happy birthday to my dad

my dad is the man. that is the only way i can start this post. ever since i can remember (which i found out it is back to the age of 3) i've known my dad to be totally awesome! today is his 54th birthday. one of the coolest things about him being 54? answer, he runs about 20-25 miles every week and just ran a half marathon back in august (and i'm making him do another in april). so, when i say my dad is the man...you now know what i mean.

rather than just getting him a funny card and a present (which of course we did) i thought it'd be cool to just do a fun list (go figure) of some things he's taught me in life, a few funny quirks, and maybe a few things in between.

• he taught me how to eat an ice cream cone. that's right...there's a science to it. and my dad knows it.
• he taught me how to shoot a plastic pop bottle cap across the room by snapping your fingers. i used to climb up in between the doorway in our living room and he'd shoot bottle caps at me from his chair. oh, the good ole' days. (honestly...it wasn't child abuse...it was actually a blast!)
• when i was real young and he'd mow the lawn with a rider (then when i got old enough he made me use a push mower) sometimes my mom would take me out there to sit on his lap while he mowed.

• i used to be a "worker man" with him when he'd have to fix something in our house. apparently i'd put a rag in my back pocket just like him, too.

• he showed me how to stack coins near your elbow, palm facing up back by your ear, and then swing your hand down catching the whole stack without losing any. i can probably do more than him, but whatever.
• on that note...you can put a quarter in the palm of your hand, he'll put his hand under yours and he'll be able to snatch the quarter from your hand before you can pull it away. i'd put money on it. a quarter probably.
• he taught me how to play baseball. he was also my little league coach. which was cool.
• he can whistle so loud that when i was a kid playing all the way down the block, he'd whistle before dinner and i'd hear it. ridiculous. i used to/just tried to learn how to do that...and cannot.
• i brought him to show and tell in the second grade because he was an E.M.T.
• sometimes when we'd be in church, he'd squeeze my knee and if i laughed because it tickled (happened everytime) he'd say it was because i was girl crazy.
• he helped me make awesome pinewood dirby cars for cub scouts...and i'm sure my mom still has them in the attic.
• he taught me how to fly a kite.

• i used to help him do the chains for the high school football games. i was in charge of the clip (which is where the ball is on the field) and my mom claims it taught me responsibility. :)
• i used to get a lot of r/c cars for Christmas and sometimes we'd go out to his work and i'd get to drive them all over the place. it was super awesome. especially the ramps we built.
• he taught me how to fish when we used to go camping as a family every weekend.
• he was always at my school functions or anything i had going on. he always has and always will support me in anything i do.
• when i turned 16 and got my license, he told me good job and gave me twenty bucks to fill up my gas tank. maybe that's why he was so upset when i got those two speeding tickets in two weeks. nah.
• he also taught me how to drive a stick shift. even though i suck at it...i don't blame him.
• he basically taught me how to be a runner. with his little tips here and there and helping me get my first pair of running shoes...that was a big help with what has made me, me.
• he has this hilarious quirk that has somehow been passed down to me. when a bag of chips or pretzels gets a little low, he HAS to cut off some of the top of the bag. i think it's so his hand/arm doesn't touch any of the bag? easier access? i don't know...i don't really care...all i know...is I DO IT, TOO!
• he has clearly passed down his sarcasm and quick humor to me. that i'm thankful for. i mean, come on...it's awesome always having something funny to say.
• apparently we walk and run the same. of course i look cooler but that's besides the point.
• something i've realized as i've continued to grow up is how much i charish our friendship. he's not just a dad anymore...he's a best friend to me...and that is super rad and something i pray i never take for granted.
• the most important thing my dad has taught me/showed me/passed down to me is how to be a gentleman. he's set an amazing example for what it takes to be a man of God and how to love. whether it be how he loves my mom, or how he has shown love to me and my sister, or shown love to others.

what can i say? my dad is the freakin' man. he's honestly the best dad in the world. the only way your dad is better is if he bought you a riding lawn mower when you were younger so you didn't have to use a push mower for the ENTIRE lawn. i'm not bitter about that though. it obviously taught me something in life.

anway...here's to you, dad. happy birthday!