You Say It's Your Birthday....

Well, tough luck this post is for my Dad. It's his birthday...

and here's a little known fact.. I missed it last year. I mean I told myself over and over and over again, that is was the 21st and to not forget to call on Friday, only guess what, the 21st was not on a Friday last year, and as I was hunched over like Quasimodo, with my stress fractures, bone spur and herniated discs I actually did not even call. Don't worry, he forgave me.. and I don't think he cried about it, (I have only actually seen him cry twice, once being my wedding, and once being the time he had to tell someone about how I almost never was because I was a preemie).. anyways this post is not about me.. it's about my Dad.. (but also sorry for the lame-o pictures apparently I only take pictures of the kids, and in going back through both of my photo albums, I only existed for formal dances and graduation).

So, no this is not a picture of me, this is a picture of Miss H with my dad, right at tower 9 where we always went to the beach in HB. Now I would like to tell you this was a scene from my childhood, reillustrated with my own daughter, but my dad spent most of my youth surfing, and so when I think of spending time with him at the beach, I recall countless hours of boogie boarding, sandcastle building and hermit crab digging, while my dad was a speck at sea.. I also recall trying to determine which little speck he was out there, and never figuring it out.

(Now of course as a parent in the "modern era" I throw up a little at these enumerable hours of unattended scantily clad childhood, seriously I never got kidnapped)

Where was I.. oh yes.. Also at the beach my Dad taught us to fish and also to eat what we caught. Which resulted in the absolutely smallest fish taco you have ever seen, and the largest single clam (about the size of lil bit's head) ever. He really can do just about anything from fish, to build, to sail, to fabricate, to cook (although mostly hotdogs and spaghetti).

Here he is sailing his model yacht.. I think this is the 1 meter division (did you know he was a state champion?) Seriously, he builds the boat from scratch, and works it via remote control, he even drafts the sails and sometimes stitches them up.

Here he is building a rocking horse for C and H. This could very easily have been taken years before as it seems my whole childhood is littered with sawdust covered memories. He really can build anything.

That's me in the middle in case you don't reconize my smile underneath all those chins and atop all that "belly". Also, my dad is standing a stair up from The Mr. because although he is larger than life, he is not nearly as tall. Aren't they handsome.. these men.

Well, this is one of my favorite pics from my wedding (and apparently the last time someone took a photo of me and my dad together).

Happy Birthday Dad!! You are an amazing person, skilled in every trade of hand and gifted with a provision of love that is unfathomable. I am awed by your generosity and humilty, and overwhelmed by the foundation you built for my life.

Here's hoping the surf is good today!!

Much love!