Lunch with Papaw

This is my father-in-law, Alan aka Pops, Dad and mainly Papaw.

Yesterday I had a really nice day, mostly because of Dad. He called me around 10 am while I was doing errands. He and I are building a swing set/fort for the boys. It has been an on-going project for about 2 years now, we are ready for stage 4 this summer, the east tower and the connecting bridge. I will try to get some pictures.

Dad was on his way over with the truck and trailer, so Owen and I turned around and met him at Mobile Lumber. We got decking and landscape timbers. Dad has the cool idea to "rip" the timbers in half and use them to "log" up the fort like an old fashioned cabin.

Thankfully he knows what he is doing, cause I can't hammer a nail in straight.

After the lumber store we brought the trailer to my house. I was hungry, Dad was hungry, so I knew what that meant, China Doll buffet! I changed Owen's clothes and away we went.

Poor Dad, he drives a huge truck, that I really love, love! It is slightly comical to see him fold himself into my little Jeep, but he is a really, really good sport about it.

He and I have been to China Doll several times now with Owen. Owen is getting better in public, now he entertains himself by people watching and throwing food on the floor.

Dad and I had a good talk. Dad (like Jason) isn't one for small talk but he let me ask some questions and he told me some neat stories about his life. Among other things, I learned that his favorite color is blue; his favorite pet was his Father's hunting dog Sam; that he played baseball(pitcher) and used to ride on freight cars when he was only 10. I also found out that is high school he was more interested in hunting and girls than studying. At least till he meet Mom and then it was just hunting and her. (They have been married since he was 19 and she was 17, that will soon be 40 years, they are amazing!)

It is hard to imagine Dad "chasing skirts", he is so larger than life, it is nearly impossible to think of him as a crazy teenage boy. However, that does explain a few things, Jason and Ross and I am afraid Owen too, are very much like Dad. To quote Ross, "Owen is a girl magnet", Jason was too. I guess it's true what they say, like father like son. :)

My Mom and Dad have been gone for a while, I miss them a lot, an awful lot. Having Jason's Mom and Dad to love me and spend time with me makes it a lot easier to get along. I was blessed with a wonderful new family when I married Jason.

Like I said , yesterday, I had a really, really nice day with Papaw.



Here is the old oak with his 6th little acorn, these nuts don't fall far from the tree.