I like making lists. I’m a “list” type of person. Helps keep my life ordered. So here’s a short list of some of the reasons I love this man. This I do to honor him for his 70 years well-lived.
1) He is retired from full-time employment and yet works tirelessly serving others. Some examples of his serving:
-He helps a friend remodel a 40 year old home for this friend’s son. He’s been there working about one day a week for several months now.
-He fixes screen doors, hangs pictures, builds shelves, paints (yes lots of painting), and many more “handy-man” jobs for his daughters and sons-in law that live in town. And when he goes to Utah, he does the same for his sons.
-If anyone is moving in or moving out, he is there working side-by-side the 20 and 30 year olds. He’s usually the first one there and the last one to leave
-He volunteers to help anyone who needs help, whether it is yard work, house work, building, repairing, he’s the man
-He volunteers for community service and serves on two committees for the town of Farragut
-He unloads trucks at the Bishop’s storehouse (a job for a much younger man)
-He researches and does genealogy for others, as well as his own family
2) He spends lots of time with his grandchildren---not just babysitting, but taking them to baseball games, and other fun things
3) He is honest, faithful, pure of heart, and loves his God, family, neighbors, and friends
4) He treats me like a queen and honors my womanhood
5) He has supported me in everything I’ve ever tried to do whether I was good at it or not
Oh, yes, and what I like best of all is that he is so modest and unassuming. This post will no doubt embarrass him to no end. Happy 70th birthday and may you have many, many more birthdays to celebrate the wonderful man you are. Here’s a few snapshots of this amazing man.
Six year old
High School Pictures 1955-1958
Captain of the Baseball Team
Serving a mission in Argentina 1960-1963
Captain of the Baseball Team
Serving a mission in Argentina 1960-1963
Love of baseball - holding Troy before playing in a baseball game - 1968
Russ Trying to grow a beard while attending Utah State - 1973
Serving as Bishop of the Oak Grove Ward in Walnut Creek, CA
Russ the Engineer with Ash and Landy 1983 - Bechtel
Towards the end of his nine years as Stake President - celebrating the church's Sesquicentennial at the World Fair Grounds - July 1997
Elder Robert D. Hales, Sharlene, Russ - day of his release from being Stake President - November, 1998
Babysitter extraordinaire - 2000 -------------------My true love - pix taken 1999
September 14, 2010
7 comments:
True, and true, and true.
I think that photo of him on his mission with his feet up on the desk may be my all-time favorite.
i had thought the "September Beauties" post was going to be about dad, but i guess the title for this one works too....
happy birthday dad!
btw, is that carter doing the splits in that one photo? add dance instructor to that list, mom!
Happy Birthday Russ, your family and friends are blessed to have you in their lives.
Lori, I was going to say the same thing about that photo! It could be out of a magazine.
Happy 70th dad!
Ditto on the photo-it needs to be in a magazine! I loved this post and all the great photos! What a great man...loved reading your thoughts mom.
Great post-- definitely one of the best of "the best is yet to be". thanks for those awesome pix!
Happy bday, dad!
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