HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

happy father's day to my wonderful dad. brian and i consider ourselves so incredibly lucky to have been raised by BOTH parents, who have always shown love and support for each other. we are so excited to become parents ourselves, and are confident that we have the tools to raise a good, healthy kid, because we had such great examples in our parents.

some of the things i love and admire most about brian are the things that impress me so much about you, dad. they say that's a good indication if you've done a good job- if your daughter finds someone like you as their partner. :) dad, you pick ANYTHING you want to learn more about, and in no time you know everything there is to know about that particular thing. you're a hard worker that doesn't know how to be selfish. your work ethic is almost not even human. :) you've thought about your children and wife in EVERY decision you've made and i recognize that now, as an adult. i feel so lucky to have had such a great childhood filled with memories that'll make me smile for the rest of my life:

all our camping trips in the summertime- the marshmallow roasting, the waterskiing, jumping off the rocks into the water, watching you fall out of the boat that time and losing your glasses and your wallet... :)

the "nose pinching" game- those silly family times that make me appreciate having been raised in a big family. you were never afraid to be silly to see us smile, and that is one of my favorite things about you.

all of our cross-country trips to california- the infamous "hitchhiking with puke on your lap in zero-degree weather" trip, the "ah, heck, let's adopt a polar-bear-sized dog from a bunch of nuns in the middle of nowhere in new mexico" trip, the "ryan, this is why you don't want to gamble... **ching ching ching!!! you won $100** oh, wait, that wasn't supposed to happen..." trip, and all the others.

every birthday i've ever had. being one of 5 kids, you'd think it would be easy to feel "forgotten," but i never did. especially on my birthday. you and mom really made us feel like the coolest kid in the world by showering us with attention and giving us an awesome, creative birthday party, and my favorite part- getting to choose whatEVER we wanted to eat for dinner, and you guys cooking that for us- our "special dinner." brian makes fun of me for how excited i get about my birthday, and it's because i've always had such a wonderful birthday thanks to you guys.

not ever realizing we didn't have a whole lot of money. you and mom never let us go without love, attention, or fun, and as a kid, that's all you need. :) we didn't notice any stress you guys felt over bills, and that's a really special thing you did for us- to hide that from us. sure, we knew we couldn't just buy whatever we wanted whenever we wanted, but you didn't raise us to be that kind of kid anyway. we had what we needed, and with mom's crazy creativity- we never EVER went without a fun holiday!

dad, you're the best. i can't imagine my life without you, and i don't go a day without feeling appreciative for having you in my life. i'm so glad that you will be close to violet and be able to help raise her and watch her grow into a beautiful woman. it makes me choke up knowing that she's going to see how special of a person you are, and get to know that person. :)

thank you for all you've done, all you do, and all you will do for me and my growing family. i love you with EVERY speck of my being, and always will. :)

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!