My Favorite Dad

This is my Dad's birthday card! I decided to just write a few stories about my dad that I will never forget.
Most stories take place when I was real young...I have always been a smartie!
I'm sure everyone knows these but its things I'll never forget!

I came home from my friend Vanessa Rohrer's house but when I was there I realized how big her dad's hands were. Plus to a little girl, they seem huge. That night after eating dinner, I said, "Dad, Vanessa's dad has real big hands." He just nodded and said, "Yes he does." I said, "But its ok Dad, you have a big belly!" He looked at me like, "I'm so happy you're my daughter."

The next happened when Dad was replacing fence in our "BIG" back yard and I sat in the truck! Like I said, things look a lot bigger when you're little. I just sat there and fiddled with his steering wheel cover. I took it off, then put it back on and did this for quite some time. Well all of a sudden, I had the urge to pee. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to bother Dad while he was working and I couldn't just squat outside because the neighbor boys might see me, and of course the house was too far away so I sat on DAD's side of the truck and went. I then just crawled over to the passenger side and waited. There was no way I was going to sit in my pee...I probably even knew I was going to get in trouble as soon as he sat down. Well he finished up the fence and hopped in the truck. As he sat, he slowly turned and looked at me and said, "Why is my seat all wet?" I just hung my head, "I had to go and I knew I couldn't make it to the house." He never seemed upset but I am so sure that he was. I mean afterall...it was his priceless truck.

Then there is the famous story of me being left outside in the FAMOUS TRUCK and froze. I know it was by accident tho.

We had rabbits...lots of rabbits and rabbits reproduce well like rabbits so they were everywhere it seemed. My dad built the cage under the road in the bridge which was very clever and so resourceful. We went to church and there had been a lot of moisture that year. My dad left church to go check on the animals and wouldn't you know it, there was water actually going under the bridge...probably the first time to happen since they had put it in. He became a rescuer and saved a lot of his bunnies....even to the extent of blow drying them dry. It was a sad day for Jim Reidhead.

In 5th grade dad was my teacher. He loved it! The first day, of class he asked me what I thought of his teaching. I told him he talked with his hands too much. The next day he tried sitting on his hands. He asked me what I thought again. I told him he talked too much now. The next day, he tried to sit on his hands and just get straight to the point. He had a swivel chair and sat in the front of the class. He turned around to write on the chalk board and bent over and he was "SMILING" so big. I tried to be real nice and tell him through my laughter, "Dad...Dad your crack is showing" but he couldn't make out what I was saying...he was still bent over. Finally I bursted out! "Your crack is showing!" The class roared with laughter. Dad went to the office and requested that I switch classes. I stayed in his class all year and we both loved it.

We used to clean buildings and it seemed like me and mom could do it so fast. Dad vacuumed while we did everything else. Finally I told him in my rude teenage way that he was SLOW. He said, "Danica, I'm not slow, I'm steady." That was all he said and he meant it.

Another time we were cleaning it was raining real hard. There was lightning and thunder all around us. We had to go through a gate that someone had to unlock but who?...DAD! Well right as he got to the gate and got the key in the lock, mom told me to honk the horn, I did and I have never seen Dad come so unglued! He jumped and probably thought he was going to die. Me and mom laughed so hard!

I have so many stories so we will just fast forward to now.

Now as a married girl it really hits home how much a good Dad like I had can influence a life. I know Dad has taught me so much and has always provided for our family and been worthy of so many things! I love him with all my heart and am so thankful for everything he has ever done for me. He and my mom made my wedding day beyond special and they sacrificed so much for me and I will never ever forget it. Thank you Dad for teaching me all that I know and for helping me stay focused on finding the man of my dreams who will always be right there for me.