IT'S MY DADDY'S BIRTHDAY!!

Wednesday, August 8th is my Dad's 74th birthday! It's days like this that I wish I lived back in the midwest. I miss being home to do the birthday cake thing, hug and kiss him and tell him I love him. I always try to beat my two siblings and call both my parents on their birthdays first - you know, so I'll be the favorite for that day!! But it's not the same as being there.

I have a lot of my dad in me - I have his sense of humor for sure! He's quite the troublemaker and I do love causing trouble!! When he was working, he would walk into the office full of women secretaries and say a very simple statement, "Did you hear about Bob?" Then he'd walk out. By the end of the day some rumor had developed about Bob and it would come back to dad. He would say, "I didn't say anything, all I asked was did you hear about Bob?" That drove the office girls crazy. My dad worked at that place for like 30 years and he was so believable that even after all that time, he could still stir the pot! I like fibbing like that too! Dad and I both feel the same way about doing that to people - if you are that gullible, time after time after time, then you deserve to be taunted and messed with!! :-) Dad and I would walk down the mall with him holding on to my arm as if he was blind - then if someone walked up close to him and looked at him he'd 'boo' them. Then we'd crack up. Yes, we are terrible, aren't we??!! But so much fun!!!! He's a bit twisted, but that's why I love him so much!

The thing I remember most about my dad growing up was every morning before he went to work he sat on the edge of the bed and read the Bible. I can still remember what the bed spread looked like when I was a teenager and walking past the room seeing him reading. Dad, and of course my mom, made sure we were in church every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night and a lot of times in between!! Both of my parents were raised in Christian homes and they made sure they raised their kids the same way - I'm very thankful for my Christian heritage. I'm thankful for my Dad's mom, my Grandma who I miss very much, but I am very thankful I spent so many summers with her, going to church and watching her read her Bible too!!

I love watching my dad interact with his seven grandkids - he loves being a grandpa. My heart aches that I have been unable to give him an eighth grand child - as I would so love to see my dad cradle my baby and draw on his tummy with a marker!! (He did that to my sister's four kids and it drove her nuts!)

My Dad is a cool dad. He's a White Castle hamburger lover, bread and cheese sandwich eater, amazing grandma, great father, and twisted old man!!!

Happy Birthday Daddy - I love you very much!!

P.S. To all of you out there who live close to your parents - go visit them often. Don't take the short distance for granted, you are so lucky!