Dear Dad,
You just turned 50 and that is a huge milestone. I know you don't like to feel old and are trying to downplay that you have been walking around on this earth for half a century! I wanted to show just how much I appreciate all that you have sacrificed for me and taught me. So here it goes...
1. I love that you have made time for family dinners.
2. How you showcase a good marriage for us kids to aspire to.
3. Helping me with my startup businesses.
4. Each gift that you pick out has a lot of thought behind it.
5. Your advice has helped me through many difficult situations.
6. Making a special homemade ice cream on our birthday every year.
7. Allowing us to pursue our passions, whatever they might be.
8. Making a ton of popcorn every night as well as being able to recite the history of each type of kernel in the approximately 200 pounds of popcorn in our basement.
9. Mentoring a small group of newly married couples at our house.
10. Taking me to the barn to go horse riding every week when I was little despite being allergic to hay.
11. Paying for my horse riding lessons for all these years.
12. Your amazing sense of humor.
13. Taking me out to breakfast on my birthday every year.
14. Letting us get cats!
15. And a hamster...
16. And a ton of fish...
17. And taking care of the pets when we forgot (almost all of the time).
18. Letting us plan parties for our friends.
19. Getting cotton candy machines as well as nacho machines, snow cones and slushies.
20. Being brave enough to eat a grasshopper in front of out whole church, and then giving the prize you won to a stranger.
21. Empowering us to success in all the many activities we participate in.
22. Driving up to visit my college for parents weekend.
23. Teaching me to drive and being patient when I was learning.
24. Letting me ride around on your back for a long time when I was little.
25. Helping me cram and finish a project into the wee hours of the morning.
26. Calling your dad every day and keeping in touch with his life.
27. Driving us out to the lake house to have a week with the grandparents.
28. Sacrificing your happiness for the benefit of the family.
29. Introducing "team Garnache" to get our family to support one another.
30. Your incredibly strong work ethic.
31. How you care about you employees and will do anything to bless them.
32. Your extreme generosity.
33. Helping me prepare for my pageant and coming to support me.
34. Taking the time to tell us so many amazing stories of your childhood.
35. Your Faith and involvement in the church.
36. Showing your love for mom all the time.
37. Having such a servants heart.
38. Planning a business trip to Los Angeles so I didn't have to fly alone.
39. Writing me cards at school.
40. Sending my favorite things in care packages!
41. Taking us to visit our Grandparents at least once every year.
42. Showing us how cool old classic movies and TV shows were.
43. Singing along to "Don't Stop Believing" at the top of our lungs on the drive home from college.
44. Skyping me while I am away at college, and showing me the cats.
45. Helping me with all my prom posters, pictures, buttons, tri-folds, signs and everything else that you have printed for me.
46. Taking us on historical vacations.
47. Buying me postcards when you travel for work.
48. How much you love and care for my siblings and I without saying a word,
49. Letting us have a robotics team in the bottom of the basement.
50. Spending time investing in us as well as our future.
