June 19th 1986 Miss Ohio was crowned Miss USA (I learned that yesterday) and Argentina beat West Germany in soccer's 13th World Cup (I learned that about two seconds ago) and my husband was born(Ive' known that for a while). (Not to mention his parent's apartment flooded, but that's just a another story.(:) For the nine years I've known my husband (has it really been nine years?) He's always been the... stubborn type, lucky for him, that's how we got married. (just kidding) I know he grew up in Magna and was just barely at the tender age of 13 when he moved into the house his parents now live in then he was moved from Brockbank Jr. High to Hunter Jr. High and changed from being a hooligan to being kid in the school musical who I bumped into in the halls, and he didn't even stop to say sorry. RUDE. That's my first encounter with him or more to say, his elbow, he was so tall. I don't think I've gotten much taller since 8th grade but he doesn't seem so tall now. My next encounter with him was that summer when I saw him walking down the street with one of his friends. My sister dared me to yell out "Hey Timbo!" so I did. That was weird. I guess I was the first one who called him that. I next came to know him the next summer at a youth conference. We were split up into tribes and I was praying to be put into a tribe I would know at least one person that I could stand being around. As fate would have it I was put the same tribe as Tim, and little tidbit for ya, Tim was actually in the place of Jake J so... I guess we lucked out. I knew who he was of course, but he didn't know who I was until i said something totally creeper like, "You were in South Pacific in Jr High weren't you?" considering he only had 1 line and he said it in the dark, this caught his attention. But attention like, Woah stalker, but like how you doin(eyebrow waggle) attention, which I didn't expect. After I said it I went immediately red and went back to picking at my homemade Nephite robes made out of curtains (long story) and the rest is history. I never would have thought I would get to marry someone so talented in so many things. He's a wonderful husband and father to my children and he doesn't make fun of me for the stupid things I do, and doesn't get too hurt when I make fun of him for the stupid things he does. And I know that we can fight and scream at each other but at the end of the day he's always willing to be the bigger person and want to let things go. Even if that is really annoying. I love you babe. Happy Farthday. Ha ha ha!
Now I'll talk about Ben. Tim's dad, who goes by Ben, is a real mystery to me. He's kind of a goofball and can always find someone to talk to where ever he goes if he knows them or not. I know he works really hard for his family to have what they need. He's always supportive and always there willing to help if you need it, all you have to do is ask. He looks suspicously like my dad and they would probably pass for brothers, but it's probably because they're both bald and have a mustache. :) I have never actually seen Ben get knock down drag out angry. Come to think of it I haven't seen my dad that angry either. I see controlled words and the weight of a lot of pressures sitting on their shoulders. I guess that comes when you become a father, a protector and provider. All of which I see both my dads strive to do.
Now I'll talk about my dad a little more, cause I know him better. I know where I would be without him and never want to be there. When I was 10(I think) my dad was in a awful crash that almost killed him. I remember coming home from school and my mom crying then she sent us to stay with my Grandparents. The whole time I worried about him I was only 10 and I couldn't sleep because of it. Then we got to come home after he got out of the hospital and got to rest for a little bit. I remember walking up the stairs and seeing him sitting the old gold chair(best reading chair ever) with a pillow under his arm cause he had broken ribs. His face was a mess. And I cried. I had never seen my dad like that, so vulnerable and breakable. His lip was fat with stitches and his arms were all torn up from the steering wheel. He couldn't hold anything cause the force of the crash made his hands break through the steering wheel and he had severe nerve damage. The steering column had punched into his chest breaking his ribs and disrupting his sternum. By all accounts he shouldn't have lived. I always wore my seatbelt after that crash and if my dad was in the car, you better believe I made him wear his too. A few years later when I was little older, I was driving with my dad somewhere, just me and him, which I feel privileged to say was something I got to do. Go places with him and do things with him. But we were driving and Dad had been doing that high pitched whistle through his teeth that hurts your ears but he insists on doing it in small enclosed areas, and then he turned off the radio and it got quiet in the car. He looked at me, his angry teenage daughter who was too worried about everything else to think about how lucky she was to be with her Dad, and he said, "You know, I think Grandma was looking out for you." I didn't know what he was talking about so I just raised my eyebrows, which was the majority of how I communicated during my junior high years, and he said, "When I was in my accident. I think she knew I needed to be here for you. I think she knew you needed a daddy." All I could do was look out the window because then he couldn't see me cry. Because I did need my daddy. I still do. He's still the one I call when things don't work out the way I want them to, or when something scary happens. He knows how to do everything and what he doesn't know he'll learn. He's always willing to share his chips and cottage cheese with you as long as you keep his glass full of ice water. He'll come up with weird little jingles about candy bars and lame jokes about fairy tales with a twist (it's a pig's tail). He'll build you whatever you ask for your wedding even if it takes forever and he has plenty of other things to do with his time. And he'll be there waiting for you in the temple when you get married. He'll be there in the hospital to see your new baby and he'll give you a kiss and tell you how beautiful they are. Lots of people see my dad as gruff and a little rough around the edges but they haven't seen him cry like I have, or bend over to kiss Riley goodbye. He may think it's nothing, but to me it means everything. I'm so grateful to have my father as my father. So happy to have him as my Dad. I love you Dad. Happy Father's Day (even though he'll probably never read this.)
