List of 45 Ways

The way that Kohen says "da-deee" melts me. And if you're kid cries when you have to go to work you must be a good dad. If you still wrestle with your kids on the tramp while having covid you must be a great dad. And if your wife can leave you home with the kids for 4 days, worry free, you must be the best dad! He takes them to ride bikes, helps Tai touch the stingrays when she changes her mind about wanting to, carries Kohen on his shoulders everywhere we go and lets Kasen play on his phone. (The only reason Kasen can think of why he loves dad!) 

I see quite a few posts about how much invisible labor moms do and how much unseen mental and emotional labor there is for them (specifically a list of 45 ways that women contribute), which I'm not saying isn't true, but dads do quite a labor of love too and lots of hard work that I also think should be appreciated. Focusing on everything men "don't do" seems much more divisive. It's not a competition of me vs. him. It's all hard, just different hard. But we're in this together. Make a plan that works for your family, but as for ours, THANK YOU KYLE for:

1. Going to work usually more than 40 hours a week to provide for our family

2. Then picking up more overtime shifts

3. Working most holidays and missing family things

4. Planning your own hobbies around my calendar. Usually ;)

5. Mowing, weed eating and fertilizing the lawn

6. Planting the garden and watering the tree

7. Fixing all the broken sprinklers 

8. Weeding all the rocks, spraying for more weeds and for bugs

9. Taking the garbage out every time it's full and out to the curb each week

10. Changing the brakes on the car

11. Fixing and changing tires when they fall off various vehicles

12. Staying awake to drive the car and washing the car when I don't care if it's clean

13. Fixing the brake lights

14. Pulling the trailer 

15. Filling the trailer and dumping the poop after we camp

16. Winterizing the trailer

17. Building all the shelves and the garden boxes

18. Moving all the heavy things for me whenever I ask

19. Sewing all the holes in your clothes

20. Unplugging the sinks and disposal when I plug it up and fixing leaks in the ceiling

21. Cutting all the boy's hair

22. Finishing the basement by; framing, tiling, plumbing, drywall, taping, painting, electric and finishing work

23. Hanging all our pictures and mounting the TVs

24. Smoking all the meats and making dinner often

25. Teaching our kids how to play their sports

26. Installing ceiling fans and the dishwasher and the washer and dryer

27. Putting Christmas lights up on the house

28. Changing the furnace filters

29. Fixing the garage door

30. Filling bike tires and fixing bikes

31. Taking all the trips to the dump

32. Wearing the condoms and eventually getting the vasectomy

33. Being worthy to and giving blessings to our family

34. Remembering birthdays and anniversaries

35. Meal prepping for dinners at work

36. Finding time to work out

37. Trying to get enough sleep while working graves

38. Filling all the food storage water barrels and freeze drying food storage for us

39. Giving me time to go out without kids

40. Maintaining some of your own friendships

41. Giving me attention and the kids attention but also having time to relax

42. Never losing your temper

43. Singing to and tucking kids in bed when you're home

44. Helping with laundry, dishes, diapers, baths and getting up with kids when you're off

45. Making us laugh and telling me Thank You

We love you! Happy Father's Day!

He's pretty much given up his Wednesday night basketball to wake up early to go fishing every Thursday morning. He LOVES fishing these days. He also started getting into some Jiu Jitsu with a group of guys that practice at work together. They just call it Jits though. I'm so glad he has so many hobbies to keep life fun!

I also took my dad out for a lunch date for his Father's Day. It worked out perfect cause he needed a ride back to his truck at work in Eagle Mountain. During the BBQ at Dad's house on Thursday we all went around and said why we love dad. His work ethic, he helped Kasen and Tai make dice when they needed them to play a game, and he is always willing to help anyone whenever they ask. He let Meeko stay with them when we lived in Cedar City, picked up and dropped off a highchair that I needed, found and picked up straw bales for me when I wanted to do Halloween mini sessions and brings us meat from work at the Tyson factory too. He's the best!