The first man in my life...

I can remember racing to the phone, answering and asking who was on the other end when I knew exactly who it was at the first word. "Yogi Bear," he would reply, followed by "Hey Hey BooBoo!" Every once in a while, he might add a "Don't forget the pic-a-nic basket" line. It was my dad, the one and only.
My dad wears socks with his houseshoes, the kind that pull up over the calf. You'll never catch him without shoes on. I have never known him to wear any other jeans other than his trusty Levis. He may replace them, but it's always the same exact style.
I always thought my dad was the coolest because he could do flips off the diving board...even if he did wear cutoff jean shorts as his swimsuit.
I honestly cannot think of a time in all my many years of playing sport after sport, season after season, that my dad was not there - He was my number one fan. After every game, I always went straight to my dad for his take on my performance. His opinion mattered most, even if it was a little tough sometimes.
My dad carried the same black lunchbox to work until sometime after I left home. I'm pretty sure it had duct tape keeping it together at the end of its life. He is a creature of habit.
He's the one who examines each and every plaque at the battlefields in Mississippi or the lighthouses in Florida. He once got pooped on by a bird at Johnson Space Center. He rode with me on my very first roller coaster at Disney World. (Actually, he was behind me as we found out once we got to the top. AHHH!)
I can hear my dad singing "The Beverly Hillbillies" theme song, waving his hands in the air. Man, that would embarrass me. I blame Kelli for that.

There is so much more about my dad that I'll keep for me: the times he's been there for me without ever questioning the circumstance, the times that it only took a hug to make me feel better, the times that all I wanted to do was go home. Each day, I appreciate him more and more.

I wish I could take back all the nights he worried about me or all the guys I dated while he just bit his tongue. I wish I knew then what I know now. Having just celebrated my dad's 28th father's day, he's just as amazing as he was 28 years ago.

As I now watch my husband with my girls, I see the same look in his eyes, the same joy on his face, the same emotion fill his heart as my dad has. I can't help but smile as I know how many memories they will make as the years go by. I thank God for blessing my girls with a dad as great as mine.