for my daddy-o

my childhood was wonderful.

i have a multitude of great memories.

my dad is in a whole lot of them!

we went on amazing family vacations.

we had lots of fun as a family, playing games, watching movies, eating yummy food.

my dad was always the cornerstone of these fabulous family memories.

just a few tidbits from my childhood specific to me growing up:

being the baby of the family (or let's call it what it is... the favorite!) i got to spend lots of one on one time with both my parents.

my dad owned a large greenhouse operation and so i spent my days there while my brother and sister were at school.

my dad used to have to do errands during the day.

i was a regular tagalong on these trips.

i remember fondly going to the bank with him and loved being spoiled by the tellers there because my dad would make sure of it!

i even used to be able to go behind the teller desks, play with their bank "stuff" and visit with those ladies.

i think i was even in their coffee room!

ha ha ha!

could you imagine that happening now?

when i was in high school i played every sport available.

my dad often had to work late nights so he didn't always make my games...

but guaranteed if he was there, he was wearing his awesome ZUBAZ pants!

oh, did that embarrass me!

in hindsight i kill myself laughing at that!

i hope to embarrass my girls like that too one day.

(although daddy-o... you weren't trying to be funny, were you?!?)

another fond memory, my dad being my awesome wedding planner extraordinaire.

honestly, i was young and immature and my dad asked what i wanted and just took the reigns and went with it.

biggest project that he did... he went to the bush and chopped down two fairly big trees and spray painted them all white.

they looked absolutely gorgeous at the front of the church!

my dad, making his little girl's dreams come true!

i have so many other special memories... too numerous to recount here but saved well in my heart and my mind.

my dad...

he's a great man!
a faithful husband, a loving father and a loyal friend.
he's awesome, he's protective over his family, he's madly in love with his wife, he's passionate about Jesus, he works so very hard at his job, he's a people person to the core.
he's also wildly opinionated, fiercely republican, incredibly stubborn and has a bit of a big mouth...
and some of these traits can get him into trouble.
and yes, some of these traits he's passed down to his children.
can you guess which ones?
ha ha ha!
but these are some of the things that i absolutely love about him!

he's not afraid to be real.

with my dad, the old saying is true...
"what you see, is what you get".
i admire this about him.
he's unapologetic about his faith and this helps me in my own faith.
he's taught me from a young age to love Jesus and help others.
was he perfect... definitely not.
did he make mistakes... yes.
but i know he tried hard and kept praying.

i love him dearly and i'm SO thankful that he was my father growing up.

the best earthly father i could have asked for.

happy father's day, daddy-o!!!!

I LOVE YOU!