Greatest Gifts for {Our} Dad

I have an AMAZING hubby.

But as wonderful as he is as a hubby, he's even MORE AMAZING as a daddy.

The thing is, with Father's Day just around the corner, I'm stumped as to what the WORLD'S GREATEST DAD should get.  (And no, I refuse to purchase anything that says "WORLD'S GREATEST DAD").  His work is physically and mentally exhausting (and he doesn't wear ties), he has no hobbies like golf or fishing that he participates in on a regular basis, and he has every tool known to mankind.  So I've come up with a list of 10 things I'd love to give him...and these aren't your typical gifts (i.e., ties, lures, tools, etc.)

1. Deep Tissue Massage - The first time I scheduled him a massage, he almost made me cancel it.  He said "real men" don't get massages - it sounded too feminine.  I convinced him he would feel wonderful afterward (and it wouldn't tickle) so he reluctantly agreed to go.  WOW - is he converted!!  Our lady uses acupuncture, too, which was a little weird, but she gets the blood pumping and works out the knots like nobody's business!

2. Lawn Work - I mentioned earlier that his work is physically demanding.  He runs the family ranch, which in the summer consists of about 50 head of cattle and their babies, but in the fall, winter and spring bumps up to about 300 (we bring in about 250 calves to run on wheat pasture).  This keeps him hopping!  So, I figure, anytime we can pitch in and mow, edge, weed or trim, we should do it!

3. A Shop Building - Now...this is what I would do if money were no object.  The amazing hubby of mine loves to build things.  He is a fantastic craftsman and has built much of our furniture in addition to built-in bookcases for his brother and a deck/walkway for his parents.  The thing is, we don't really have anywhere except the garage for him to do this.  A dedicated space would be awesome for him to have!

4. A Hot Tub - Again, with unlimited funds, this would be another perfect gift.  A couple of times a year, we take off for the weekend and enjoy a hotel's hot tub.  Sometimes we take the monkeys and sometimes we go on our own.  It would be even better if we had one right outside our back door - How AWESOME would that be?  (And not just for him!!)

5. A Stadium Seat - We are a sports family.  We spend A LOT of time at fields, courts and diamonds.  Some of the bleachers are nice, some are non-existent, some were built in the '50s and have never been updated.  This makes for a seriously sore bum, but he's not one to complain.  He's too busy cheering on the kiddos to notice!

6. A gourmet, candlelight dinner for two - Now, this defeats the purpose of being a Father's Day gift since I wouldn't be including the monkeys, but, oh well!  And remember - this is a dream list.  I am not a gourmet chef by any stretch of the imagination.  In fact, most of the really good stuff we eat is because our amazing daddy has pushed us outside our comfort zone or he has cooked it himself!  I tell you, he'a a keeper!

7. A lifetime supply of Bottle Caps - These are the hubby's favorite candy.  Everytime I go to the store, I pick up a couple of boxes...IF they have them.  They are kinda hard to find. So, if I could, I would get him enough that he would never run out!

8. More Cows - My hubby really enjoys working with the cows.  He understands them...and how to make money with them.  His friends that dabble in the cattle business are always asking his advice on things like feeding, weaning, selling, etc.  And he knows it all!  It amazes me the knowledge that is in his brain!!

9. More Land for our cows - Right now we lease several different properties and our herd is split up.  It would be FANTASTIC if we could run them all in one place, all together.  That would be AMAZING!!  Of course, that would mean that we would need buckets of money and people who wanted to seel their land, but this is the gift wish list, right?

10. A New Truck - The hubby has been driving his current truck since before the tween-monkey was born!  I've had two vehicles in between (I know - spoiled) and his truck has over 200,000 miles on it.  He says it still runs really well (it's a Ford F-150) and is in great shape so why would we want to buy a new one and spend all that money?  So... as gifts go, I think this would be a great one that he wouldn't buy for himself!

But here is the thing...Even if I (or the kids) got him one or all of the above listed things, it still wouldn't come close to repaying him for all the times he sacrificed, volunteered, coached, loved, listened, stayed up late worrying, praying, and just plain caring for all of us.

WE LOVE YOU DADDY!!!  (And we'll keep thinking of something good for Father's Day!)

Love you all,

Rulissa

**writing prompt provided as part of Mama Kat's writer's workshop**