Happy 77th Birthday, Dad!!!

It is my Dad's 77th birthday. Just thought that I would post a few pics that really represent him. The first photo is Dad laughing. That is the first thing that I think of with my dad. He loves to laugh and make people laugh. It doesn't matter where we are, he will usually crack a joke. He loves talking to anyone and will talk to complete strangers and make friends with them. Thanks, Dad for keeping us smiling.

Dad and Mom have been married for 52 years now. This is a great picture of them taken for a church directory just a few years back. Which brings to mind their faithfulness to each other, community, and the Lord. So thankful I grew up in a Christian home.
I grew up on a farm and have such great memories. We worked hard. I think this is why I am still a morning person. I remember driving to the fields with dad to drive the tractor for the day and the sun would just be coming up. I remember afternoons when I was feeling the sleepy's coming on and I would see a pick up coming down the turn rows and think, "Yea!!! Dad is coming to help wake me up!!!" We would go to the co-op and have a Dr. Pepper and candy bar and visit with the farmers that were hanging around. Then, we would get back on the tractor and drive 'til sundown. I messed a few things up in those days of helping out on the farm, but Dad always gave me grace.....I don't remember him chewing me out for the mess up or for taking up half the day to repair my mistake. Thanks for teaching me that mistakes are part of life and that you can make any job FUN!!!
Dad loves history. Just ask him a question and he could probably talk about it for a while. This picture was taken at the airport when they brought in B-17s. We could crawl through them and see from the young soldiers' viewpoints. Dad loves stuff like that. You can also see through so many of these pictures that Dad is a Red Raider. He loves Tech and had such a great time there. From his stories, I think that he got involved in as many things as he could. He was a Saddle Tramp, sang in the Tech Choir, was a wing dick, and lots more. It is fun to hear his stories and memories. He still has so many friends from those days. Thanks, Dad, for giving me the love of history, the value of friendships and for being such a great story teller
This last pic was taken at the War Memorial at Thanksgiving. Dad has a brick with his name and years of service there. It was a fun day of eating, laughing, telling stories, taking pics, and of course, more eating. Family.
Happy 77th Birthday, Dad. Thanks for being YOU!!!!