Bon Anniversaire!

Happy Birthday, Dad! Thank you for being such a great Beepa to my kids and my nieces and nephews. I love how well they know you because you are so persistent and consistent in coming to visit us. I'm eating some ice cream right now to celebrate for you. Words just cannot express how much I love you and admire you and look up to you. You rock. We love you!

I remember when you used to go swim at the YMCA all the time and one time I was so excited to go with you and we were driving from our Pony Drive house towards Goldsboro. I had my towel and swim suit. We were on curvy Blue Hole Road in the Audi. All of a sudden I looked down at my arm and realized that I couldn't swim. I had a cast on. I think we went anyway but I just watched.

I remember you came home from Desert Storm and your mustache was so blond. I assume it was because of the intense sun in the Middle East. I thought you were so handsome and young. Even though you have no mustache right now, I think you are handsome and young. I LOVE introducing you to my friends because you're that dad that every kid is so proud of.

I remember you grinding tree stumps down to nothing in the Ashby Hills house because one time when mom was gone, we were all playing hide and seek. I was backing away from you while you were counting. I wasn't looking where I was going and when I finally did turn around, I tripped over a tree stump and cut a big gash in my shin. I thought you were so nice because you got rid of them so quickly.

I remember you would lick the drips off my ice cream cone when we would drive through McDonald's so that nothing would drip on me.

I remember we were driving to a softball game on a dirt road in Nahunta, North Carolina and you told me to put my seat belt on. Then something happened - I don't know if we drove off the road or if a tire blew. But I remember walking with you and sobbing because I thought we almost died.

I remember when you would drive the Audi on the freeway and you showed me a trick. You would take the key out of the ignition and unlock the glove box while the car was still coasting.