It’s Father’s Day tomorrow.  It’s also our 6th anniversary.  On June 20th, 2010, I not only will I miss and remember my incredible Opa (maternal grandfather),  marvel at my industrious Pake (paternal grandfather), celebrate my incomprable father, but I get to celebrate 6 years of mostly blissful marriage to the love of my life.   10 years that we’ve known each other, 6 as husband and wife, 4 as the most amazing father I’ve been privileged to know (and that’s alot of amazing dad’s when you realise the size of my extended family!)

For now, I’m going to post laud to my dear old dad and save the anniversary accolades for tomorrow.   I have tender memories (and some not so tender as most of us do!) of Daddy & Me.   I can remember ‘working’ in the greenhouses with him, fishing, camping, snowmobiling (and then having to pee in a snowbank – no small feat for a girl in bib-front snowpants), cuddling when I couldn’t sleep and he watched the evening news.  He surprised me with a Father-Daugher dance at our wedding, held my hand in the wee hours when I laboured with Kaleb, and glowed with pride when Justin was born.

We haven’t always seen eye-to-eye, and have often butt heads with each other (that makes me giggle because when the boys give each other head-butts, they always yell “butt head” at each other… not in a bad way but because the reverse the words… but I digress.)   Some would say Daddy and Me are too much alike – and that’s often not a positive reference.  I would say I agree… but if I am lucky, I’m also akin to him in ways that matter – faith, unconditional love, the need to stand for what’s right, and a stubborn tenacity!

I read this quote today and I loved it: 

“Dad, your guiding hand on my shoulder will remain with me forever. ~Author Unknown” 

On that note, I’m not a big country music fan at all – but Dad has made two songs important to me.  Once upon a time (okay, probably more than once!), I heard Holly Dunn’s “Daddy’s Hands” – and it always makes me think of my Dad (and grandfathers actually.)   Number two is the song Dad surprised me with for the Father/Daughter dance at our wedding, “Tough Little Boys” by Gary Allan (look it up on YouTube if you get a chance).