Today is my dads BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Happy Birthday dad! I wish I was there with you right now!

My dad is someone I hold close to my heart! I'm very poud that he is my dad!

The memories I have that go through my head on his special day when he is so far away is...

When we would go places in the big Malibu Station wagon he would make these crazy faces at us in the car mirror and sing really goofy to the song on the radio. He would give us the best bronco buffalo rides on his back until he would buck us off. He could make us laugh REALLY hard when he would tickle us , mom would get after him cause we couldn't catch our breath we were laughing so hard. He would tell me I was boy crazy if it tickled! I remember watching Saturday morning cartoons with him. He loved goofy! He use to laugh as much as we did at the cartoons! (That's so cool!) Then as we got a little older he taught me how to ride my bike and trust me I was a hard one to teach...I didn't mind the training wheels. Then it was time to learn how to ski. Yep, he taught me that too! Once again was a stuburn student! So many times he would have to meet me at the bottom of the lift because I would stay on the chair lift when I saw how high up we were. He would get so frusrated when I would tell him "I can't" when he knew in his heart I could! (He believed in me!) So every summer my dad would put on his coach whistle and his favorite sport stop watch would be ticking away for pre ski season. He always made sure we were fit when it was time to ski. He was always looking out for us so we would n't injure ourselves skiing. Then my teenage years came and I started track for the first time and he helped me pick out my first pair track shoes...They were by Adidas. They were neat! He taught me how to take care of the spikes..I was listening to his every word too. I knew my dad was the only person I wanted to listen to when it came to track. He came to every pratice and every track meet and every track meet he had tears in his eyes and would tell me how proud of me he was. That is something I will never forget! Even as big of a track star he was in his teen years he was proud of me! Then Caleb was born and he couldn't stop telling me how much he loved me and made sure I was okay...(Okay I'm totally crying now!) then he couldn't put his first grandson down. As time went on he enjoyed being with the boys and playing with them at Disneyland...I loved watching him taking them too the Disney Characters and getting just as excited as the boys did...seeing him eat that up, was love in my heart. ( After all I can say my dad was POOH when I was a little girl...yep he was! He worked at Disneyland too! How cool is that! ) Then it was time to meet Angie and that was the hardest time for me as a young mom...knowing that you were going to loose your only girl was a huge lump in my heart! Once again my dad was his wonderful self and gave me never ending hug and said I know how painful this is Chris....I love you and I'm here! Then I said it hurts dad, it hurts! He said it does hurt! My dad dosen't say much but he knows my feelings and my heart...that is my bond with my dad. When Angie came through and is now a healthy little girl she now shares that exact bond that my dad shares with me with her. It is something you just can't explain....it's love of our own and it is special. It's something that will always be apart of us. My dad is some one who taught me to believe in myself, my dad taught me to be goofy whenever I want to feel goofy, My dad taught me the love of my heavenly father, my dad taught me to always know you can always learn new things no matter what. My dad taught me the over powering love you get when you have kids of your own. My dad taught me kindness and forgivness. My dad taught me to be strong through any stumble. My dad I love so very much! No matter how far you are you are always with me every day I live. Happy Birthday Dad...I wish you the best day! XOXOXOXO