A Thank You Letter

To Joe Mike, my dear father-in-law,

I am overwhelmed with gratitude to you for my life.  When you came to visit us last month with your lovely wife, I was given an opportunity to realize the tremendous impact that you have had on my very blessed time with your son, who is the love of my life.

Thank you for the way you see things, because my Joe sees things the same way.  Instead of seeing the modesty with which the farmers in our area live, you see their pride.  Instead of seeing the boarded up doors and windows of Tiffin's old courthouse, you see the majestic beauty that it was before it got too expensive to maintain for our humble town.  Instead of noticing all the empty storefronts, you find the bookstore gems wedged between them and then make friends with the owner!

Thank you for our little Max, who shares your name, but his personality is yours alone!  Forever I'll carry the priceless memory of gazing out from one of the stores we were exploring during your stay only to see 3 of the most precious men in my life; my son and my husband, standing next to the man who made them my treasures-you.

Thank you for loving your wives; Shauna until the day she died, and now Kathleen, who we love and are so grateful to have as part of our family.  Because of your example, my husband loves me and our children unconditionally and with a quiet fierceness that few women get to experience, and I am so grateful to you for it.

So thank you, dear Joe, for all you've given me-  my husband, the wonderful man he aspires to be, for he dreams of being like you; and the father to my children, children who will grow up secure in their father's love, just like your Joey did.

Come again soon!  Max still looks out the window and asks where Grandpa Joe is...We love you so much.  Thank you for being you.

Love, your daughter-in-law,
Little Red

PS~here are some pictures from your trip!

Ummmmm, I think we're lost! Corn maze 1, Borich family 0

Pickin' the perfect pumpkins...

Check out the expressions of each of their faces!

Behind every great man is a great woman (and an adoring child)!

It has been our tradition since we left Pocatello to set up the camera tripod and take a family picture the night we carve pumpkins.  How wonderful that for this night, we were not alone!