I've always been a daddy's girl :)
I look so much like my dad and I have a lot of his personality traits. We're both corky, silly, easily amused, love science, and we're both LOUD people!
As a girl I remember feeling like my dad was my best friend and I still sort of feel that way. It's a wonderful mixture of friendship yet I know he would always protect me and be there for me no matter what.
He always had all these sayings. He would say to me in all seriousness "Hey Hammock, did you know..." and he would pause. I would lean in and say "what, WHAT?" all interested in what he was about to say. Then he would finish with a smile and say "....ice cream has no bones" or "....house boats don't have basements" or "...submarines don't have screen doors-" where in the world did he come up with this stuff?!
He's the type of dad that would hide two fingers on his hand and joking say a shark got them. And I laughed every.single.time!
Some of the very first memories of my dad are when I was about 3-4 years old. I would wake up early in the morning (like 5am) and he would be on the couch watching M.A.S.H. I would tip toe into the room and snuggle up to him and "watch" M.A.S.H. with him. Basically I would quickly fall back asleep and he would carry me back to my bed. I would smile the next day like I got away with something sneaky because I had got out of bed!
My dad's birthday is 3 days before mine so we always celebrated it together. I remember blowing out birthday candles every year with him. (Luke's bday and Marcus' is 2 days apart so I'm excited my son gets to experience sharing bday celerbrations with his dad like I did!)
I am a fish like my dad. I love to swim although I don't get around to it much now with the kiddos. But when I was a kid myself I lived in the water. One time I got it in my head that I wanted to swim late fall- I'm talking late Oct/early Nov. I must have been about 9. My grandma had a pool and somehow I convinced my parents to let me get in a swim. It was freeeeezzzing and my dad joined me. We swam around until our lips were blue and I think I even outlasted him! I thought how silly and crazy we were- and we never got sick!
One time my dad and I were in the car a few years ago. While going down the highway and talking he interrupted and said "wow look at the big groundhog by that sign! Do you see it?" I scanned and scanned the tall grass by the road but couldn't see anything. Once we passed it he said "that was a big groundhog"- I mentioned I had never seen one. He then thought it was very important that I see it and turned around. I remember giggling and feeling blessed that I have a dad who would turn the car around so I could see something for the first time. Turns out it was a big cat! Haha :)
These past few years I've had the privilege of watching my dad become a grandpa. It has meant so much to me that he's still around to be there for my boys and that they get to play with him like I got to. Everytime they end up doing tickle attacks on the floor my memory immediately flies back about 25 years to when that was me as a girl having the best time ever. My second son, Lucas, shares my dad's middle name (Wayne) and it felt so good to honor him in that way and pass his middle name along.
As a girl- I thought my dad was the smartest man on earth. He ALWAYS had an answer to my many never ending "why?"s. Then as an adult I realized that sometimes he made up an answer so I'm still sorting through some false things that are floating around in my brain!
Now I may go weeks without seeing him but occasionally we find ourselves at the end of an hour phone conversation where I felt like we talked about everything and nothing at the same time. And every time I hang up I think "yep- he still feels like my best friend" (and my voice is usually gone because we're both loud people and end up yelling during our conversation even though it's a friendly phone call)
He's my dad and I love him- and he might not truly have all the answers but I am thankful that he's never stopped teaching me neat things and sharing the things he does know.
Mom- I know you're going to make dad read this- so I want to say I love you Daddy and I'm one blessed daughter to have you.
I mean, not every dad would turn the car around so their daughter can see a groundhog :)
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