HB DAD!!

{Derrill and Mindi, Rogers Circle home, 1974}



happy birthday dad!! my dad doesn't read my blog as he can barely turn on the computer and send an email without calling to my mom for help, but i still wanted to pay tribute to one of the greatest men i know.

my dad has always been an awesome example of keeping your cool and working things out. he has tons of patience and wisdom, and many people have come to him over the course of his life to ask for direction and guidance. he has always been a hard worker but then, when it's play time, he is ready to go! and when i say play i mean GOLF, as my dad is a golf fanatic who can be found on the golf course 5-6 times a week (no, that's not a typo. yes, my mother is a saint). many a deal was brokered in between holes or while riding around on a golf cart.


my dad is fun loving and we children have always loved being around him when we get together. the picture i posted on here that i love is the one of him in the back on the "screamin" roller coaster in disneyland--classic derrill. we never plan on visiting disneyland again without dad in tow.

my dad is a bit of an eccentric sometimes.  he used to have a map that showed which lightbulbs in the house had last been changed and the date, and he liked to do things like buy generic and namebrand ice cream and then have us taste them so he could prove that we couldn't tell the difference. (we could.) he also LOVED free food--if there was an open house for a home or grand opening of a business or the radio station was broadcasting from somewhere with free hot dogs and drinks, you could bet that we would show up. he has a few quotes that are famous in our family, like the time he told my sister who was 13 at the time, "now, loni--you've never really liked boys, and they've never really liked you...." . but the greatest legend in my family has to be that my dad loved to make bets with us kids and then totally welsh. like the time he told my brother ryan he would give him 10 dollars if he stood in a freezing creek for 10 minutes, but when ryan came to him after a full 10 minutes in the water, witnessed by the whole family and a few puzzled strangers, my dad said, "i meant up to your neck." he didn't want to pay, but my mom made him.

one of my favorite things about my dad is how much he loves my mom. he has always been so affectionate and loving towards her, which, while growing up, was important for us kids to see. if i had a dime for every time i've heard, "do you kids know how much i love your mother? she is SOOOO snuggly!!" i would be house-payment free and own a timeshare in the bahamas. we kids will always groan and roll our eyes, but we all secretly love it.

so, happy birthday dad and grandpa! have a wonderful day on the golf course--we heart you!