Happy Father's Day Daddy!

I really enjoy being overseas, but it's holidays and special occasions that make me miss being closer to extended family.  This Father's Day is no exception.  Happy Father's Day Daddy!  Here are a few things that I am thankful for on THIS special day:

1.  Your 22 1/2 years of dedicated military service!  If I've never told you before I admire you!  Honestly I do!  I have always considered it a blessing to grow up in different locations around the world!  I mean how many people can say they went to school in Germany, learned German in K-2 grade and practiced bomb drills in elementary school during the Cold War?  

2.  Teaching  me that it was NOT acceptable for boys to honk their horns in our driveway in order for us to come out and meet them.  I know they were afraid of you, but it did force them to respect us by requiring them to walk to the door and be 'man' enough to knock on our door.

3. Always being open and willing to talk to me about the circumstances surrounding my birth.  It has always been an open discussion and has allowed me to not feel guilt or shame.

4. I remember your flood light that illuminated up to 1 mile!  I also remember that time you thought some boy was sneaking around in the backyard and you pulled that flood light out to check out the scene.  Thank goodness there were no boys back there - whew 6 daughters - I am sure you had to do what you did!

5. Though I still don't take NyQuil as an adult, I still remember having to take it whenever you would hear me cough or sneeze......even if I was on another floor of the house.  Why was it always the green kind too?  I think I still have reservations about taking liquid medicine because of  the nauseating smell of green NyQuil.  I also remember having to drink a glass of milk to 'mask' the taste of it. GROSS!  Though I hated it; I don't remember ever being sick enough to miss any school.

6.  Teaching all 6 of us that doing something to the best of our ability was the only acceptable way.  Doing enough to get by was not accepted.  I remember one semester I dropped from a 98% to 95% in Spanish and you looked at my report card and said, "What happened in Spanish?"  I thought to myself that it was still an A, but at the same time I knew that I could have done better. 

Thank you for these life lessons!  I love you....... I wanted to wish you a VERY HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!   

I love you Daddy!