Happy Birthday Daddy!

I love my father as the stars - 

he's a bright shining example 

and a happy twinkling in my heart.

- Terri Guillemets

Happy Birthday to the most amazing man I have ever known! Your dedication and passion in life for all that you do and the kindness and love you always show to those around you have made me into the person I am today. I can only hope to follow in your footsteps as I go down this path of my life. 

Happy Birthday to the man who has always stood behind me in all the tough (and easy) decisions I've ever made in my life. Thank you for never doubting me or second guessing me - but for always being a sounding board and a gentle hand of guidance in the right direction when I wasn't so sure I was going the right way.  

Happy Birthday to the man who has taught me to love and be proud of the country in which I was born and raised. Your years of service in the Air Force as well as the years you've worked in the NICU have shown me what true dedication and service looks like. I am proud of many things in my life, but there are not many things I'm more proud of than being your daughter.

Happy Birthday to a man with a sense of humor I totally get and probably take after (along with mom's as well, that's for sure!). Thanks for teaching me it's (almost) always okay to randomly stick your arm into holes in hundreds of years old ruins. Especially when there's a silly picture to be taken.

Happy Birthday to a man with a sense of adventure - even though it's taken us a while, I cannot wait to go on many, many more fun and exciting trips with you and mom! I am so glad that I studied abroad in Italy (and that you and mom let me!) for so many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is that it got you and mom bit by the travel bug! I cannot imagine our lives without our recent adventures/vacations! From North Carolina to Rome to Paris to Budapest to Prague to Poland to Vienna - we've been a lot of places in this world so far! The world is our open book - where to next? 

Happy Birthday to the #1 man in my life since the day I was born. You've never left my side and have loved me and helped me through every scraped knee, ear infection, broken heart, rejection letter, rejection anything-else, disappointment, and let-down. And thank you for always being there to rejoice and cheer me on through every fencing win, soccer/t-ball/softball game, academic success, silly role in a play, endless (and seemingly pointless) field hockey games, and every other bit of happy that has ever filled my life. I am so blessed to have you as my father. And even better, I'm so blessed to have had you and mom there to love and raise me every day of my life.

Happy Birthday Daddy! Here's to many, many more together! 

He didn't tell me how to live;

he lived, and he let me watch him do it.

- Clarence Budington Kelland