Love-in-OKC: Happy Birthday Dad!!

Happy Birthday Dad!!! We love you so very much! We wish we could be there celebrating with you today :) You have been and still are the greatest Dad! I have loved being your daughter. You have always been so loving and caring throughout your life. Not just with family, but with everyone who comes in contact with you. Anyone that knows you thinks so highly of you and wants to be your friend. You have taught be so much in life and been such a great example from day one. Thank you for being everything that a father should be. You are such a wonderful example of how Christ loves his children. I can truly say that I am a better person because of you. Thank you for blessing me with so very much. You have instilled in me, in all of us, priceless life lessons. Thank you for raising me & doing it at a 110%. I cannot explain how blessed I feel to have you as a father. I love you and hope you have a happy birthday. Wish we could be there!

Some quick summer time dad stories :)
1. when we were at mommy mom and po pos we would always beg all the aunts and uncles to watch us swim (that was the rule...at least one adult watching) and Dad was always the first to volunteer! He would not only volunteer, but would jump in with us and we would line up for him to throw us into the deep end. Then we would do whale dives where we (like 3 or 4 at a time)would hold onto dad's back and swim underwater like we were holding onto a whale. We would all have to let go and trickle up becuase we would run out of air...it was always soo much fun!! Abbey told me Dad stopped by to say hi to the Billingsley's the other day and they were in the pool and of course wanted pa-pa to get in. So, he just emptied his pockets of his khakis and jumped in! It just reminded me of when we were little too! We were all just as excited to be around pa-pa (dad) then! It is just really special to see how Dad has such a heart for children. They are drawn to him :)
2. I also used to love catching pop flies in the cul-de-sac. Evertime we were going somewhere we I remember running out into the middle of the street and saying just a couple pop flies come on!! He would always throw them and sooo high! It was a lot of fun. And also fun to have Dad as a coach! I am pretty sure he coached all six of us in various sports!! Learning how to eat sunflower seeds like a real baseball player was in there somewhere too! I still love to eat them!!
3. sitting on his lap to drive (steer) home from church at riverside
4. late night braums trips!!! Dad was always game :)
5. I still start dying laughing thinking of Hans Christian Anderson "one and one is twooo...two and two isss fouuurr....." I also love oldies & they will forever remind me of my childhood and the Interurban :)
6. It was also so much fun when we would park at the Interurban and walk to the OU football games and always one of us would be on Dad's shoulders :)

We love you so very much Dad! Thanks for making life so much fun :) We all love you dearly and cherish our times together!

at our wedding...such a fun summer night :) Thank you for everything Dad!

Maddie's graduation...The saying is true that girls adore their Dads :)

in Boston in the public garden

intense concentration on the floor with the flashlight! all of the kiddos love love love (no seriously) love Pa-Pa!!

They really do... :)

At MIT Muddy Charles! We had a blast with you all in Boston! "Oh he never returned no he never returned...I grew up listening to that song and never realized it was about Boston until I moved here!! Love it!