Happy Birthday to my Dad!

Today is my Dad's 60th birthday! Wow, he's an old man now! Haha, jk.

I hate that I'm too far away and miss all of my family's birthdays because they are always during the school year, and this time, I'm just too poor to go home again since I was just home during Christmas and need to save money to go home this summer for some wedding planning.

My dad is such a great man and a great father. What I know about sports (other than soccer), I learned from him. I can't tell you how many Blazers games and Duck games we have watched together over the years! He would sit there and answer every question I had about the players and about how the game was played. And trust me, he could answer them all, especially about the Ducks! In fact, to this day he can tell me about all the new recruits and who is from where and the predictions on the season and all of that. We actually kinda give him a hard time because sometimes he can tell you the same thing you've heard over and over, but he's just so excited about it! Like when Autzen Stadium was getting remodeled. I think I heard about it about 10 times, hahahahaha. But I just give him a hard time and really do love it. It's one of the things that is so endearing about my dad.

Another great memory of my dad is that, when my sister and I were in grade school, he would wake us up in the morning by playing music loudly out in our front living room! I would wake up to Jimmy Buffett, Jackson Browne, and a whole other bunch of great songs, usually blues. I have always loved singing and listened to my dad's albums a lot, so I would literally wake up singing! It was always so easy to get up when music was playing! Of course, when you're little, everything is easier, haha.

But I feel so lucky to have the dad that I have. A lot of my friends' first impression of him was that he was kinda scary, because he's kinda quiet if you don't know him. But he is quite the opposite! He is such a goofy person and has a great sense of humor. He says the funniest things that only a dad would say! Of course, he has had to be stern over the years, but that's because my sister and I were probably deserving of it. If he ever did yell at us, he would always apologize later, because he really doesn't like to, and didn't want us to be upset. He is so so caring. And he thinks my sister and I are the most beautiful girls and he is so so proud of us and tells us.

When I went to try on my now wedding dress one more time before buying it, my dad came with me instead of my mom. He saw me in my dress and he actually cried! This man never cries. I honestly can't say I have seen him cry besides this one time. But that moment was so special for us - he's the man who raised me and took care of me, and in a year-and-a-half he is going to walk me down the aisle and give me away to Nick. When I was a junior in high school, he had to have a life-threatening surgery, and he really could have died. It was a scary time, but he pushed through and came out strong and recovered. And I am soooo thankful he is here for many more years. I am so happy that he will be there for that moment, and I can't wait to have my father-daughter dance at my wedding.

I love you, Daddy!