Father’s Day Smiles are better late than never

I was not up to posting my Father’s Day smiles last week but I will make up for it today. Thanks to those of you who encourage me to keep blogging. It is getting harder for me to do it but maybe someday my family will look back at these posts and be glad that I did them. I hope so.  At any rate, I appreciate those who encourage me to keep posting. I do have lots to smile about in my life. This is a good way to document it.

Father’s Day started out for my John with a lovely breakfast on the patio. Our normal church time is 9:00 a.m. and we never have time for a big breakfast. However, we were attending Mindy and Ernie’s ward (congregation) which starts later so I had plenty of time to make Grampy a breakfast feast. I was happy to do it.

I know I’ve said this before, but I thought I had lost him during our car accident last year. He was unconscious for a long time.  I was soaked in his blood.   The emotions of thinking he was dead were far worse than my own injuries which were severe.  I am so thankful to have him still with me. I treasure each special occasion… each day with him…. more than I can say.

We went to church with Mindy and Ernie and then went to their home for dinner. In our faith, one of the things that we do to try to keep the Sabbath holy is not going anywhere on Sunday that causes someone else to have to work. We never go out to eat on Sunday.

It is a traditions that Mindy always makes a delicious Japanese dinner for Father’s Day.

EJ, Claire (not pictured) and I  helped Mindy prepare some of the food but Mindy did most of the work.

We started out with Miso soup, salad and soy beans. ( I forget their Japanese name.)

Then came the sushi. Mindy took a special class to learn how to make sushi.

This is Grampy’s and Ernie’s favorite food!

Next came the tempura…. batter fried shrimp and all sorts of veggies.  YUMMY!

It was a meal fit for an Emperor. I am thankful that our dear Mindy makes such a special meal for her dad, her hubby and all of us. It involves a lot of work. She is sweet to do this every year. It is her gift of love to the men in her life.  I’m glad that I get in on it too.  Lucky me.

After all that delicious dinner we were stuffed to the gills, but we had to make room for dessert.

Once again, Ernie and Grampy got their favorite …. strawberry short cake.

After eating, the dads opened their gifts .. Claire even wrote a song and sang it to Grampy with her beautiful voice. ( I recorded it on my iPad but I can’t get it into this blog.)

The best gift of all is the love and gratitude we feel for each other.

All these things brought me smiles on Father’s day.

Even though I couldn’t be with them, I was also smiling that my son David and my sons-in-law in Utah, Patrick and Dathan, are such good husband and fathers  ….and …..sons to me.

I know that I am greatly blessed.

I am thankful and smiling.

I am also smiling that my friend Buttercup is recovering nicely from her surgery and the tumor was benign. That is an answer to many prayers in her behalf.  My dear friend Jan is also feeling a little better after a terrible week of suffering. I am thankful both of these friends are doing better.

I hope that you are smiling too.  Have a great week. Hugs, Grammy Lura