My Dad

I have a great dad.

He loves me and my siblings.  He always provided for us when we were growing up.  I can remember how he would walk to work every morning when I was a teenager.  We had everything we needed and so much of what we wanted.  I know my dad went without a lot of things he would have enjoyed having so that we kids could have things we either needed or wanted. 

My dad is a family man.  He always has been.  His idea of a nice time was time spent with his family -- whether it was camping at the Aquativity Center on the Atlantic Side or going to the Bacarron River for the day. I admit that, as teenagers, we gave him a hard time with this...  We weren't interested in the family time.  And it's regrettable now.  Unfortunately I learned too late that I needed to cherish those times. .

If I was to list all my favorite memories about my dad, this post would go on forever.  But I still want to share a few.

One of my favorite sounds is my dad's laugh.  I don't know why.  But I know that several of the movies and tv shows I love are ones I watched with him and heard him laughing through.  I think there is a connection there.  He likes to joke around.  The first time he met my husband was before we were married.  We'd flown down to visit my dad so they could meet.  Well, my husband has quite an ability to pack away food (and stay skinny).  It quite impressed my dad.  And my dad started (good-naturedly) calling my then-boyfriend "hoover" -- you know, like the vacuum.  Other times I can recall his laughter involve roosters that crow at midnight in Panama, a guy singing (very poorly, I might add) Dust in the Wind over and over and over again at about midnight in Panama, fake (or fig, if you can hear properly) trees, and getting sprayed by something while driving into Boquete. 

My dad has a good heart.  He recognizes pain and loneliness in others, and I sincerely believe he empathizes with them inwardly, even if he doesn't know exactly how to do it outwardly.  He also does kind things for people.  Most often his family.  For example, knowing that we were coming down to see him, he fixed up one of the spare rooms.  He bought a mattress for the bed that he had moved in there and then made the bed up with the pillow shams and everything.  And bought contoured pillows for our heads ;).  It is a seemingly small thing, but it was really nice and thoughtful.

My dad has been my protector.  And while he doesn't fill that role anymore, he used to.  And he did it well.  He would comfort me when I needed comfort.  He would talk soothingly to me when I was scared. He has worried about me -- even in my adulthood.  I remember when I was going to move to Tuscaloosa to work and attend school.  He rode up with me the week before I was to move to help me find a place I could afford to live.  It was a high-stress day.  And we both ended up crying when I found nothing (because I wasn't going to live in the place with the skull drawn on the neighbor's door...).  I know my dad aches with me.  And I know he rejoices with me too.

My dad taught me to drive.  I remember the first time he was going to have me drive a particular stretch of road alone.  He spent about 5 minutes before actually letting me do so telling me everything he'd already been telling me... Plus, he emphatically told me (multiple times), "Remember... If anything goes wrong, just turn off the key.  The car will stop."  I know it's because he was worried about me.  

My dad surprised us all the first Christmas I was living here in Washington.  He decided to fly out and not tell anyone he was coming.  Irony being what it is, it was the year of the great big snow (2008) and his plane got turned around to Salt Lake City before finally being able to land the next day...  And then, once he was here, he spent his time and money making sure all his kids had snow chains for their vehicles.  

My dad is a good grandpa.  And I'm glad my little girl (and hopefully-future children) will have him as one of their grandpas.  I have enjoyed watching him light up around his grand-kids.  He loves taking them for walks in their strollers when they are really little.  And it was so wonderful that my sweet girl was able to enjoy this time with her grandpa.

They say women often marry men who are like their fathers.  I can definitely see many similarities between my husband and my dad.  And that's a great thing :).

My dad isn't perfect.  But he's a wonderful dad.  And I'm glad he's my dad.  It is because of my dad that I can understand and comprehend the existence of my Heavenly Father.  It is why I can so easily believe and know my Heavenly Father loves me.  And one of the best blessings He ever gave me is my earthly father.  And I am grateful.

 What are you grateful for today?

Safe Travels

So, after 2 airporters, 4 planes, and a whole bunch of car rides, our vacation is over and we are home.  Safe and sound.  Tired.  But safe and sound.

And for that, I am grateful. 

P.S...  For the record, even though it's technically Thursday -- at 12:30 a.m., I haven't gone to sleep yet, so I am counting this as Wednesday's post ;).

What are you grateful for today?

Sweet Home Alabama

It's kind of funny:  I wasn't born in Alabama.  I didn't grow up in Alabama.  I spent 10 years of my life in Alabama, though.  And somehow, it has ended up feeling like home. 

Talk about eating some crow.  Because I never dreamed I would feel the way I feel. 

I loathe the heat.  And if you've never had the privelege of "enjoying" an Alabama summer, let me just tell you:  it's HOT.  (And I'm serious about my feelings about the heat.  My friend Julie just told me that it's the only time she's ever heard me whine and complain -- when I'm hot in the South... haha.  I should probably work on that...).  The weather in Fall is beyond beautiful.  Pretty much perfect.  Not a cloud in the sky, with chilly nights and mornings and warm days full of sunshine.  This has been a pretty perfect week, weatherwise. 

I'm not really a huge fan of cockroaches either.  Being that I've never seen one in Washington, I kind of forget they exist until someone mentions them when I'm back visiting...

(Basically what I'm saying here is that you should never look for sweltering weather or roaches on my gratitude list...).

And yet, despite those things, Alabama is what feels like home now.  It's where my heart yearns to return -- for good.  (Shocking, I know).

Maybe it's because I became an adult here. 

Or maybe it's because I matured into adulthood here.  I graduated high school here.  Graduated college here -- twice.  I learned how to be independent and support myself here.  I made friends who are near and dear to my heart here (in other places too, of course, but this bears mentioning).  I made great memories here.

And though my heart yearns to come home for good, I don't know that we ever will.  It may never be right for our family. 

Regardless, though, I'll always be grateful for sweet home Alabama.  And I'll always love coming home, even if only for a short time.

What are you grateful for today?

Date Nights With My Sweetie

Date night, though it shouldn't be, tends to be a rarity for my husband and me these days.  It's important, I know that.  It's good for us to get away from the routine and the baby and just be together.  Continuing to date after marriage is a marriage strengthener.  And we should do it more.  The truth is, often times since our baby girl has arrived, we have had date night at home -- after she goes down for the night.  Sometimes this entails a movie.  Other times we try to beat each other at chess (he always wins).  And it almost always involves ice cream.  And these are decent (and inexpensive) date nights for us. 

But sometimes it's good to be able to get out of the house and do something completely different. 

Tonight we had that opportunity with some nice in-house baby-sitting from Grandma and Grandpa (these are some serious perks to vacation...)!  And it was a treat.  We went to the National Peanut Festival -- the event around which I actually planned our trip.  And I got the fried twinkie I've been hoping to get for ages.  (It's not bad, in my opinion, but definitely not anything to spend $4 on ever again...).  And we walked around holding hands -- like we were dating again ;).  And sometimes you just need dates like this.  Even if you're a lot older than you used to be and you feel tired and worn out after walking around the fair for 2 hours...

So I'm grateful for date nights -- this one and every one.  And I'm realizing I need to make sure we do them more often!

What are you grateful for today?

Being Able to Attend Church Wherever I Go

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (also known as Mormons).  And I love that no matter where I am in the world, when Sunday rolls around, I can find a ward or branch (names for congregations) of my faith and worship there -- and it will be familiar.

Today I attended church in my old stomping grounds.  It just so happened to be Stake Conference, so it wasn't the typical Sunday meetings.  (A stake is a collection of Wards -- or congregations -- in a specific geographical location.  Twice a year, all the Wards meet together in one place -- which in this area happens to be the Dothan chapel -- and have a conference where we hear our local leaders speak).  But I love that I always know where I will be attending church, and that I always know it will feel like home. 

And though I'm miles away from where I call home right now, and though these speakers aren't technically my local leaders, the doctrine and things they were teaching are the same I would hear from my local Washington leaders, and they are applicable to me.  Because it is better to avoid temptation than to have to resist it.  And I want to create a home where there are fewer temptations to resist by avoiding them altogether.  Because I can be better about getting out of my comfort zone and sharing my testimony with others.  And I can certainly take to heart the need to be kind and to look outward and be welcoming, rather than having tunnel vision and focusing only on what I am doing.

To me, it is a great blessing to always know where I'll be on Sunday, whether I'm home or abroad.  It is a great blessing to know I'll be uplifted and feel the Spirit as I hear truth.  And for that, I am grateful.

What are you grateful for today?

"Panama Food" from Publix

I grew up in Panama.  That's a "grateful" for another day.  But some of the perks of that growing-up time were the various foods I got to enjoy :).  Unique things that are phenomenally tasty.  And, in case I haven't mentioned it before (but I'm pretty sure I have... and that I probably will again...):  I'm a foodie. 

I grew up eating things like arroz con pollo; empanaditas (and I really liked the cheese ones from the street vendor); raspados (okay, so this was just shaved ice, which wasn't exactly "ethnic" -- but we added leche (or sweetened condensed milk), and that seems to have made it unique, because when I tell people about it, they say "Really!?!"  And some people think it sounds disgusting.  But I think it's awesome that way.); san cocho; maracuya juice (which I believe is passion fruit juice); guandu (or pigeon peas); patacones (please correct me if I'm spelling that wrong); yucca frita...

The list could go on and on...  Deliciousness.

There are some things I've been able to have since moving away from Panama.  We make our version of arroz con pollo as well as some empanadas.  But there are many things I don't get to enjoy unless I go back to Panama.  Or so I thought!  It turns out, there are quite a few of the things I enjoy for sale in the U.S.  And apparently Publix (at least the one in Dothan) carries several of these things.  And fortunately for me, my dad is only too thrilled to keep these items in stock!

So since being here visiting my dad, we've enjoyed arroz con guandu; tejadas; patacones; yucca frita; and maracuya juice. 

And it makes me happy.  I may need to buy a few cans of the guandu and take them back with me, because I've yet to find them in the stores in Washington (and I've looked in some, but not all, so if you happen to know a place, clue me in!!)

Sure, it's not quite like the "real deal."  But it is a treat and something to remind me of my fabulous
childhood.  And something to share with my hubby, to give him an idea of the yumminess that I used to enjoy so easily :).  And which I took for granted, quite honestly.

If only I could find some authentic carne en palito...  (Yeah right.  My dad probably still wouldn't let me eat it!  He said it was monkey.  Hahaha.  And truthfully?  He may have been right.  But man oh man was it yummy (yes, I totally had some once at a football game)).

What are you grateful for today? 

Technology

Another quick post.  But I'm grateful for technology.  Technology that allows me to write this blog post from Alabaster while visiting my friend.  Technology that allows me to keep in touch across the miles -- and keep a goal I set to be grateful every day.

I'd write more, but it's nearly midnight in Alabama...  And I still need my warm shower ;).

What are you grateful for today?