Sunday, October 16, 2011

Sunset

Fountain in the Orlando airport.

Greetings from Orlando!  My flight landed around 1, so I went and got my bags, did the rental car paperwork and now I am just waiting on Mandy.  Her flight should land in about 40 minutes and then we will head to Cocoa Beach! 

I already saw a palm tree and felt how warm it is when I walked by the doors.  I am concerned that I didn't bring enough shorts.  But I brought 2 swimsuits, and that is all I really need to sit on the beach.

Monday, August 15, 2011

I am already his favorite aunt, he told me so.

I'm an aunt!

Elijah John, born at 6:15pm on August 15th.  7 pounds, 1 ounce, 20 inches long.  Congratulations to Amy (Chad's sister) and Erik!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Pictures of Dad

Dad likes cats.















Dad fixes cars.


Dad takes cheesy pictures with KT.

Dad wears cool hats.  

Happy Father's Day

My dad is the best.  I don't know what he was like 30 years ago, but I am assuming it is a lot like he is now, which is: dry, sarcastic, and a general disliker of children.  So I have no idea how mom convinced him to have a kid.  She must have tricked him.

However it happened, they ended up with Mandy, the perfect child.  So he must have thought, "Wow, kids aren't as bad as I thought they were!" And then they had me.  (It's no coincidence that I am the last child produced).

I won't go into detail, because this is a family blog, and it makes me look cranky when I say that I don't like kids - let's just say, I am not a fan of most children, and I get that from my father.  Knowing how he feels about kids makes me very grateful for how he acted as my dad - It had to be way harder for him than for a guy who loves kids, but he did a fantastic job.  And trust me, I did not make it easy.

He took me shopping at "Daddy Stores" (apparently some people call them "Hardware Stores") and let me talk to him the entire time.  He bought me peanut M&M's sometimes on those trips, and only made me give him 3 of them.  H e let us have birthday parties with dozens of screaming, obnoxious children at our house and I never once heard him complain.

He walked us down to the bus stop every morning when we were little, even though he was still tired from working the night shift.  He built us a tree-less tree house, made us a building to wait for the bus in and fixed countless things I broke.  And I broke a lot of stuff.  Heck, he still fixes my stuff all the time!

He taught me how to shoot a gun, how to drive a car, tractor and lawn mower (not in that order).  He taught me to bake cookies, make an awesome grilled cheese sandwich and took me out for ice cream.  He spent an unbelievable amount of money on my doctor's appointments and medications.  He threatened bodily harm to every boy who ever even glanced my way.  Everyone in school knew you didn't mess with Katie's dad.  That guy never talked and always stood with his arms crossed and a frown on his face.  It's awesome having a dad that people are scared of, when you know that he is just a big faker.

He bought me my VW Beetle, even though it probably wasn't his first choice.  And he harassed the salesman so much got such a good deal on it, that he was banned from ever coming to that dealership again.  He changed my oil a million times and drove all the way to Branson to fix my electric window when it was stuck down.   He didn't kill me when I flipped my first car driving on a freshly graveled road.

I always knew I would go to college, because he made it clear that it wasn't optional.  When I got into a college that was practically free, he made sure I knew I could still go wherever I wanted.  He paid for 2 weddings in one year (just to clarify here, one was mine and one was my sister's.  I don't want people thinking I got married twice in one year), and I never once heard a word about cost.

My dad has the most self-control of anyone I have ever met.  I wish I had inherited that trait.  He is dependable, consistent, and funny.  He likes John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and 60 Minutes.  He will laugh every single time he sees "Turner & Hooch," and that stupid squirrel on "Christmas Vacation."  He only gives good advice, knows something about everything and can explain things so I don't feel stupid for not knowing in the first place.

When you are a kid, you just see your parents as "Mom and Dad," without realizing they are actually people.  But when you grow up, you start to see them as actual people and realize all the sacrifices they made for you. So thanks dad (and mom), for all the things you did for me.  I know people always say they have the best mom and the best dad, but come on - only 2 people can truthfully say that, and I'm one of them.  Mandy, feel free to chime in.