I am so grateful for my dad, for so many reasons. I'm grateful how he bonded with us in the early years through sports - teaching all four of us kids (both boys and girls) how to throw a spiral on a football and run a chair pattern, how to use the correct footwork when boxing out on a basketball rebound, and how to watch the ball into the glove when playing catch. I'm grateful for so many memories of his singing songs in the car and in the house - my knowledge of 1980s church music, golden oldies, and classic country is all deeper due to him.
I'm grateful for his enthusiasm in planning family vacations; for how he took us to see the Minnesota Twins (and would sometimes end bedtime with the phrase "no smoking in the Metrodome"); and for how much he loves sitting on the rocks near the Oregon beach and watching the waves crash in. I'm grateful that he has a great sense of humor and an eagerness to try new things.
I'm grateful how he's always been there for me. In the midst of a demanding work life, he was always there for sports games and track meets and music concerts, and not just there but actively involved :). I'm grateful that he was involved in two big moments in my life, officiating at my wedding and swearing me into the bar. He was there for us when Joshua was born, flying out to Salt Lake City to support us, and then helping us drive across the country when we were traveling with two dogs and infant and a trunk full of oxygen canisters.
I'm grateful that he treats my mom with love, kindness, and respect, giving me a good example of what I should look for in a husband.
I'm grateful that he's been a role model to me throughout my life in so many ways - in his career, he has been highly successful as a judge, but always made time to give back to the community in various ways. He has prioritized his faith. He is a person of integrity, he cares very much about the marginalized and outsider, and he has a really amazing combination of strength and tenderness. I'm so grateful for my dad.
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