Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today is my Dad's birthday! Believe me when I say I lucked out in the parent lottery. My Dad is a great cook (I am especially fond of his breakfasts, especially the potatoes O'Brian), a funny guy (even if he steals my jokes), picks great sport teams to root for (Dodgers, Trojans, Lakers, and Kings), and is an incredible handy man (he has helped to install many things in the many apartments Bobby and I have lived in over the years). He is also the most well-traveled person I know: he has visited all 7 continents and has traveled to more countries than I can name. It is not a stretch to say I caught the travel bug from him. He and my Mom took me on many international trips as a child. Maybe if they hadn't introduced me to romantic Europe, I wouldn't live so far away from them!

My Dad is also incredibly generous. Here I am with a bike he bought me for my Christmas gift (I have named it the Golden Goose, or Goose for short)! Dad is also generous with his time: he makes an effort to call all of his kids at least once a week to check up on us, and he visits all of us quite often. That's saying something considering I live in Denmark, older brother Gregg lives in Pennsylvania, and younger brother Jordan lives in California.

My Dad is also a talented artist. When I was a kid, Dad expressed his artistic side through his incredible wood work and watercolor paintings. Dad still makes beautiful furniture (and a great recipe box!), but his artistic outlet now is stained glass. I received this fantastic chef stained glass. I even have one of my Dad's pieces in my office window. Gloria's home in California and Dad's home in Pennsylvania are filled with many of Dad's pieces. He also incorporates stained-glass into his handmade Arts and Crafts furniture.

I hope you have a fantastic birthday, Dad! I love you very much and am grateful for all you do. Thank you for being the best father!