~Happy Birthday to Dear Old Dad~

84 years old today he is....that's a lot of living and a lot of memories. Of course I've only known him for 51 years of those 84. Strange to be 51....I remember his 50th Birthday so well.  A retirement and Birthday in his honor so many years ago.  Now dear old Dad is 84....Happy Birthday.  We celebrate this Birthday next week on the 14th of February when we can all gather together.  Only it's never the same without sister and niece and their family who live in another State.

Here are some of my favorite random memories:

Daddy practicing the organ on Sunday mornings while we readied for church.
Riding in the old work pickup truck going to the airport with him.
Trips to the airport and events at the airport.
The cleanest hangar I'd ever seen. Not that I had seen that many hangars.
Our good friends the Haefeles and the times spent together and the practical jokes they pulled on each other.
Playing board games with family.
Flying over the house and waving hello (tipping the wing)
His airplane stories.
The stories he tells now of his boyhood.
Trips to Monterey.
Christmas Eve and Daddy snooping around the tree.
Playing Jingle Bells on the organ and using a matchbox between two keys to make the sleighing sound.
The care and devotion he gave to both my Mama when she was ill and dying and the care he gave to my Stepmother as she declined deep into Alzheimer.
Helping husband with projects around our house.
Giving me away at my wedding.
Piano/organ duets with Pastor Haefele
Church events.
Day trips.
The tears we shared together while he was in rehab. recovering from two surgeries.
Seeing him come out of surgery, critical but alive.
Seeing him walk in ICU after nearly losing him.
Playing the dice game Zilch in Rehab.
Seeing him go home after 3 months in the trauma unit and Rehab.

Happy 84th Birthday!

Lynette