My Daddio :0)

Hey HEY hey! It's Friday!! Woo hoo!! I hope everyone has had a great week.... I surely have had a pretty dandy one. Definitely ready for the weekend. I am heading to OK for probably my oldest childhood friends wedding this weekend. She and I have sort of lost touch over the college years but I am really happy for her and I'm excited for her to start this new journey and life. Congrats, Amanda! 

I would also be going for Father's Day but my dad is in Colorado riding in the Bicycle Tour of Colorado - around 450 miles over 6 days in the Rocky Mountains. Ummm.... GO DAD!! This is his like... 7th or 8th year to do it... I think. He is the man. Way to go, Dad! GOOD LUCK!! 

Anywho - since I will be really busy chillaxing in OK this weekend... I probably won't be posting on actual Father's Day... So I figured I would do it now.  So here we go..... :)

Dearest Daddio - You mean more to me than I could ever explain or put into words. Thank you for everything. Taking us to the pool and letting us hang all over you and your arms and throwing us all around, taking us camping at Lake Arcadia, taking us on drives, taking me to and from soccer practice and going to my games... taking me to tournaments all over the place and always being on the sidelines, encouraging me to stop crying and not quit soccer and get off the floor when I didn't make the soccer team I wanted to be on and go try out for a different team, for being my coach for softball and basketball and teaching me not throw a ball "like a girl", watching chick flicks with claire and I, creating all your songs and funny dad jokes that will surely and have surely stuck with us forever, for being a go getter and super smart, for being genuine, for being supportive, for being a positive influence, for being an active guy, for being a wonderfully great husband and friend to the best, most sweetest, incredible Carol B, for being artistic, for being so loving and forgiving, for the talks, and for everything else. Thank you so much... you are a truly unbelievable man. I hope everyone is as lucky and blessed as we are for a pops like you. I love you beyond forever, Dad. - Love, the Haley Haley of all Haley Haley Haley Haley's (my nickname) HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

Here are some JHB classics........... :0)

- "Twenty three sixteen coachlight drive, twenty three sixteen coachlight drive, twenty three sixteen coachlight drive"...{this was said on repeat from when we entered our neighborhood until we pulled into the driveway... usually coming home from my grandparents house in Tulsa...}

- "Innnnn and out..... throoooough the door.... Innnnn and out..... throooooough the door." {.... my dad made this up because we would always ask " when will mommy be back?!? when will mommy be back" like a million times a night when we were lil kiddos.... so he came up with this and would say it while knee bouncing us on the blue chair, waiting for mom to come home from her nightly walk... somehow he always knew RIGHT when she would walk through the door.... and when she did we all cheered, haha.}

- "Sprinkler!" {this is a car/roadtrip game my dad came up with while we were driving to and from Lincoln, Nebraska to see my grandparents (My dad would come up with the most random stuff to keep us entertained. It's a true gift, ha ha.) To play "sprinkler" is very much like playing "slugbug" - and if you've ever driven through Kansas.... you can agree with me that there's nothing much out there EXCEPT those giant farming sprinklers.... so this game would entertain us for hours. I still get a little nostalgic when I see one. :0)

- "Soccer! Haley, Soccer!" {this was and is still said to me when I'm with my dad and he sees anything related to soccer.... a soccer ball... a soccer field.... a soccer goal... anything... anywhere.}

- "Nooooooooooo Whining" {my pops is not a fan of whining or baby talk. Ha ha... and he let us know.}

- "Yaaaay! Daddy home!" { he would say this every day when he would walk in the garage door.... <3 .... still says it to this day :) }

- "Daddy go ni ni" { that's how he'd end the day... :) .... still does when we are home, ha ha.... and to my mom when we aren't}

- "Faaaake, faaake" {I haven't heard this from him in a while but he used to always comment while we were watching movies or tv and say that.... ha ha. Which was usually immediately followed by one of us saying... " no comments, dad!!" - ( now I know where my commentary during tv shows comes from... =/ Thanks, dad!)}

- " Did I tell you today that I love you? " {This is one of the things I remember and cherish most about my dad. He is the most lovable man.... always giving "squeezes" and reminding us, not just by words, but by actions that he loves us. He would ask us "Did I tell you today that I love you?" ...everyday that I can remember.... and I would respond with " No....... :)" and he would give a big hug and say, "I love my Haley Haley waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much, can't believe it, can't believe it, can't believe it." It was always kind of funny at the time - and so we would giggle... but it's something that always meant so much to me. 

{Well.... there's a lot more where that came from but those are the main "dadisms" that first come to mind.}

I also want to recognize my Dad's Dad... Grandpa B. Although I don't get to see him much anymore... I know that he is a wonderfully wonderful man... he raised my dad afterall :) Grandpa B has NEVER missed a birthday, Holiday, or Anniversary of anyone of his family members... He sends cards for EVERYTHING. What a stinking inspiration. He is also 93 years old.... wow. 

Grandpa.... I doubt you will read this, but I wanted to say a grateful thanks to you anyways. Thanks for being a great gpa. I loved going to Lincoln when we were kids and running all around you and gma's cool house and yard. I'm sure I was a total mess sometimes... but I always had such a great time. Thanks for taking us around on the red wagon and for treating us for dinner at Valentinos. I remember the one movie you guys had that we would watch down in the basement when we were there... I think it was "Sleepless in Seattle"... always takes me back. I will never forget all the fond memories of your house on Jeffery Drive. I love you dearly and hope to see you soon.  

signing off.... HB.