmer/cowboy, raised on a farm in NE Montana - the same place where he is now buried. He had 7 children and all of us learned to be tough but loving like he would want us to be.  Our life was not easy, but we always knew that he loved us and wanted the best for us, even when we were teenagers and really didn't see things his way.  I have come to appreciate how really, really smart he was. I'm glad that I had the privilege of being with him through his final illness and to provide what care and comfort I could. I know he would have done the same for me.

Here are a few more of my favorite pictures of him.

My Dad joined the Navy during WWII when he was 17.
He was so handsome with his curly black hair and great smile.
 
 My Dad loved babies and when his own grandbabies started arriving he delighted in them. Christopher is in this picture - his first grandson. He had 8 more grandsons after that. He also had 5 granddaughters so his life was full.

He loved my Mom so much and they liked to dance together, even into their late 70's.

The picture below was taken by my sister about a year before he died. He had a lot of hats and I think this was one of his favorites. He was a pilot and loved airplanes, guns and motorcycles - things that his boys and grandsons seem to like as well.


I put this one in because He loved to
read and always had a book or magazine handy.
I like this one because of his smile. The boys and I were in a Madrigal play
at church and he and Mom came to see it. He got a kick out of our costumes.
I think this is the last picture we have of the 9 of us together. Everyone went home to MT to celebrate Mom and Daddy's 50th wedding anniversary. He didn't want a party, he just wanted to be with his family - I think that's the way it should be.






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