1. His love for Hairbo gummy bears, beef jerky, German food, Greek food and my cheddar garlic biscuits.
2. His love for performance wear. Patagonia, North Face, Columbia...you name it. He's hooked.
3. His love of anything that makes you warmer, drier, faster, lighter on the trail or cooler. See #2.
4. His love for adventure. Yes, we can climb that, hike that, race that, do that!
5. His willingness to break the rules. Who says you can't go behind that rope, fence, barrier, don't cross sign? One of his favorite sayings is "Hide and watch me!"
6. He never missed a sports event, choir concert, band concert of mine while I was growing up. He was ALWAYS there for me.
7. His love and care for my adopted sisters as if they were his own. He has never once differentiated between his biological and adopted kids.
8. His love of military history. What's that? You wanted the play-by-play of that ancient battle? No prob.
9. The way he makes EVERYTHING a game. "Who can guess exaclty what time the clock will say when we pull into the driveway? Who thinks I can "coast" the car from the hill to home? Who wants to race Daddy? I bet you can't climb that rope in under ten seconds, can you?"
10. The way he makes grits, eggs and hot chocolate. Breakfast is his specialty.
11. He absolutely can NOT resist a bargain. "But it was on sale!"
12. He is constantly asking me if I am warm enough, full enough, comfortable enough and can he bring me anything while he's up.
13. He buys me a new knife/handy tool/screwdriver and flashlight every year, just so I will be prepared and ready for anything.
14. His ability to fix anything! If it's broken, he can fix it. Cars, houses, wells, dishwashers etc. His tool collection is unbelievable.
15. He can build a fire anywhere, anytime, with anything rain or shine.
16. His ever-changing hobbies. The man has a new interest with every changing season. Reading, flyfishing, rafting, camping, hunting, telescopes, motorcycles, books, bikes, marathons. He is always cultivating a new passion.
17. His love for space and the space program, which he passed on to me. He is forever quoting NASA's moto: "Failure is not an option."
18. His stories of growing up and all the times at his grandparent's farm in Sand Mountain, Alabama
19. The fact that his job let us live in Germany and that he graduated from high school in Germany.
20. At Heidelburg High School he was the All-European champion in both wrestling and pole vaulting.
21. He has always supported anything I've ever wanted to do.
22. He can build a mean snow fort or box fort, tunnels and all.
23. He taught me the difference between a "need" and a "want"
24 He taughte me shoot a gun and bow-n-arrow right along with the boys.
25. He has coached me and every sports team I've ever been on including soccer, softball, and tennis.
26. He has a deep love for Keith Green
27. He has never packed more than a carry-on bag for any trip EVER
28. He never brags
29. He has a beautiful singing voice, plays guitar wonderfully, is ALWAYS singing and he leaves me song-messages on my cell phone and changes all the lyrics to be about me.
30. He has yet to miss a day of work for any reason in 26 years
31. His passion for his kids education.
32. His favorite store is Sam's Club. He's obssessed. See # 11.
33.The way he always kissed my mom in the kitchen every night when he came home from work.
34. How handsome he looks in uniform.
35. Everytime I call, he never answers "Hello?" he just starts singing "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone"
36. He gave me both of my nicknames, "Sunshine" & "Doodles" and still refers to me by them in regular everyday conversation.
37. I'm pretty sure there isn't anything he is afraid of
38. The way he gets teary-eyed at the memory montage in "Father of the Bride"
39. He calls me everytime he hears a tear-jerker of a country song to make sure I've heard it, and so I know he's thinking about me.
40. His unwavering committment to his kids and his family.
41. If I give him a t-shirt, he will wear it until it has holes in it.
42. He loves epic stories, "The Endurance" is one of his favorites.
43. At the end of the day, no matter what, he always says "Everything's going to be okay."
44. That he passed on his practical, senisble, generous and frugal nature.
45. His compassion for those less fortunate.
46. I love that one of the things that makes him ridicously angry is for someone to disrespect my mom. He defends her like no-one else. "If Momma ain't happy, then nobody is happy!"
47. That he is currently serving his country in Iraq with the United States Air Force.
48. That he wears wool socks year round.
49. That he loves to remind me how he became a Father on Father's Day when I was born in 1982.
50. He has told me everyday since I was born, that I am the best thing that ever happened to him, that I can be anything I want, that he will support me no matter what, that he loves me and will always love me unconditionally, and that I get more beautiful everyday.
Love you Dad! Happy 50th Birthday!
Yours truly, Amy Doodles
I love this Ames. Your dad is wonderful and you captured it here so beautifully.