Dad's 70th Birthday

March 16, is Dad's 70th birthday. I wanted to do something special at the blog to honor this occasion. I decided to put together a collage and when putting it together I decided to use some pictures from the trip that Dad, Aunt Betty, and I took to Paris. You can click on the picture to see it in larger form or you can right click on it to open it in a new window. There were some really nice pictures from that trip and it was an awesome trip. Dad's visit last Summer was a really great. I realize that we got to take some nice trips together and do some things that many fathers and sons don't do. It was so incredible for me to be with him in Scotland, to be able to see where his family comes from and to meet distant cousins was really great. Most of my life I have wanted to go to both of those places and to be able to visit them both with Dad is something that I won't ever forget!

It seems hard to believe that Dad is 70. I know that everyone gets older and all but when I think back to everyone that I have ever known that was over 70, Dad just seems so much more younger and active than that. I think that sometimes we peg a person in our mind at a certain age and no matter how much time goes by they're always that age when we think of them.

There are so many things about Dad that it is hard to figure out where to begin. I know that the Nicole, Heather, and I were blessed to have Dad as our father. There are so many people that don't have fathers or there fathers aren't an active part of there lives. Dad was always there for us growing up, we knew that we could count on him to be there without fail. Dad often said "Lord willing and the creek don't rise" (usually in a joking fashion), but it fits him.

When I think of the things that he has done for his family over the years, I can't help but be impressed. He dropped out of high school to take care of Grandma, Aunt Betty and Uncle Bob. Sure I know a lot of people have done that but it is impressive none the less. Later on he got his GED, which is already something that many people dropping out of high school have never done. So often you would hear Dad talk about the milk route of his with such pride. It was his own business and he was proud of it. Mom helped him study to pass his plumber certification. I know that there are a lot of skilled tradesman that have their certification, but I think that it shows distinction and determination to get that certification in your field. Dad has played the stock market for years. While part of that activity has been related to planning retirement, I know that the market is a hobby of his and he enjoys it (ok maybe not so much when some of his stocks are on the downside).

Happy Birthday, Dad!