Thankful for my Dad

Today I am sharing my thanks for my father. Its been about 6 years since I was able to spend time with him.  The last time I spent alone time with him was at the hospital before he passed way, I sat by his bed and sang Amazing Grace to him.  You see I knew there wasnt a lot of time left to spend with him and this was about the only thing that I could get out of my mouth.  As touching as that sounds, I know if he would of been able, he probably would of asked me to stop.  LOL I dont have the best of a singing voice and he wouldnt of been shy about telling me so.  :)  My dad was a tell it how it is type of guy and he wasnt to concerned with who liked him.   He himself would tell you he cared way more about animals then people.  Oddly enough, this warmed my heart because I knew his love was so HUGE for animals that it wasnt an insult to mankind at all. 

When I think of my father I think of:
Easter egg hunts every easter with plastic eggs w/ money in them.
Pretty dresses he loved to buy us
His beard thinner I unfortunately mistaked for a comb.
Camping and fishing
Meatballs
Sausage links for breakfast
Diet Pepsi
Pall Malls
The sound of his voice when he said "sweetheart"
"Love You More"
Quarters under the diet pepsi can.
Wendy Oaks
Appliances
Used Cars
How much he loved his grandkids, they meant the world to him and he loved to tease them.
His habit of saying EXACTLY what was on his mind.
Garlic
Dogs
His desire for us to appreciate what we had and never stop chasing  our dreams.

My dad and I had a relationship that grew stronger as I got older.  I cherish the time I had with my dad and I am thankful that I had an open heart and didnt shut doors to our relationship when things weren't always exactly what I may have wanted.  I have a firm belief that both my parents did the best they could with what they knew.  As my dad grew older and wiser and knew more, he implemented it.  I have wonderful memories with him as a little girl and some even fonder ones when I was an adult.  As much as it pained me to be there thru the diabetes and his leg amputation, I am thankful that I got to be part of his life at that time.  Its at our darkest hours that sometimes God can bring the biggest blessings and my dad was a huge blessing to me.  I miss him very much and will be forever thankful him teaching me to appreciate what I had, to try to understand my husbands point of view in a disagreement, (My dad LOVED my husband and as far as he was concerned Dan could do no wrong, so this served as a tool for me to understand Dan's side more when I was upset with him about something).  My dad taught me about making things work for yourself, keeping my head out of the clouds and my feet on the ground.  He was a hard worker and an amazing man.  I love him very much and am thankful for all the things I learned from him and that God decided to make him my dad. 

When I get where I'm going
On the far side of the sky
The first thing that I'm gonna do
Is spread my wings and fly
I'm gonna land beside a lion
And run my fingers through his mane
Or I might find out what it's like
To ride a drop of rain

Yeah when I get where I'm going
There'll be only happy tearsI will shed the sins and struggles
I have carried all these years
And I'll leave my heart wide open
I will love and have no fear
Yeah when I get where I'm going
Don't cry for me down here