We LOVE our Dad(s)

The other day I mentioned to Hudson that I loved my Hudson, my Cooper and my Dad. He responded, "Mom, Grandpa is your Dad".
In that instance I was referring to Shane, but I do want to give a shout out to my Dad in this post too. I will start with Shane.
Lately I have been overwhelmed with stories of bad Dads. Horrible stories that literally keep me up at night. Dad's who have affairs, keep dark horrible secrets, walk away from their families, Dads who lie and mistreat their children, and many other disgraceful Dad stories. All of these stories have made me realize that having a great Dad is not necessarily the norm these days. Lots of people out there do not even have anyone to call Dad. I think that having a great supportive, selfless Dad is not only the  not the norm, it may even be rare. Reflecting on Dad's and their important role in society makes me so thankful that my boys are fortunate enough to have a great Dad.

A few things that make Shane an exceptional Dad, and make my boys very lucky are:

• Shane makes being a Daddy his top priority.
• Shane has always wanted to be a Dad, but did not always know if his dream of parenthood would come true (making him so thankful for his opportunity to have kids).
• Shane takes wrestling and playing made up games with his sons very seriously.
• Shane is very patient in explaining things to Hudson and is a really great teacher. Hudson always remembers the things his Dad tells him.
• Shane is always the funnest Dad at the swimming pool.
• Shane tucks our babies in EVERY night and makes sure that they are covered in their blankets.
• Shane is the chicken noodle soup/grilled cheese guru in our house.
• 9 times out of 10 Shane will turn off sports in lieu of Dora the Explorer to keep Hudson happy.
• Shane has the fortitude to teach a three year old how to play play station.
• Shane knows exactly what to do to make BOTH of our boys laugh hysterically.
• Shane snuggles Hudson to sleep and says Hudson's prayers with him EVERY night.
• Shane will apologize to Hudson if he is wrong.
• Shane comes home from work each day excited to see his family.
• Each morning before Shane goes to work he makes sure to give Hudson, Cooper and I a kiss and hug, and tell us all that he loves us.
• Shane is willing to work hard for our family to provide for us.

I am sure I could go on and on, but since this post is already a couple weeks late, I will just leave it at this concise list. We sure love you Dad, and we are so thankful for all of the ways you show us that you love us!

On to my Pops! I have a great Dad. He is a tease and a bug, and very social. He doesn't EVER speak bad of people, and he works hard.He pretty much thinks he is the funniest guy around, and almost always is the one laughing the loudest at his own jokes. He is strong in the gospel, but very easy going(except about certain things...right Dad-Arts Degrees). My Dad has a tone of hobbies. He likes to golf, fish, hunt, watch sports, build things and he is extremely handy. He can fix or build just about anything.Getting him to help you build or fix anything is another storey-ha.This past year I think has been one of the busiest and most stressful years of my poor Dad's life. He went from spending his days relaxing in his basement with my Mom, on the cusp of retirement, to homeless in an instant. My meticulous Dad had his little abode all fixed up and enjoyed free time and relaxing, until the Slave Lake fire took everything of his. While me and many others were just beginning to come to terms with what was going on and mourning the loss of our HOME, my Dad was making content lists, looking at house plans, contacting builders, dealing with annoying insurance people and purchasing things he needed. I look back and can't believe that he did not waste even one second feeling bad for himself. In fact, I have never heard him whine about the fire at all. Less than a year after the unexpected fire, because of my Dad's diligence, he and my Mom were already living in their new home! Amazing!! My Mom moved to Edmonton, leaving my Dad living in a hotel for 4 months, driving back and forth on his days off, while also "supervising" the construction of their home. No offense to my Mom, but my Dad really did almost everything to take care of his wife and family after the fire. My Mom struggled a lot emotionally, and instead of being impatient, my Dad just added that burden to the long list of other burdens he took on. Right after the fire(within a few weeks) my Dad also had the unfortunate experience of seeing a man get into an accident at work, and although he tried to rescue him, and did attempt CPR, the man past away. I know that was also very hard for my poor Dad, but again, he just carried on. These are just a few examples out of HUNDREDS, this past year, that have increased my respect and love for my Dad. I am really so lucky to be able to call him Dad. Without him, I don't know who I would be able to argue with, or brag to about all of my garage sale/kijiji finds! Love you Dad. I am so glad you are in your house, and thanks for being a great DAD!!!!

My DAD, the impossible to photograph!