happy birthday, poppala.

Since he is my most faithful reader, I cannot help but post a birthday blog wish to the best dad ever. 

I am exceedingly grateful to call this man my father and can't imagine life without him. He doesn't take life (or himself) too seriously, has amazing musical talent (which I clearly inherited - ha), and has an endless supply of classic dad jokes. He is always trying to make me laugh and was always up for fun growing up (tickle monster, amusement parks, music videos at six flags, countless games of scattergories/bananagrams/catch phrase).

I love his child-like spirit and love seeing him be silly as a Paw-Paw now to his grandbabies. They adore him and I can't help thinking back to my childhood when I see him engaging with Hay and Mere in such a sweet way. It is such a blessing to witness.

 

I will never forget him waking up in the morning to see me off to school, always ready with my toasted bagel EXTRA cream cheese and a smile on his face. He always sent me off with a "Jesus bless your day." And then, when I broke my wrists, he was right there again, serving me as the hands and feet of Christ. He was constantly checking on me, bringing me countless drinks, snacks, and driving me to all my PT appointments.

But beyond all that, I treasure his faith in Christ and his desire to daily live out the gospel in a tangible way. What a gift to have a father who desires to please our Heavenly Father.

So Happy, Happy Birthday, to my dear 'ole Dad. You are a husband, father, Paw-Paw, brother, uncle, son, and friend. But most importantly, you are a co-heir of the Kingdom of Christ, a son of the Almighty, created in God's image...and for that above all, we celebrate your life.