I always wondered what dads were for..:)
I get his humor, it's an acquired taste - but I love it :)
Probably one of the most precious times in my life, ever.
Look how beautiful Mom is!
K, does this not show you HOW much I love him?!
Cause I do, Heaps! Dancing to "My Little Girl" Tim McGraw -
(We watched the movie with this song in theaters together :) )
My dad and I, ya we go way back. He is my papa. I may not have been blessed by having a sister but being an only girl sure has it's advantages. I am a genuine daddy's girl! Oh man. Ah, can I just tell you? I have the most incredible father in the world. He is mr. comedy, gentle and sweet, follower of Christ, random and awesome and stronger than many of you may know. Dad was blessed with the most loving and caring parents and the most supportive and a gem of a wife. All this helped make him #1 Dad! This is my conclusion!
Dad and I always had a great relationship growing up, if my memory serves me correctly. He was always very active with us kids, helping us excel in every sport. He was my coach, literally. He was always a principal or vice or in a higher education position in my school. So he was around. Everyone loved him. They thought he was the nicest, funniest, coolest guy. I would get the same compliments from my friends after just spending 30 seconds with him and he is!
I can't remember if it was late elementary school or early middle school, dad was diagnosed with a sort of Cancer. They found a tumor in his pit - it was the same situation as a professional pitcher??..(sorry dad if this is wrong.) Surgery after surgery and things only got worse. He had a skin graft off his thigh to cover the lack of skin on his arm. He needed Radiation and Chemo. The radiation left an "iron-like" print on his chest. Ok, so this sounds strange but this is when we began to get really close. Dad and I sort-of bonded over his medical happenings. I would go with him to his radiation appts. He showed me the room, and how thick the walls were. He introduced me to all the staff (if you know my dad...anyone he meets he has to introduce to you..the best manners ever. ) so that I would be comfortable. I even tried to sell them magazine subscriptions for a school contest. He didn't keep secrets from me. Well, it was also hard for him too, because i inquired about everything. So he would tell me what things did, and how they were supposed to work. He used the big words around me and was very serious about everything. All we knew, there was a plan. There was a plan to make things better and there were things that were supposed to do so. The radiation and chemo kept him home on the couch 4-5 days out of the week, every other week. He could no longer play tennis, or throw ball and had no energy. We would go on walks when he was feeling better. (my mom I swear is why his is back to his normal self bless her - Ya I know the Lord is why but just an Idea of how amazing she is :) ) I always remember trying to walk so fast because his strides were so long. My three to his one! ha. Those were good moments. He would get better and then we would find the cancer was back. Since radiation was no longer an option and surgery out as well - they decided to try the chemo pill. Around here my memory is a bit foggy. I think when he was almost better was when I was going through my trying years in High School after my car accident. I was constantly butting heads with my mom. We could not mesh what so ever - all on my stupid part. I had a three and a half year court case and could no longer play tennis (for you sports fans - i was in my junior year about to beat our number one Singles for Varsity - I was number two but could not make it to practice cause my doctor appts for everything you could think of...) or soccer (again - I was the only left mid for soccer - Varsity. just getting in with the popular girls...). So I was very unhappy at this time and dealing with legal issues. (ps - it wasn't my fault - my insurance sued me cause they knew they were going to have to pay a lot of medical). (This is soo bazar but I am just realizing why my dad and I were communicating so well at that time...He could no longer do things that was caused by something not of his own doing! All the medical talk must be the connection to our legal talk! Ok, this is crazy - God totally wanted me to see this. He was being more than just a good dad - he had been there and all I was thinking of at the time was myself.) Dad is Cancer Free - in remission, he did the Survivor walk in 2008, although things were better before then! Praise the Lord!
Something Dad got out off all his crud was a much more gentle spirit. He is gentle and sweet. He is also much more dedicated to spending time with friends and family and not so work dedicated. Being in the school system and a city councilmen he was wrapped in a lot of un-necessary and un-correct drama. We would also talk about this often as I was just out of HS. He was beat - and it wasn't healthy for him. I hated it. I grew to dislike small-town condescending snobby lynden.
Just after High School - my best friend in the whole world - Nanny, Dads mother got very ill. During her last days all of us were in the hospital with her. She was supposedly not responding, not aware - basically a vegetable. A few weeks before I had mentioned about Chris - this guy I met who was super cute! Chris came to the hospital to take me away for a half hour for coffee. Before we left I had time alone with her. I told her many things but one was that "I think Im going to marry this guy, Chris!" I was holding her hand and she squeezed it to all her strength and smiled. I couldn't believe it! She was only responding to me so I was aware of. The night before she passed, Dad and I had the shift. We were both at the hospital, watching TV, laughing and sharing memories. I can't remember if Nanny asked or grunted for water when we were there but I remember feeding her a lot of water! She was so thirsty! She woke up for a bit and was aware. This is when she told me back that she loved me. I think im getting this right. Dad was there to see this and oh, what a sweet moment.
A few nights before my wedding day, Dad and I watched "Father of the Bride." This could not have been more precious. Dad cried and I cried. During rehearsal he was cracking jokes. When in public places, Dad would often threaten me with "happy feet". This is a public embarrassment to a child, although it always made me laugh. I would always say NO! Dad, STOP! During rehearsal he asked if he could do "happy feet" on my wedding day, I think I actually told him to do it, he didn't but it was precious on rehearsal! Oh and my Papa! Does he look dapper in a tux?! He walked me down the isle to "Sunrise Sunset" - to many at the wedding - I think they were expecting a million other songs. This is our song. Dad would play this on piano and I would sing. It was perfect for Him giving me away. When he hugged me and kissed me to give me away, oh he was sooo gentle like I was porcelain. So tender. My Brother Caleb gets that wonderful trait from him. After Chris and I married - I would go take him from his office and we would have coffee or lunch. We would have movie dates and the four of us would watch American Idol (a bonding pastime of chris and dad.) He has been nothing but supportive and happy for me and my Husband and our new life. He also lets me know how much he misses me and will always want me home. This is my papa. This is us revealed.
So Three Hip Hip Hoorays!!! As we do in our family! I love you Papa, to the ends of the earth and back again. Miss being with you this day...
Your number two gal :)
