Happy Birthday

Well, tomorrow is my Dad's birthday. He will be 67. It's a relief to say that. This as you know has been the hardest year I have ever seen him go through. There have been some hard years. Like when his Dad died. He went into such a funk for a long time over that. But who wouldn't?

This year has also seen some wonderful times. I know that's hard to believe but I try to see the good in almost everything. This year our church really has pulled together and made it easy for us to love them and feel loved. It has brought Dad and Mom some faithful and caring friends that proved themselves. I believe it brought my family closer too in many ways.

Dad, Allie and I got to go to Washington D.C. for a trip we will never forget. We just found out about his cancer and had not really coped with it and he had not started his treatments. We didn't even know what the rest of the year would bring, but we definitely made the most of that trip. Even though Dad and I didn't really talk about anything in particular or get too serious, it was a trip we had always wanted to take. Now he is talking about going back when Timm goes. Wouldn't that be great? Timm, Mike and Dad in D.C.. Timm is looking forward to that.

All my life, I have been Daddy's little girl. In fact, one of our exchange students said that we were "Xerox copies". We are so much alike in so many ways. My attitude is like his, my outlook on people and life are like his, and my sense of humor is like his. I am proud to be his daughter.

He has shown me what a father should be like and that has helped me all my life imagine what God, as a father, is like too. I think he has made it easy for me to accept that God is my father and that he loves me, all because Dad loves me. I love him too, and hope that he has many more birthdays to come!