Feliz Cumpleanos Papa!

Today is my dad's birthday. He doesn't read my blog so this is more for me than him but I just wanted to give a nod to the coolest dad in the world. (I think all dads in the world can be tied for the coolest if they try so nobody feel offended). I feel like all of you must just be sick to death of hearing stories about my dad because I talk about him nearly incessantly. I can't stop myself. I was always a Daddy's girl and I guess I always will be. I think quite a lot of the reason that I loved Adam right away is that he's so similar to my dad.

I love how my dad cracks himself up. I love how he's so brilliant, so off the charts intelligent and yet so humble. I love how he tries so hard for his family, how his highest honor and favorite job has always been being our dad. I love that his first order of business whenever he came home from work was to play with us. I love how he told us how frequently that he loved us and was proud of us and then immediately after he pushed us to work harder, set higher goals and think of who else might need our help. I love his passion for learning, not just about books but about anything. I love how in his mind, there is nothing insurmountable if you set your mind to it and just try. I love how he delights in the simplest smallest pleasures in life. I love that he relies entirely on prayer and his Father in Heaven to govern his life. I love that he is mischeivious and will deny it when he gets caught! He is incredibly grateful and generous. He hates rainy days and loves college football. And tickling his kids (even those of us that are grown.) He gives well thought out advice that only comes from the wisdom of years and hard knocks. He can't sit still. He's so full of life that he just wants to squeeze every morsel out of it and that is contagious. You can't be around him and not feel better about yourself and more excited about being alive. His grandkids adore him and beg him to play monster with him...and nothing could make him any happier. I sure I couldn't have done anything to deserve him but I'm glad heaven was so worried about me making a disaster of my life even before I was born that he sent me my dad and my mom to see if they could straighten me out.

Anyway, I hate being away from him on our birthdays because we used to celebrate them together and I can't think of anyone under the sun who I'd rather share that day with. It always feels weird to have a birthday without sitting next to him and waiting to blow out our candles together. He's such a kid at heart that I think we were both equally excited when I got new toys as a little girl so he could help me put them together and then try them out. Each year that passes, I become more thankful that he's in the world and that I am blessed to be his daughter. I love you Dad! Thanks for being this girl's hero.