Happy Birthday to my love

Today is my hunney’s birthday.  Since he didn’t tell my age in his birthday post for me, we’ll do him the same courtesy.  Those of you who are curious will just have to guess.  I wonder if there’s any significance that the kids and I are sharing exactly 36 reasons we love him?

Just a few of the many reasons I love him:

1. He brings me chocolate.  Lots of it.  Good chocolate.  Wait, am I shallow to say that first?  What I meant to say is that he’s hot.  Just the sight of the back of his neck makes me feel quivery.
2. He loves me, and tells me often.  And he proves it by bringing me chocolate.
3. He is a leader to me even though I have a tendency to be stubborn and proud and I always think I’m right.
4. He’s a good dad who strives to win and keep the hearts of his children.
5. He loves to give: gifts, time, chocolate, and whatever else is needed by those in his life.
6. He’s not afraid of hard work, either mental or physical.
7. He’s equally at home shoveling snow in shorts in the Ohio winter, or roofing in jeans in the Texas summer.

Deanna:

8. I look like him.
9. He lets us ambush people with Airsoft rifles to get revenge on them.
10. He introduced me to Lord Peter Wimsy and Bertie & Jeeves, and Stephen R. Lawhead.
11. He taught me the easy way to do division when Mom and Spectrum Math were making me cry every day.
12. He subjected himself to horrific sunburns while he was building us a house.

Kaitlyn

13. He has been taking us for birthday lunches for as long as I can remember.
14. He takes us to work with him.
15. He built a house for us.
16. He’s got a great sense of humor (see picture to the right).

Lydia

17. He lets me buy my own copies of books that we already have (even if we have 4 copies already).
18. He let me read ‘Thank You Jeeves.’ (P.G. Wodehouse)
19. He is letting me keep Sestra and he has decided to let Megan keep a snake just like Sestra that she found last night.
20. He let me buy a dried alligator head.

Megan:

21. “Dad is great!  He gives us chocolate cake!”  Extra points if you know the comedian who said it first.
22. He introduced us to British comedy.
23. He lets us keep a lot of our own books even though our house is small.
24. He convinced me to read Lord of the Ring.

Natalie:

25. He takes me out for birthday lunches.
26. He buys me candy and gives me money sometimes.
27. He got me Scottish Seas and Heartstrings.
28. He taught me to paint.
29. He lets me go to work with him.

Becca:

30. He is nice.
31. He tickles me.
32. He bought Kung Fu Panda for Natalie’s birthday and for me too because I finished my math book.

Rachael:

33. Because he sleeps on the couch with me part of the night when I fall asleep there.
34. He tickles me.

Perry IV, aka The Boy:

35. I love Dad to fight with me and I like to punch him in the tummy.

Bethany:

36. pppppbbbtthhh! [drool.  giggle.] Daaaaad!

I have to admit that at first I was a little disappointed that most of the kids’ reasons were about what their Dad has done for them, or the treats he has given them, or the literary taste that he has helped them cultivate.  They seemed a bit shallow, and a father is supposed to present a picture of Christ in the home.

But as I thought about it, I realized that this is exactly what the children were telling me in their own childlike ways.  They see their dad as a provider of cake and all things yummy, a shepherd in math and teaching them to love British comedy and books, a loving and benevolent leader who fights with them and lets them punch him in the tummy, all with a deep and sacrificial love – remember the horrific sunburns?

No wonder we all love him.

Related posts:

1. Happy Birthday to my love!
2. Happy Birthday to me!
3. Happy belated birthday to the prettiest girl in the world
4. Happy birthday, Perry Boy!
5. Happy Birthday, Lydia!