happy fathers day, daddy!

In keeping with tradition, I want to honor my dad and his 30 years of being mine and Ryan’s father.  So, here are 30 reasons why I am still proud to be a “daddy’s girl”…

• He has the best sense of humor!  I can just look at him and crack up because I know what he is thinking.
• When I call him and ask him what he is doing, he always says: “I’m just waiting to hear from you!”
• He has been a faithful husband to my mom for over 30 years.
• He showed up to every event that me and Ryan were involved in growing up.
• He played Junior Monopoly with me every single night for about a year when I was little.
• He still plays games with me and Joe for hours on end when we are together.
• He let me and Ryan sleep on the couch every Friday night and brought us Shipley Donuts every Saturday morning while we watched cartoons.
• He made it easier to believe that God is a strong, safe, loving, gracious, and protective Father.
• He lovingly, albeit intentionally, tried to embarrass me throughout my life so that I would learn to not take myself too seriously.
• He prayed and asked God every day to give me and Joe a child.

• He has one of the best personalities of anyone I know.  People love being around him!
• He was raised in Queens, New York- but he still treats every person he meets with respect and kindness.
• He is such an affectionate dad and Papa.
• He took me on “Daddy-Daughter” dates to the zoo when I was little.
• He took me on a “Daddy-Daughter” date two days before he walked me down the aisle.
• God mercifully saved him in his thirties and he has walked with Jesus ever since.
• He never had an earthly father of his own to teach him how to love me and Ryan…but with the Lord’s help, he did an incredible job.
• He didn’t see his parenting role as something that came to an end when Ryan and I went off to college.  He remains one of our closest friends and supporters.
• He set the standard really high for how I expected to be treated by my future husband.
• He worked very hard to support our family and I never once heard him complain.

• He treats mine and Ryan’s friends wonderfully.  He takes such an interest in the things and people that we care about, and in doing so, he cares about them as well.
• He loves Joe and Melinda and supports them as though they were his own children.
• He is smitten over his grandsons.
• He is a deacon at Sagemont Church and has faithfully served the body of Christ for over 30 years.
• He will talk sports, politics, and theology with Joe and he’ll talk baby clothes, furniture, and nursery with me.
• I always feel safe and taken care of when I am with him.  He doesn’t care that I am 27,  he will always make sure that I am okay.
• Our family never doubts how important we are to him.  He has always put our needs before his.
• He walks for miles every morning and prays for our family.
• He still takes my mom on dates.
• He makes it feel impossible to end this list…

Daddy, I love you.  Happy Fathers Day!

Thank you for being faithful to the Lord and to our family for so many years.  Not everyone can say the kinds of things about their father that I have said about you, so for that I am deeply humbled and thankful for the gift of grace that you are to me.  I don’t take it lightly that God gave me such an incredible man to be my dad.

I can’t wait for my son to meet you.  I hope he grows up to be a man who loves and fears the Lord like you do.  Thank you for praying and asking God to give Joe and I a child.  You have loved us so well.

We are so glad you are here in Minneapolis to celebrate with you,

Jen