To My Daddy:

You have taught me a lot of things in my 26 years of life.  You have always instilled in me a belief that I could do and be anything I set my mind to.  Thank you for always believing in me and helping me believe in myself.  Here are 26 things I admire about you, for every year you have been my dad.  I admire...

• your commitment to being an honest man
• your love of family
• your humility
• your yogi bear impressions
• your strong testimony of God
• your sheep herding skills
• your willingness to go along with mom's crazy adventures
• your kindness
• your ability to make friends with everyone
• your knowledge of maps
• your endless encouragement
• your compassion to others
• your drive to be a better person
• your love of "beautiful country"
• your patriotism
• your protective father instincts
• your listening skills
• your ability to tap into the spiritual
• your willingness to sacrifice for others
• your motorcycling skills
• your thoughtful texts
• your heart to hearts we had growing up
• your ability to learn so much from the scriptures
• your knack for sleeping in random places
• your goofy side that drives mom crazy
• your calm and rational influence

Daddy, you are the perfect dad for me!  I am so glad I get to be your daughter.  I love you!
Happy Father's Day!

30 years

Happy anniversary to my cute parents! They have been married for 30 years today.  I am so grateful to be born into the lives of these two love birds!  They are way too much fun.

It's Your Day!

 Happy Birthday Daddy!

(At our luncheon the day I married Jeremy)

You have such a big heart and you always make me laugh.  You are just the dad I need in life and I am so blessed to be your daughter.  I love you. Hope your birthday is fabulous on your Caribbean Cruise.  At least I get to come on the next one... can't wait!!

xoxo, Katie

He's a listener.

hey there dad.

thanksgiving 2012

did you know that i think about you all of the time?

anytime i see a short man, i think of you.  anytime i see mint milanos, i think of you.  anytime i see a harley davidson, i think of you.  anytime people talk about guns, i think of you.  anytime i see a basset hound or a corgi, i think of you.  anytime i play catch, i think of you.  anytime i see a man tearing up at the pulpit, i think of you.  anytime i see malt milkshakes on a menu, i think of you.  anytime i see beautiful country, i think of you.  anytime jeremy gets sick of shopping with me, i think of you.  anytime i eat plain chocolate chips, i think of you.  anytime i think about sending a scripture to the family, i think of you.  anytime i doubt myself, i think of you. 

i am so lucky to have you as my dad.  you have shaped me into the person i am today and will continue shaping me into the person i am supposed to become.  one thing that sticks out in my mind is our "heart to hearts."  i love them.  they started years ago whenever my teenage angst would suddenly pop up and cause all sorts of disruption.  we would have a calm heart to heart after the fact, talk about actions, consequences, goals, dreams, and whatever else was on our minds.  love was always the underlying message you would portray even when i was in trouble.  i found these talks to be incredibly meaningful and helpful in navigating the qualms of young adult life. 

now our heart to hearts usually look like two close friends discussing more than the surface stuff.  i love how our relationship has morphed over the years as i have grown.  you talk with me like my ideas, world concerns, and ideological questions matter.  they matter not only because i am your favorite daughter, it's more than that which i am finding hard to explain.  i think it's because you talk with me like i have something to offer or to teach.  you listen with an open mind and willingly remind me that you don't have all of the answers or that you aren't always right.  and in that precise moment, we learn together.

i hope i can cultivate the calm, humble, and loving way you interact with people.  i hope i can teach and parent with love.  i hope i can continue to follow my dreams like you always taught me to.  you are an incredible individual and an even better dad.  i am so blessed to have you in my life.

i love you.

hey dad!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

you are hilarious! and the best dad ever.

have a fun day.  i love you!

when i was a wee 12 year old...

my dad slipped this note into my scriptures.

 

and i'm so glad he did.  i'm keeping it forever.  

on the slopes

after taking a 7 year break from snowboarding, i joined the boys on the mountain.  i was just thrilled that i could get down the mountain in one piece and boy are my muscles hurting!

  it was mine and jeremy's first time skiing together and i don't know why we haven't gone before.  we had a blast!!

the mikey flop

have you heard of the corgi flop?

watch it, then come back.

well, my daddy loves corgis.  mostly because he feels a sort of kinship with them.  corgis are short, so is my dad.  they have prominent ears, so does my dad.  corgis also have short legs, so does my dad.  so when my little brother sent me this video today, i just couldn't resist.  presenting....

the mikey flop

giving thanks #5

i'm thankful for my parents.

aren't they cute?

i love my parents. they rock! they are awesome examples, give great advice, and constantly encourage me.  over the years, i've learned that not all parents are great and i'm lucky enough to have these two on my side.  i love being their daughter.  they are two of my best friends and i know they are always supporting me.  thank you mom and dad for being the BEST parents, role models, and teachers anybody could ask for.  my life has been a blast because of you two.

my new toy

a long board!! 

i took the plunge and just bought it!  after my post about wanting one (a conversation we have been having for years), jeremy started to come around to the idea.  it helped when i assured him i didn't want to fly down any huge hills, just cruise around (safely).  so i capitalized on his change of heart and bought one.  i forgot to update my parents on the process and they weren't too thrilled.  my mom was a little more in the loop, although still in denial, and she had to calm my dad down with the "she's-an-adult-and-gets-to-make-her-own-decisions-talk" when he found out.  this is the message i got at 1:00 am the night after i bought it:

"I love you Katie. Please wear a helmet and elbow pads and gloves and bubble wrap. Daddy"

my cute dad, always watching out for my safety.
he'd make us wear helmets while sledding when we were little. :)

well, i bought the board online, so i had to wait for it to ship to me. of course it came while i was out of town and then it rained all day yesterday so there was no chance of busting it out to start practicing.  but today is GORGEOUS, so this morning i took it on its first ride.  i watched some how-to videos before diving in (made mostly by 12 year old boys) to get some tips. then i ventured to the top of the parking garage and hopped on.  it's slow going, but i am better at it than i thought i would be - those years of snowboarding seem to have paid off.  the hardest part for me is stopping, but i can worry about that later.

in the mail

i came home from work to a surprise package from my parents.

they are so sweet.  thanks mom and dad... i love it!

may the gold collection BEGIN!

to my papa

happy father's day, daddy! 

you have taught me so many important lessons in life: honesty is always best, God loves me, that i can do anything i set my mind to, the differences between pot guts and rock chucks, how to swing a golf club, and how to throw a baseball to name a few.  i sure am lucky to call such a wonderful person my dad. hope your day is fabulous and full of Hebrew national hot dogs.  you deserve it!

xoxo, 

your favorite daughter

52 and still so young

Happy Birthday Daddy!

hey there daddy!  i hope your birthday rocks because you sure deserve it.  you are: full of service, hilarious, a good listener, always there for me, a constant supporter, a great example, steadfast, a best friend, so good to our family, and an all around awesome person. thanks for being the best dad i could ever ask for! i'm bummed i can't be there to watch you open presents and eat delicious wafer cake.  be sure to have a party anyways.  i love you.

xoxo - your favorite daughter

my parents...

are here for the week:

photo emailed to me by my momma today

and i am experiencing a big case of the jealousies.

(as i sit here and distract myself from my midterms)

especially after my mom showed off her fancy crepe on instagram.

luuucky!

reminds me of our fun times in the cool city a little while ago. (ok, it's been 4 years).
talk about an awesome girls trip!  me and my mom backpacking through europe for two weeks.

we had banana nutella crepes for dinner outside the musee d'orsay.  HEAVEN!

(here, here, and here)

enjoy every second you two!

and it continues

"it" being my birthday

remember my new obsession?

well these beauties arrived in the mail today:

and... i LOVE them!

feather | clover | k initial

my parents sure rock at surprises! the charms are perfect.

thanks you two.  i am so lucky!

hey daddy!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

you and me, march 1990

did you know that i miss you a whole bunch?
good thing i get to see you in just 33 days! i can't wait for the fun we will have.
thanks for being such a wonderful friend and an awesome father. you are always so kind
and loving to others. you are also hilarious. thanks for teaching me that i could
accomplish anything i set my mind, too. i am so lucky. i love you, daddy!

xoxo, your favorite daughter

shout hooray

happy birthday daddy!

christmas 2011 at disneyland

you are a wonderful father and friend. thanks for always being so supportive
of my big dreams. i am incredibly lucky to have you as my dad.
you are sooo hilarious and always have us laughing. i love you daddy!!
and i miss you, too. have an awesome birthday... you deserve it!
don't forget to pick me up something nice on your cruise.

xoxo,
your favorite daughter

out on the range

the driving range

notice my flip-flops... i am way hardcore. yesterday i finally developed a relationship with my 7 iron and rekindled my love for my tattered golf glove. golf is a great game. i am so glad my dad put up with my many tantrums when i was attempting to learn the game as a young teen. someday i will have to teach my kiddies the techniques... maybe jeremy will do it. he's a much better teach than i.

dear daddy,

happy father's day!

you and me, late summer 1989

you are just the best, dad! thank you for blessing me with your dimples and for
encouraging me to dream big. growing up in our house was the greatest! everyday
was a fun one. i love that we are such good buds. thank you for always
taking the opportunity to teach me. i have learned so many things from you. thank
you for working so hard, so we could have TONS of fun adventures. those
memories are treasures! have a great day dad. i love you.

xoxo, katie

happy birthday daddy!

you are the big five-ohh! how does it feel? the same as 49? probably.


here are 50 fun memories to go with your big day:

1. camping at daniel's summit for our daddy-daughter date
2. buying mom lladro in san francisco for her birthday - she loved it
3. saturday morning movies at your office
4. making pinewood derby cars (remember my bus?)
5. playing catch in the front yard
6. our "heart to heart" chats whenever i was in trouble
7. buying the silver scooter and the pink helmet
8. taking me to lake powell
9. playing t-ball when you were our coach
10. finding out you were the one that blessed me with my blood mutations
11. being sprayed with water from niagara falls
    
12. when you accidentally bought bratwursts that were marinated in beer
13. teaching me how to mow the lawn
14. weekends at the ranch riding the horses
15. letting me sit in the front seat of the red jeep
16. making me drive through a car wash my first day behind the wheel
17. golfing with me, sam, and rye in wyoming
18. cross country skiing in park city as little tikes
19. telling me i could be anything and that i would be good at it
20. you're awesome ideas for engagement picture poses
21. coming to all of my soccer games even though i was never the star player
22. asking jeremy to "come outside and talk" when things were getting serious
23. armor all-ing the car topper for the beach trip
24. letting me make boondoggle key chains for every pocket knife you have ever owned
25. the way you pour any drink into a glass
26. tickle parties with me, sam, and rye
    
27. letting me pick everything we did for my graduation weekend
28. hiking angel's landing at zions
    
29. playing mexican train with grandma verland
30. when you told us your dimples were bullet wounds from a robber
    
31. rootbeer floats every sunday night in the front yard
32. rowing that boat when little riley was so scared and wouldn't let us help you
33. asking "are you ok?" instead of "was it your fault?" when i totaled the car (haha)
    
34. riding bikes in sun valley, idaho
35. helping sammy when he broke his collar bone riding his bike
36. playing buckin' bronco with us until we were all dizzy
37. feeding the burros in the black hills
38. going to buzz games every summer in slc
    
39. eating hot dogs in central park in new york city
40. learning so many things about the scriptures from your fhe lessons
    
41. checking out harley shops every where we go
42. snorkeling at hanauma bay in hawaii
43. surprising us kids at the airport with a trip to disneyland (that was sooo crazy)
44. when my 3 year old self slapped you & broke your glasses because you turned off the tv
45. when we pulled the handcart around martin's cove and saw that huge scary snake
46. taking us trick-or-treating while mom handed out candy
47. asking you for things after mom said no
48. always making us wear helmets sledding, biking, snowboarding, etc.
49. not getting too mad that night when i got home 2 hours past curfew
50. when you bought me flowers for valentine's day

i love you dad and all of the fun things we have done together! i am excited for all of the adventures to come. have a fun birthday!