Happy Birthday Dad

As a young child, I had a great deal of confidence in myself. I thought I was fun, adventurous, polite, and the smartest girl in my class. (Yes Biffy, even smarter than Mindy Larson!) I think security is normal in childhood, however, I really knew that I could do and be anything I wanted. I knew this was true because my dad told me so.

Dad was the best cheerleader; he has a flair for the dramatic that I love and it would always shine through when he was praising me, which was often. I was always keenly aware that if I did something wrong I would disappoint him and that was even worse than messing up in the first place. My dad still tells me how amazing he thinks I am. Now that I'm older and know my limitations more, I can't quite see it as clearly as he can, however I still love to hear his praise.

Lauren came home with an assignment last week to call one of her grandpa's and interview them. She wanted to call "Grandpa Larry" and it was really fun to listen to her ask him questions and respond to his answers, because as you all know Lauren inherited that "flair for the dramatic" from him :-). Lauren also had to write a section about her Grandpa by herself, here is the result:


I too, want to make a list of all the things I love about Grandpa Larry:

I love how my dad has a passion for life and learning new things. His honest and hard work ethic. Listening to him sing in sacrament meeting. Doing the "Little House on the Prairie" leap with him. Spending time outdoors with him catching butterflies, going on hikes and exploring up at Grandpa's hill and the old house. Going to the "bulletin board" and out for ice cream. The way he types - index fingers only, but it is fast! The way his voice changes when he tells a story. Working with him at the shop (who'd have thought I'd write that - but it's true!) His excitement for travel. The itineraries he made me before some of our trips and the logs he wrote afterward. His fondness for breaking small rules (ie: taking pictures in museums, feeding the birds bbq at Sea World, encouraging us kids to touch an elephant seal, etc, etc. . .) His impulsiveness. His tenacity. His loud voice and very loud laugh. His love for my kids.

More than all the things I wrote above however, Lauren's wonderfully childlike answer best explains how I feel. The thing I love most about my dad is how he loves me.