my dad, david noel candland

my dad, noel candland, with my mom wendy and my daughter cecily on her blessing/christening day

noel candland is a father, restaurateur, pilot, and guy who can do just about anything.  he was born in portland, oregon and raised in washington d.c.  he likes jazz, blues, and rock n' roll (when it was still good.)  he loves good food, nature, projects, biographies, cycling and flying airplanes.  he can fix a lot of things and build a lot of things, and he has an incredible capacity for noticing details and paying attention. he's impressively fit and active and very handsome.  he inspires me because he didn't settle into his "real" career until he was a bit younger than i am now, so when i get discouraged about not having established a career the way i thought I would have by this age, i remember the incredible success he achieved in middle age.

as a kid, he loved to build things and explore, going to the movies, cars and fine dining.  i only learned last year that he and his friends, as teenagers, established a dinner club and they would go out to different restaurants as a group for fun.  this kind of cracks me up and delights at the same time.  it seems so in character.  my dad loves to explore and is very curious about the world.  i can totally imagine him doing this.  he's also quite dapper, and probably loved dressing up to go out.  while a teenager, he heard james brown and thelonious monk live.

in college, he spent summers working as a surveyor in alaska.  he says the other guys in his camp gambled away their earnings, but he saved all of his.  he's thrifty and prudent and knows how to take care of business.  he served an lds mission in florida, then he met my mom at byu and they made a stunning couple.  i was born shortly after he graduated and spent my infancy in salt lake city while he did an mba.

when i was thirteen, he bought mi amigo's restaurant, and that has been his career ever since.  i love watching him go into the restaurant and make sure everything is as it should be.  the quality of the food is always excellent, his employees stay with him forever, so i know he's a good person to work for, and he always gets the highest possible ratings from the health inspectors.  this speaks to his ethic and integrity.  he's not content to do things "well enough."  he pushes himself to always improve and do work that meets his high standards, even when something less would probably do.

as kids, we loved doing things outdoors with him.  he's a great camper and hiker and loves the beauty of the outdoors.  he taught us a lot about that.

as an adult, i recognize how devoted he has always been to his family.  i know that everything he does is for the benefit of his wife and children.  he tries to be an example of honesty and integrity, he works hard to make sure everyone in the family has everything they need, and he is always, always a person you can trust and count on.

my mother always told me i should think about my dad when i chose a life partner and make sure i found someone who matched him in character and integrity.  and i did that.  i knew when i met christian that i had found someone who, like my dad, would always strive to live a life of the utmost integrity and devotion.  i have my dad's example to thank for helping me to recognize good character and knowing what kind of person would be a good choice for raising a family with.

i love my dad and want to pay tribute to him today.  he is a fascinating person and i look forward to unlocking more of his mysteries, stories and wisdom in the coming years.