Dad

Today is my dad's birthday and I am going to follow Annie's lead by posting about my dad on his birthday. These last seven or so months, I cant help but look back on my own childhood and think about your fathering to us. I realize now how expensive just living can be and I think of how you amazingly took care of all five of us. I also think about how you were present for so much of my life; I remember you enthusiastically attending wrestling meets, choir festivals, and of course football games. I don't think I have told you but it meant alot to me that you would get so excited about the activities we kids would do.

I was also thinking of a memory of how, in middle school, when I was into snowboarding, you would take me up to the mountain a few times a year and you would ski while my friends and I snowboarded. I seem to remember you tearing up the terrain park with us and I think that is pretty awesome.

But what I have been most thinking about lately is how it's going to be tough to be a dad. I think of the sacrifices you made for your kids and am impressed and challenged by the example you set. I think about late nights with us and early mornings to be at work and am blown away. But I think, what I am most proud of you about and blown away about is that you quietly raised a family after God. I think of the three of us older kids, and the fact that studies (and my experience) show that 80% of Christians leave their faith after high school and it seems like the three of us have had our faith deepened by college and its challenges. Even as I write this I am blown away that you have kept this family so directed towards God, so thank you. Dad, you are a great dad and I certainly don't tell you enough. Thanks for all you are and for al you have done