I have the BEST dad!

This morning on Kase101 they were talking about a dad that built his daughter a roller coaster in their backyard and another dad who built his son a racecar so they had asked people to call in to share great dad stories either about their dad or something great they've done as a dad.  As I was listening, I started thinking about all of the great things my dad did for my sisters and me as kids and decided to write a little tribute to him to say thank you for being such a GREAT DAD!

Love you, Dad!!

One of the coolest things I remember doing with my dad is when he built us the best snow fort on the block!  It was so awesome!  That year we had a ton of snow - if I remember right, the snowbanks were taller than we were! He dug us a fort in the front yard complete with a roof, a door and a secret tunnel entrance in the back.  I remember we'd play in the fort for hours (or at least at that age (I'm thinking early elementary...I can't remember exactly) it seemed like hours.)  It was completely enclosed so it was actually pretty warm inside.  We'd play house with our friends and bring snacks into the fort for "meal times"!  It was so fun - all of the neighbors loved it too!   That is until somebody's dog found his/her way in and decided to use our lovely fort as a restroom...it smelt so bad that we couldn't play in it any more. :( But until its tragic, smelly end we loved that fort!  (I wish I had a picture to share!)

Another fun thing my dad did for us as kids was buy us a go-cart!  It was a little blue, two-seater go-cart with a small motor on the back.  Safety was obviously a huge concern of his [side note: despite that it had no seat belts which got me in trouble once when I took a sharp turn and threw Holly out...oops!] so he rigged up a safety "flag" on the back.  Our safety "flag" was made of a long pole...probably 6 feet tall...and most likely made of PVC or something of that sort which he then wrapped a bright orange safety vest around the top of the pole that acted like the "flag."  We were mortified!!!  It was so embarrassing, but the only way we could ride the go-cart is with that stupid safety "flag" on the back....so we did.   We had a blast on that thing too...we'd cruise up and down the cul-de-sac like we owned the place (little orange "flag" and all)!  I probably looked like a giant dork because my legs were a little too long so I had to ride with my knees practically next to my ears, but I didn't care...that thing got me places!   Oh...and I have to explain the motor...so the motor was just an open motor that sat on the back right behind the driver's seat- it was kind of like a lawn mower motor....it actually could have been for all I know.  Anyway, to start the go-cart we had to pull a cable in the back just like on an old lawn mower and then we always smelled like gas when we were done riding it - still we didn't care, it was fun!  One time I had my hair in a pony tail and as I was headed up the cul-de-sac, I started to smell something burning so I was like "Oh crap, I need to get home before something happens and I get stuck pushing this thing up the rest of the hill."  But, as it turned out, the go-cart wasn't on fire...my HAIR WAS!!  Apparently, my pony tail was hanging into the motor which started singeing my hair which was causing the lovely burning smell.   Luckily, nothing really happened other than my hair getting a little shorter, but you can believe I never let my hair hang in the motor again!  Aawwweee...the memories...we had a lot of fun times on that go-cart.  I wonder what ever happened to it...

Ok - and now for my favorite thing that my dad did for us as kids which I am so grateful for now as an adult.  My dad, the great man and father he is, taught us so much growing up.  Whenever something would go wrong or needed fixing, he'd always say "Hey, girls, come here for a sec.  I need to show you something."...and he'd show us how to fix or deal with whatever was going on.  For example, when the pilot light on the water heater went out, he'd call us down to the basement and (with all of us on our hands and knees) he'd explain the problem, what to look for, how to fix it and what to do if it wouldn't light again.  The whole nine yards.  He did this with so many things - changing the oil in our cars, balancing our checkbooks, what to do when the car was sliding on ice, fixing the sliding glass doors or closet doors when they came off the hinges, changing a flat tire, everything from simple things to more complex things...he was always teaching us.  And even though I was annoyed sometimes as a kid because I'd get pulled away from whatever "fun thing" I was doing, now as an adult, I am so thankful for those lessons.  I truly believe he has taught me to be a self-sufficient independent woman in any situation that I may encounter.  To this day I feel like if something around the house breaks or needs changed (i.e. switching digital thermostats, installing light fixtures, adjusting the temperature settings on the water heater, installing a garbage disposal, etc.) that I can tackle it.  I may not know exactly what I'm doing, but that doesn't stop me from trying to learn and at least attempting the fix.  I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't shy away from little "projects"...I tackle them head on and I am so grateful that I have that inner confidence to feel like I can do it!  So....thank you, dad, for always taking the time to teach us!    

I love you, dad! Thank you for being such a great father and example in my life!  Thank you for all of the fun memories as kids and for helping me become the woman I am today!!  In closing, I wanted to share a few pictures of my dad!!   

I LOVE YOU, DAD!!!