Happy Birthday Dad!

Terry Marshall's 60th has come and gone. I wonder if those who have finished their earthly lives celebrate their birthday once they've returned home. I can imagine it would be pretty awesome to think of the anniversary of the day you first received your mortal body - once you are DONE with your mortal life. However, I have been thinking about the relationship of our time frames here on earth and the time frames in the Spirit world and I think that (not doctrine as far as I know it) days and weeks and months are just seconds and minutes in heaven! So, I would think it's only our "earthly" birthday for a matter of nano-seconds when we've passed. But, maybe they have the ability to "freeze time" if you will and enjoy our days here for a minute. I don't know.

But, in any case, I thought of my dad all day yesterday. His life was one of service and also one of fun. He knew how to help others and always knew exactly what to say. Plus, he KNEW about everything. I remember once Tad and Tracy were going to San Fransisco to find a place to live and to look at the Chiropractic School that Tad would be attending the next semester. My dad sat them down. He drew out a map of exactly how to get there and told them where to go once they had arrived. San Fran was 10 hours away and he hadn't been there in YEARS - probably DECADES, but he remembered like it was yesterday and helped them to get there and have fun in the city.

My dad was a GREAT cook. Here he is cookin' up a storm - with his shades on.
Another memory I have of my dad is his singing voice. I have an image ingrained in my mind of him laying on the floor on his belly, propped up on his elbows, and one foot crossed over the other. He would have a music book on the floor in front of him and he'd be singing songs at the top of this lungs. Many times he'd make me play them on the piano while he sang. I always rolled my eyes and tried my best. Among his favorite music books to sing through were The Phantom, John Denver, the Hymnal, and this old Dan Coates piano book with a ton of love songs. And he sang the songs super loud. He always reminded me when I would sing to sing loud. He always told me to ask Mrs. B. to turn up the speakers at Spring Concerts. (I never told her.)

Here's dad at the LA Zoo. I love this picture. He LOVED animals. We were in Cali for my cousin Josh's mission homecoming. Aunt Debbie told my dad there was no way we could fit in the Zoo, there was too much food to prep. He told her we would get it all done. We went to the Zoo, and that night got all the food prepped, my dad giving everyone a job. Aunt Debbie was shocked.

This picture was taken in Utah. We couldn't find a spot to park, so dad just took down this sign and parked there. We thought it was pretty funny.

I could go on and on about memories I have of my dad . . . but I will stop here. Just know that I loved my father. I think of him often and miss him. I am teaching the dreaded lesson #14 in RS on Sunday about "death" and I have really been able to reflect on how I felt and how I coped when he passed away. The knowledge of the Atonement and also of the Resurrection really helped me to get through that hard time. It's VERY hard to loose someone you love, but that knowledge surely makes it loads easier. I can't imagine NOT having those truths.


Happy Birthday Dad - we all loved you, still love you, are trying to teach your grandchildren about you, and can't wait to see you again.