Miss you, dad

12 years ago today my dad passed away. I still miss him. He was a great man, a great father, husband and friend. He had red hair, so everyone called him Red. His blue eyes were always twinkling with mischief. He loved to play jokes and try to "get"you.
He was really good at it.
One of my favorite memories is when I was probably 10 or 11 and I was sitting on our back porch with my 2 best friends. It was the end of the summer and we were bored and hot. My dad walked by the screen door and squirted us with freezing cold water from a turkey baster! He had started the war and boy, were we ready. After all was said and done, there was about an inch of water in the hall (he brought the hose in), when my mom came home! She knew right away who the instigator was, and promptly said "Red, you had better clean up this mess!" The three of us girls cracked up and went on our way while my dad was punished!
My dad loved to "putz" with things and always had a few ongoing projects.I have a bookshelf headboard that takes up most of a wall that he made for Nicole when she got a "big girl" bed. He could fix anything and whenever the kids broke a toy they would say "lets take it to Pe'pe', he can fix anything!"
He loved the desert in Arizona and wished he had moved here sooner. The heat never bothered him and he had a year round garden. His ashes are at the Veterans Cemetery here and it is in the desert and beautiful. I know it is a good place for him.
I still think of him everyday and wish he was still with us. Thankfully all of my kids remember him and those memories are fond ones.
Kayden has his red hair and blue eyes.I call him "Little Red", I hope he gets all the rest of my dads wonderful qualities..........time will tell.