Today is my dad's birthday! The kids and I drove to Trinity to be with him on his special day. He would just kill me if I told you how old he is, but I will tell you that he is 27+30+10-7. I keep telling him that he is so young and that he'll probably be around to help me celebrate the year that I turn however old he is turning this year.

I have a great dad and I'm thankful for everything about him. He has showed us by example what it means to sacrifice for you family. There was a time in high school when my dad lost his job. I think I was too self-absorbed and selfish to truly see all that he did for us at the time, but looking back I realized that life went on in our house for us kids. I never remember being told I couldn't do something b/c dad lost his job. I never remember bills not being paid. I never remember life stopping. I do remember my dad picking himself up and working jobs that not even high school boys want to work. He stooped down low in his “man hood” to take care of his family.

I have a dad that has showed us what it means to accept the grace of Jesus Christ. I have a dad that has cried to his family members. He is not a man without emotion. He has showed me what it means to truly repent and live fully in the grace of Jesus. He has shown me what it means to work hard. He was my first Valentine.

My dad first introduced us to running. He was always running when we were growing up and he eventually got us all involved in the track club that we competed on while in middle school and some of high school. One vivid memory of my dad was at one of my track practices where he made me get back out there and keep going. It was during the summer and I'm sure we were training for district, regionals or maybe even nationals and it was an awful practice. They worked our butts off and I was outside the fence throwing up and begging my dad to take me home. You see the deal was you had to get your 600 under a certain time or you had to do it again. This workout will kill you if you don't hit that time in the first 2 or 3 runs. By 600 #5 you are thinking you might die. There I was outside the gate up-chucking and begging my dad to take me home. He refused. Oh how I hated him at that moment. But that taught me lots about getting through stuff and keeping with what you need to do.

Dad you are the greatest! I love you more today than ever. You are a great Pops to all my kids and a great father in law to Aaron. Our lives are all richer because of your presence in them!

I love you Dad.