happy birthday, dad!

my dad turns 60 today. SIXTY! its crazy. that used to be so old. but when 33 became younger than it once was, so did 60. my dad is awesome and here's why:

1. he loves Jesus. for real.
2. he loves my mom. a lot.
3. he loves us kids. (how could you not?) (poor chad)
4. the grandkids are so awesome to him they practically walk on water.
5. one time, back in the years when the entire solar system revolved around being cool and accepted my dad actually took my sister and me into the guess store and bought us a pair of GUESS JEANS! it was huge. we didn't exactly have the money for such excessive frivolousness. yet, he knew how important it was to us to have a triangle on our rear.
6. he didn't make us eat our brussel sprouts. in fact, he'd secretly let us empty them in the trash when mom left the kitchen.
7. he did really fun rides when we were little and all 3 of us could hang on one arm.
8. he made us pancakes every saturday morning for breakfast. he still does when we visit.
9. he makes fantastic strawberry preserves.
10. he makes the worlds greatest homemade ice cream.
11. he used to take us driving when we were younger out on this deserted dirt road on the weekends. it was SO much fun and i always wondered why mom didn't come along. i'm now a mom and i wonder this no more.
12. he is a very disciplined person. examples:
13. he got up very, very early to read his bible and pray for his family... every day. he still does.
14. he runs 6 miles a day. and never mind that he used to do this in bright pink shorts when i was young and easily humiliated.
15. he made us cool stuff. like this spectacular barbie house complete with wall paper and carpet that matched the rooms of our house. (of course i'm not bitter that they didn't keep it for me to force my daughter to enjoy just as much as i did.)
16. he would have flowers delivered to us on valentines day. a bouquet for mom and a single flower for angie and i.
17. he told us all the time we were beautiful. even in the 80's when we could possibly have posed for an aqua net hairspray ad. (don't judge)
    
18. whenever we are visiting, he always gets up early with my kids and insists i go back to bed. and then when i get up he serves me lattes.
19. one time, i got to chose between a spanking or not having a cookie all weekend. i chose the latter. on sunday, he snuck me a cookie.
    
20. he's super easy to please. every year on his birthday (and i do mean EVERY year) all he asks for is a bag of peanut m&m's.
    
21. he did all the errand running for us growing up. he'd even go to the store and buy those "girl" things for us. and didn't seem to care when we teased him about coming home smelling like the latest cologne sample from walmart.
22. he let us be a part of whatever he was doing. we were such great little "helpers."
23. he finds joy in the simple things. growing up, i had countless far side jokes presented to me by a giggling dad, and i would always look back at him a little puzzled, like... i don't get it? and he would just laugh hysterically and walk off to the next sibling.
    
24. he loves football. and nascar as of late (as of late meaning i didn't actually have my growing up years listening to race cars barreling through my house at top volume) but one time, during a really important football game, the bionic woman was on and she was trapped in this underground tunnel and angie and i were dying to see how she would get out and he actually let us watch it and missed the end of the game.
25. he let us climb on the roof when he worked on the air conditioner. as a mother, i now understand why my mom would come out yelling at all of us. i mean, we were really, really little. it totally wasn't safe. (but it was SO much fun!)
26. he's passionate. about certain things. for instance, just say to him something like, "there should really be more gun control" or "i voted for obama" or "save the whales"

dad, i love you and wish i could be with you to celebrate your big day. but since i can't, i'll eat a bunch of junk food in your honor.

happy birthday.