Father! - to God himself we cannot give a holier name. ~William Wordsworth

I'm truly a blessed woman to have a husband who is a great father to my children. Unquestionably, I couldn't have asked for a better husband and father in raising our little ones in righteousness. Elijah is a quiet man, but with a powerful testimony; he is a calm father with a strong commitment to helping our family be eternal. There is nothing more sweet and touching to me than the love my husband has for me and our children. Our happiness and eternal salvation is his utmost priority. My children have no doubt that their father loves them and that he works hard to help them succeed. They know that their father loves me and see that he treats me like a queen. My children know that their father has a strong testimony of the gospel and will never compromise his beliefs for anything. They know that their father puts God first as they see him read scriptures on his own and with them every day, pray fervently each day, give thanks for the many things we have often, attend the temple weekly, serve the Lord in all the callings he receives, pay tithing faithfully, never miss FHE, make sure he is home for dinner every day, lovingly teach them to choose the right in our everyday doings, and spend time with them daily. In brief, they know that their father will do what it takes to help this family be happy in this life and live with God in the next. They know that their father knows what it means to be a son of God and he works hard in achieving it. And that knowledge is the best gift that Elijah can give to his children. My heart is full as I contemplate on the purity and firmness of Elijah's testimony and of his love for God. The same goes for his love for me and our children. I'm grateful to him for his integrity, faithfulness and humility. My children are and will be righteous individuals because they have a righteous father. Happy Father's Day, Elijah! I love you!

This Father's Day Elijah is spending it with his own father. As I've mentioned previously, my Father-in-law had an open heart surgery two weeks ago, and just this past week he suffered a mini stroke. We felt strongly he needed to be there with him, not because we were afraid he would die, but to give Elijah an opportunity to help his mother, as well as spend some time with his father and support him throughout these hard times. I terribly miss him, especially today, but I'm glad he is able to be a good son to his parents. We called him today, and I had the children sing in the phone the primary song about fathers that they sang at church today. I also took them yesterday to few stores and helped them purchase their gifts for their dad. They can't wait till next week when Elijah comes back. We've planned some fun surprises for him as well, and I know it's requiring a lot of restraint from them in not telling their dad our plans. They are just too excited!

I also had my children answer a few questions tonight about their father. I had so much fun listening to them, especially to Jefferson and James, who really liked to expand on their answers. You can imagine this took a while, so I'm giving here their short version.

1. What is something dad always says to you?
Gillian: Hello, princess.
Jefferson: Hi, Bucko (a name James invented); Come here, Jefe! (It means "boss" in Spanish, mom.) And he always tells me that he loves me.
James: I love you.

2. What makes dad happy?
Gillian: When I obey him.
Jefferson: Us being obedient.
James: When we obey and are not rowdy.

3. What makes dad sad?
Gillian: When I don't choose the right.
Jefferson: Being alone.
James: Being away from us.

4. How does your dad make you laugh?
Gillian: He teases Jefferson about growing a beard, and Jefferson gets really mad at that. That just makes me laugh. Dad uses good theatrics.
Jefferson: He plays with me the mule and the corn game, and just makes me laugh so hard I can't stop myself.
James: He tickles me.

5. What did your dad like to do when he was a child?
Gillian: His mother taught him to be kind, and that's what he did, tried to be kind to everyone. Now, he doesn't have to try. He is very kind.
Jefferson: He worked a lot. I can tell because he wants me to work a lot and he tells me all these stories of the different kinds of jobs he used to do.
James: He liked to camp and play chess.

6. How old is your dad?
Gillian: 32
Jefferson:32
James: 32
(They knew the answer to this, because we had discussed how I'm older than Elijah and we did some math problems in discovering the difference.)

7. What is his favorite thing to watch on TV?
All in unison: Star Trek

8. What does your dad do when you aren't around?
Gillian: He works hard.
Jefferson: He likes to read magazines. I do too, and I don't like it when Charlton chews on our magazines.
James: He goes to work. He works everyday, except Sundays, because we try to keep it holy.

9. If your dad becomes famous, what would it be for?
Gillian: Dirt Bike racing. I've got one, too, and he will teach me how to win a race as well.
Jefferson: Riding a race with his motorcycle. I'll be riding on his side.
James: Play chess. He is so good at it; he takes all of my pieces when we play with each other.

10. What is your dad really good at?
Gillian: At loving me.
Jefferson: Playing chess.
James: Playing chess.

11. What does your dad do for his job?
Gillian: He helps his friend, Gary, with computer stuff and managing money.
Jefferson: He works at church.
James: He helps Jesus.

12. What is your dad's favorite food?
Gillian: Brownies.
Jefferson: M&Ms.
James: Pizza

13. What do you and your dad do together?
Gillian: Read Hardy Boys.
Jefferson: Play chess and work.
James: Play chess, read books, and watch movies.

14. How are you and your dad the same?
Gillian: We both like to trade things.
Jefferson: We both love each other.
James: We both like to read and we both like scriptures.

15. How are you and your dad different?
Gillian: He spanks me sometimes when I make mistakes. I won't spank my children.
Jefferson: We don't have the same hair color.
James: I have a water gun, and he doesn't.

16. Where is your dad's favorite place to go?
Gillian: With us for FHE.
Jefferson: Home.
James: Restaurants.

17. What does your dad like most about your mom?
Gillian: Her honesty and love for him. Let's not forget her beauty. If mom lived during King David's time, he wouldn't care much about Bathsheba after looking at mom. I'm glad that she doesn't though. Poor dad, would have been killed at war.
Jefferson: All of her. I do too.
James: Her sweetness; he wants to eat her up all the time.

18. How do you know your dad loves you?
Gillian: It's not hard. He takes care of me, hugs me, and protects me.
Jefferson: He makes me feel special, like when he buys me doughnuts on early Saturday mornings. He knows I love them. He got me some on my birthday, too.
James: He wants me to learn how to swim, so I won't drown. He loves me and he wants me to be safe.

I want to wish a great Father's Day to my own brother, who is a wonderful father himself, and to my father-in-law, who taught my husband to be a good and honest man. My own father passed away when I was 12 years old, and I will always love and miss him in my heart. He was an amazing individual. I can't wait to see him again in heaven. I'm proud to be a part of these men's lives.

Amazing heritage

My father, Met Mema

Today is my father's birthday. He passed away when I was just 12 years of age, nevertheless, I have great memories of him which have helped me overcome my longing for him. I remember my father always doing something. He was a great mechanic and builder, an amazing engineer and poet, a talented orator and writer, and a very well respected citizen. Whenever I met someone and they would ask me whose daughter I was and when they received my answer, they would look at me with a serious face and say that I was privileged to be the daughter of a great man. My father knew a great many people, but he had only a handful of close friends. I remember him telling me that real friends were hard to come by. He loved to make things with his hands. We have an idiom in my country that says "whatever he touches turns into gold," and that was surely true about my father. Of course, it didn't turn into gold, but everything he made was made in perfection. He built our home, our upholstery, our book shelves, and whatever else we needed or wanted. He was very organized and neat. His shed was so meticulous that for a second you thought you were in a library and not in a tool shed. He also liked to dress nicely. Most of the memories of my father have him dressed in suits and ties. One time, he invited me to join him in a walk and while we walked and talked, I remember him pulling a little cloth he kept in his pocket so he could dust off his shoes. He liked his shoes absolutely shiny at all times. As a little girl, I adored my father. His diligence for perfection and for reading on any subject is a legacy I will carry with me throughout my life. He liked poetry, astronomy, fiction, biographies, mysteries, and just learning in general. If my father wasn't working with his hands, he was using his mind learning and reading. When he was young, I'm told he spoke several foreign languages, played the violin, worked as a spy, and was a master of disguise. Even my mother couldn't tell when he would play tricks on her dressed as a beggar. As he grew older, he became a master mechanic, and was very talented in anything dealing with cars. Unfortunately, that is one area I don't resemble my father at all. Although, I really like technical drawing and I used to be pretty good at it, when it comes to putting it into reality, I just don't have the desire. My son Jefferson may follow in his footsteps. Not only he has the brain power, he also has the desire to use his hands to create what is in his mind. I'm grateful for my father and for all he taught me. He was a good man and father, and his example of never ceasing to learn and grow will forever remain with me. He didn't have the gospel while he was alive, but my brother has done his temple work, and so I hope one day we will be together again.

My father and mother

My Father and I (age 3)