A day that will live in infamy

While the rest of the world grew up remembering the events of Pearl Harbor, I always think of December 7th as my Dad's birthday.
My Dad is one of my best friends and I can't say enough good about him. That was not always the case. I found a journal when I was a young child. Apparently, I thought he was pretty mean and yelled to much.

That is actually one of the things I love about my Dad. I can look back on my childhood and think about the man he was and the man he is today. I am astonished at how much has changed and how much has not. He only gets better with time. I have seen him become so strong in the gospel. We have always been blessed to have a gospel centered home but I think the older you get the more you realize what is really important in life. He is a wonderful example of priorities and I am hope to be like him someday.

My Dad has always called me "Baby Girl". I love it. It's warm and sweet and oh so southern. He taught me how to garden, how to be funny, how to not be annoying, and how a husband should treat his wife. I am so grateful for a father who was part of my life. I think back to my early childhood when Dad was working outside our home. I remember being so excited for his days off. Cleaning out the garage, working in the garden, and going to Six Flags are just some of my favorite memories. I remember how hard he worked and how much he hated his job. I would stand on the porch with him before he left for work each day. He would rip a leaf off the holly bush, tear it apart, sigh, set his, jaw and then go to the job he hated. I still can't leave a holly bush alone when I see it. I always take a leaf and destroy it. My teenage years were filled with my father always sitting in the office at home happily asking me where I was going and who I would be with no matter what time of day it was. We would run errand a lot and I would spend my afternoons sitting in the chair in his office talking to him.

He has always told me I am beautiful and I never doubted it. When I was little, he would brush my hair while we watched TV in the evening. I used to think it was because he liked to brush my beautiful hair but now I realize my dad hates messy things and it probably looked a rat's nest.

I am grateful for all the sacrifices my Dad has made for me. I think I am more like him than I realize and I guess that is a good thing. I hope to be as wonderful a parent as my parents have been to me. I will get that chance here pretty soon. Only 5 more days till baby girl 2.0 is here! We were hoping she would come to be birthday twins with Dad but alas, I think she has her own ideas. I guess she will have to be a late birthday and early Christmas gift!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful Dad!