Today is my dad's birthday. He would be 69 years old. He was born in a family of 18 children. Twelve lived to adulthood. They all had red hair and lots of freckles.

My dad had the best sense of humor ever! He did the funniest things and we had the funnest times together!

I didn't really get to know him until I was about 14. My mom kept him out of my life until then. Once I got to know him and spend time with him, I started spending summers with him and staying with him every chance I got. Since my birthday is in December, during the summer, he would have a half-birthday for me. Half a cake, half my present, we had a good time!

I remember when Blaine and I were first dating and I was taking him home to meet my dad. I KNEW I shouldn't have called and told him I was bringing someone home to meet him!! The more I thought about it, the more worried I was and more sure I was that he was going to do something to totally embarrass me! I warned Blaine all the way there to expect anything....be prepared....don't let him scare you.... etc.

So we got to dad's...I walked in the door... and there sat my dad in the living room...in a lawn chair... in his underwear... his dentures not in his mouth... a fruit crate next to his chair....a can of beer on the crate... wearing socks and flip flops....and not a stick of furniture to be found anywhere in the living room!! I about died!!

I immediately said, "Dad, where is the furniture?" He stood up, came over, hugged me close and said in the worst possible southern accent ever..."now, honey....you know your daddy ain't got no furniture...there's no sense putting on like we got nice stuff just cuz you got yourself a boy." OH MY GOSH!! I didn't know whether to laugh, cry or choke him!!

Blaine just stood there very politely and tried not to laugh! After my dad was finished having his fun... he put his teeth back in, got dressed and he and Blaine went next door to the neighbor's shed and brought all the furniture back to the house!

I remember after we were married, I took the kids and was spending a week with Dad. The last time we would spend together... He took Travis to the sale barn for the day. Oh the fun they must have had. Travis was about 3 and he kept him out all day long! By the time they got home, we sat down to dinner and poor Travis fell asleep at the table and fell out of his chair! Grandpa wore him out! He doted on Travis and adored Amber and Tama and always wanted to spend time with them.

We were lucky enough that when Travis was just a baby, my dad, my aunt Mary (his sister), and my Uncle Ed (his brother) were all working road construction in Riverton (building the Sand Draw cut-off road) and parked their trailers at our house. What a great time that was in my life!

In January 1984, my dad, my hero, the man I thought would never leave...died. He was 44 years young. They said he had an aneurysm burst in his brain after surgery. I don't believe that. I think something happened from the surgery they did on his back two weeks earlier. Someday we will know the truth. It doesn't matter now. Either way, I lost my dad and my kids lost their grandpa before they ever got to know him.

I had wonderful aunts and uncles that tried to fill the void and make sure my children knew the Cole side of their family and made sure they knew all about their grandpa and what a great man he was. My Uncle John was so much like my dad! He was a wonderful surrogate grandpa for my kids! Uncle John left this world much too soon as well though and I miss him daily.

After Blaine and I went through the temple, we were doing some of my family's work in Billings in the temple. We were doing baptisms for my family when our nephew, Scott, was reading the names, one after the other... then he stopped, he looked at me...he said, "Aunt Kathy, was your dad's name James Luke Cole?" I said, "yes, it is" He said, he is here with us, and he is accepting this work. We did over 100 names that day. Scott had no idea who my dad was, it was the spirit testifying to him and letting me know, through Scott and the work we were doing, that my dad was there and that he loves me. I have felt my dad with me several times through the years and I know he watches over me and my family.

I miss my dad every day. So many things I want to share with him, so many times I wanted to ask his advice, so many times my son reminds me of him, so many times I have repeated one of his silly sayings or told one of his silly stories to someone.... I am so thankful for the knowledge I have that there is life after death and that I will see him again. I look forward to that day!

Happy Birthday, Daddy. I love you.

Ramblings on a Sunday Evening...

This past week was spent catching up at work, at home and with our church callings. Work has been pretty busy lately and things piled up in a hurry. It took me until Friday to finally find my desk!

We had a great time with the grands and kids over Thanksgiving and miss them terribly now. I can't wait for them to come to our house over Christmas! They all fly in to Phoenix on Christmas night, and get to stay with us until January 2 and 3rd! We have several fun things planned. The boys are going to build us a lodge pole bed, the girls and I are going to do some canning and the grands are going to play outside without wearing coats and snow shoes!!

I have my kids coerced into family pictures and have bribed them with going to Amazing Jakes after the picture sitting! Last year we went there and had a blast!

I have so much to do to get the house ready for their arrival! I don't know if I will get it all done, but I'll give it a good shot!

Not much to say this week, so I will just post a bunch of pictures of our latest adventures! Enjoy!

Thanksgiving is Over---Bring on Christmas!!

We had a great Thanksgiving! This year we were lucky enough to be able to have time with family on three seperate celebrations! We had our early Thanksgiving with Wade and Steph (you can read all about it below), then we went to Wyoming and had the BIG Thanksgiving dinner with Blaine's family, then on Friday we went to Thermopolis to celebrate with my mom.
The grands were all wonderful and we enjoyed them very much! They are growing by leaps and bounds and are all as cute as can be! Kolby and Abbie picked up right where they left off the last time they played together. Baylee and Abbie had fun playing together and are becoming fast friends. Taylor and Kallie played a little together but mostly kept their distance afraid one or the other of them would take a toy or something.
Blaine's parents are sure looking their age. His mom is not doing well at all right now. She had a little fall one day and it takes her awhile to recover from that. His dad is doing pretty well and taking care of her as much as he can.
My mom is doing pretty well. She is just getting over a bad cold but enjoyed the great grands very much. We took them swimming and to the dinosaur museum which they loved. Abbie has decided she wants to be a palentologist.
Travis and Robin contracted some bug that was going around and had a sick day. Unfortunately it was on the way home. Travis slept all the way home, Robin slept most of the next day. I'm glad I was here to help take care of them and take care of the kids.
Tama and Karlo haven't gotten it yet, but Kallie is a little sick today poor baby.
We returned to Cheyenne on Saturday and drove home in snow! The top of Elk Mountain was slick, black ice and blowing snow. I was way glad Blaine was driving and we were in Travis' four-wheel drive truck!
Today the sun is shining but it is still way too cold for this Arizona Grandma! I'm sad to leave the grands, but I am looking forward to returning to the warmth of the desert!
While we were gone. Amber and Terri decorated the house for Christmas. I like it when she decorates it and I don't have to be there. Believe me, it's for the best! That way, she isn't yelling at me about the way I do it and I don't have to get frustrated (because we all know I don't yell! haha!) about the way she is doing it. I like it when I can just go home and the Christmas elves have all the work done!
Well, we are off to Taco Johns one more time before heading for Denver to the airport! Until next time, keep your face to the sun and bloom where you're planted!