FATHER'S DAY // WISE IN THE WAYS

My dad and I have always been close. There are hundreds of photos of the two of us. The two of us building the shed that stands next to my house. The two of us mowing the lawn. The two of us wearing Mickey Mouse ears. The two of us wearing his work clothes. The two of us with ribbons in our hair...did I mention he was a great dad yet?

The two of us on my high school graduation day.

My dad is chock full of wisdom. He is my financial planner and my travel guide. He has taught me so much, usually on purpose, but occasionally just by being him. I thought I'd share a few of the things that I appreciate about my dad...

 - He is wise in the ways of travel, and a whole bunch of other things.

 - He is a donut purist. A table of dough will be involved in today's festivities, without a doubt. 

 - His daily reminders that "Boys are Pigs" were mostly justified.
 - He was a great 7th grade math tutor, even though I doubted his ability to teach me algebra. 

 - His chocolate chip cheesecake is legendary. 

 - He is occasionally called "Bonfire Bill" for his fire-building skills. 

 - He spends his days dreaming of what he would do upon winning the lottery.
 - He was also a fantastic tennis coach and ball feeder, although his aim was never the best. :) He would often take me out to the courts even after a 1.5 hour commute and a long day of work.
 - He can make a trip to the gas station exciting, with the promise of candy.
 - His nautical skills are enviable.
 - He abhors scrabble, but used to play daily with my mom because she loves it.
 - He currently plays a few rounds of Monopoly Deal each night, because my mom loves it.
 - He is a better stick-shift driving teacher than my mom, even though I haven't picked up on that yet.
 - His college stories can beat mine without a doubt.
 - He has survived 20+ years in a house of all women. That's something.
 - His ability to make our family laugh is unbeatable.

The list could go on...