Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday to my Dad! 72 years old today! For those of you who don't already know my Dad and I have always had a very special relationship. I absolutely adore him. Not sure how I will keep this entry short at all...so much to say about him.

He has always been the kind of Dad every little girl dreams of, protective, adoring, kind hearted, gentle and sweet. As a little girl I never doubted for a moment that my Dad loved and adored me. I always knew he would do ANYTHING for me.

When we were little Dad would take us to the pool on Saturdays a lot, and he would always be the "shark" as he can swim underwater for a very long time. It never got old watching him come towards us with his hand above his head as a fin, and he would grab our feet. We would laugh and laugh and laugh. He would then pick us up and throw us so high in the pool. It was terrific. But then when it came time for the hot tub and a little rest from games, he was the protective Dad, not allowing us to get in the tub, only our feet as hot tubs aren't good for little ones to be in. He taught us all how to swim and would practice and practice with us for swim test after swim test.

Dad played college football and is a strong guy. He has huge hands and huge fingers. I LOVE his hands. I remember grabbing them to cross the street and I could only get my hand around about 2 fingers yet he was so strong and I felt so safe. I loved looking at his hand and his wedding ring especially, I would spin it around and loved what it stood for, he never took it off. I still love to sit next to Dad on the couch and he puts his arm around me and I still can snuggle right in.

My Dad has always been one of my biggest fans and always has encouraged me. In jr high and high school, when there were hard days with friends or whatever he always listened. We would take long drives to South Dakota, just the 2 of us, to see my grandparents, and we would talk the entire way. He taught me so much in those times in the car, about how to never let my expectations be lowered for who I was, to expect only the best from the boys I dated, to not allow anything but exactly what I wanted from the man I would someday marry. He gave me so much confidence in who I was and the decisions I chose that dating became easy in the sense that I knew what I wanted from a young age, and I knew I wouldn't stand for anything less. I give my Dad most of the credit for instilling that in me.

My Dad always always came in my room at bedtime and said prayers with me and when I was little sang me to sleep. Until I was probably 12 he sang to me nearly every night after prayers, many times I think he fell asleep before I ever did and my mom would have to come and wake him up. Not a big deal other than the nights they had company and friends over and she would have to come and get him to come back to his hosting duties. :) Here's the song he sang most often...

"I know a girl with a cute little curl, and a smile a mile wide.

She's the girl we adore, the one we waited for and with this time we realize.

She doesn't know we feel this way about her, she's the greatest thing that ever happened to us, but until the time that she grows up...

She'll be just our little girl, she's our Susan and we realize, we love her very much.

And when it comes time for her to marry. She will settle down and raise a family.

But until the time that she grows up, she'll be just our little girl. She's our Susan and we realize, we love her very much

A cute little girl named Susan Mary, the girl we love so much"

He had a whole medley of other songs I could request but this was always my favorite, and we adapted it and sang it to our boys as well.

Dad's content, all grandchildren together in one spot.

Scott introducing Dad to the Shoe in Ohio. U of M vs the Buckeyes!

My Dad was the kind of Dad that was waiting at the door to greet every date I had, would not allow them to drive in and honk for me to come out (that happened once and that poor boy never did it again after Dad quickly walked out to greet him), Dad always walks on the outside when walking on a street or sidewalk in order to protect me, brought me flowers when I was sick as a little girl, never yelled at me, sat on my bed with disappointed eyes at times and that was all it took. He never missed a sporting event of mine, a concert, an event that I can remember. He gave up a high powered job in DC to move us all to Minnesota and be able to be a part of our lives, something he wouldn't ever consider as giving up but as gaining. He started a chain of banks in MN then and had us do the weeding :), came to our school always on career day, never said goodbye without a tear, never went to bed angry, has never done well when one of us is sick or in the hospital, has a heart of gold, by far the most sensitive man and sentimental man I know.

My Dad's proudest moments...welcoming Grandchildren. This is Alice 2/7/08

I am sure watching me date was not easy for my Dad, who was fiercely but lovingly protective of me, and I know I dated some duds along the way. :) When I met Scott, I saw a lot of my Dad in him. Integrity, honor, respect, hard working, adoration...and I knew, I knew that I would marry him. He treated me very similar to how my Dad treated me. He respected me and everything I stood for more than any other guy I had dated....I am sure it was hard for Dad to give my hand to Scott. I know Dad cried the entire evening Scott took he and my mom out to dinner to ask their permission for me to be his bride. But if there is one thing that I think we both learned over the past 14 years of my marriage is that NO ONE, not even Scott, will ever take the place of my Dad. That relationship is SOLID as a rock and there is a spot in my heart no one but Dad will ever have.

There is a plaque I gave him for Father's Day when I was little and it is still at the cabin...has a duck with 3 little ducks following and it says something like this " A man walks in his integrity and his children follow"...it couldn't be more true. Dad is a man of high integrity who adores my Mom and his family.

My Dad is the kind of Dad every little girl dreams of....and he is MINE and I couldn't be more proud of him. Happy Birthday Dad! I love you