The Thankful Project Day 10: A Memory

I can't believe it's already November 10th. I am having so much fun with The Thankful Project and linking up with Chasing Happy. 

Day 10: A Memory

I've been going through old photos on my computer and trying to make them a bit more organized and I found this one. I thought this would be the perfect memory to share. 

{I know the picture quality is horrible, but I had to share it with you guys.}

Here is the story behind the picture: 

Sixteen is a pretty important age in American culture. Your Sweet 16 is one of the birthdays you look forward to and dream about when you are a kid. You can drive when you're 16. You have freedom! And if you're Mormon, like me, you can start dating at 16. This is a pretty big deal... at least to Mormons. :) 

When I turned 16, my Papa took me on my first 'date'. This is one of my most cherished memories and I want to share it with you. On this particular day, my mom dropped me off at my grandparent's house. I said hello to Papa and told him I was ready to go. My mom, Abuela, and I started chatting and I didn't notice my Papa disappear. 

The doorbell rang and my Abuela told me to go answer it. I opened the door to see my Papa holding some freshly cut Magnolia flowers for me. {By freshly cut, I mean he cut them off the tree growing in their yard.}I was so surprised and touched that my Papa would really go all out on this 'Father Daughter Date'. 

For the date, my Papa took me to a .... shooting range. Not the most conventional date, but I had a blast.    To this day, I still have the shooting target from that day. My Papa wrote the date on it and I've kept it in my treasure box all this time. I must say I was not expecting to go to a shooting range, and I don't particularly like guns, but I had a fun time. Surprisingly, I'm not that bad of a shot. {Maybe Papa was just trying to scare all my future dates away by showing me how to shoot a gun.} 

After the shooting range, we went to the restaurant Killer Creek and ended the night with ice cream from Coldstone Creamery. It was a great date, and I had such fun sharing the day with my Papa. 

To this day, my date with my Papa was one of the best dates I've ever been on. I'm so thankful to have such an amazing grandfather in my life. I'm thankful to have this experience and this tradition to pass down to my children. What I great Papa I have! 

What memory are you thankful for?