A Father’s Calling

Today is a special day. It’s the perfect day to celebrate some of the most special people in our lives. Those people are called Father, Dad, Daddy, Papa, Pops, Ole’ Man, or for us wives, we call them, babe, sweetie, honey, love, sweet thaaanngg, and whatever  else we can come up with. 😉 Whatever their name, wherever they are, they are a huge part of our hearts. Mine especially. I’ll tell you why.

This man, right here, is my everything. Isn’t he cute?! Okay, no I didn’t decide to write this post just to tell you how cute I think he is. I love him, that’s obvious. But everything about these pictures describe who he is as a person. At the end of last year we decided we would set aside one date a month as our “dessert date” and go talk about our kids; what they need, what goals we have for them, what activities we think they would enjoy, what we can do to help them, etc.

The quality of a Father can be seen in the goals, dreams, and aspirations he sets not only for himself, but for his family. -Reed Markham

This has proven to be one of my most favorite times of the entire month. It’s just us with a cheap dessert, a notebook, a calendar, and lots of love for our children.

This month we stopped by Dairy Queen, got blizzards and went to the nature center nearby. It was perfect. It was quiet, simple, sugary, and easy to review our previous months goals without distractions all around us. We have been working on potty training, as you can see, with our crazy little 2 1/2 year old boy. We checked off things we accomplished, then rewrote some of the goals on our July list.

He makes me laugh. I love him because I can just be myself. I never worry about him judging me for all of my imperfections, trying to correct all the silly mistakes I make, or my “super squinty, can barely see my eyeballs” smile. Haha. He loves me for who I am.

 

As we plan he talks about all the things he feels like he should improve on not only as a dad but also as a husband and even just a person in general. THIS is why I love him. As I type this my eyes water because of the deep desire he has to be a better person not only for himself but for his wife (that’s ME ;)), his children, his siblings, his coworkers, and most importantly his Father in Heaven. He has such a deep respect and love for his Father in Heaven. He wants to do what is right. He wants to show Him that he loves him. He wants Him to be proud of the work he does as a husband, a father, a friend, a sibling, a neighbor and a son. So when I hear him talk about the things he feels he needs to work on, I just smile. I can’t stop smiling. It makes me so happy to hear him say what is in his heart. I love seeing him for who is really is. His spirit, his desire, and his love for his Father and Savior amaze me. He trusts in them. He trusts them because they give him the chances and opportunities he needs to become better, to reach his full potential and bless as many lives as possible…including mine.

 

After we finish planning for both the kids, we then turn to what WE need as a couple. For Christmas he gave me a big list of date ideas for the entire year then had me pick and assign 2 different ideas per month.  So, we plan when we are going to go on our dates, we review our vacations, family trips, temple trips, church assignments, and other couple responsibilities for the month. I seriously LOVE this guy. He gets me. This is how I function and he knows it. My life runs on lists and planning, and he’s taken it to a completely new and improved level. 

I feel so blessed to call him mine forever. He truly is my best friend. He gets me. I get him. When we were engaged for the first time (which is another story for another time), I couldn’t understand why I didn’t feel like I should marry him. He was perfect. I loved him, and felt like he would be a great husband and father. Guess what…I might not always know all the answers, but I know someone who does. Our Father in Heaven, the most special Father we have. He knew exactly what he was doing when He told me that I couldn’t marry him…YET anyway. He knew I was supposed to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He knew that while I was serving I would learn how to prepare, plan, set goals, review goals, be held accountable and try again. He knew that I would quickly recognize how special this Logan Dunn was because of the way he served his Father. He has served and continues to serve him very well. He makes a constant effort to learn correct principles and duties of fatherhood and strives daily to become the husband and father his Father in Heaven expects him to be. Is he perfect? No, but neither am I, so in my mind, we are perfect for each other. He is amazing, and I love him.  

I feel blessed to know that he will continue to carry me and our family through this life with patience, spiritual power and guidance he receives from HIS Father, his Father in Heaven. So, in reality today is the perfect day to tell your Heavenly Father just how much you love him. It’s HIS day. Tell him you love him for all the Dad’s you’ve been blessed with in your life. Tell him thank you for sending you these special people to direct you, guide you, prepare you and lead you to reach your full potential. Tell him thank you for always being there, even when others have left your side. Tell him thank you for supporting you, and helping you in times of trial. Thank him for the happy days you experience and the joy you feel as you see your children learn to do what’s right. I’ll tell him “thank you for my favorite person on this earth, my eternal companion who leads, guides and protects this family with your power. Happy Father’s Day to you. I hope you know how much I love and appreciate all you do”. So, to my Father, my children’s Father, and my Father in Heaven, thank you for making every day of my life special by being in it.  Happy Father’s Day. I love you.

A Father’s calling is eternal and it’s importance transcends time. It is a calling for both TIME and ETERNITY. -Ezra Taft Benson