Dad

Well . . . I have wanted to blog about all my family members on their birthdays, and already I have messed up!!! Dad's birthday was April 17th, and I forgot to send him some blog love. Gee I should do all the Gunns too .... I'll contemplate that.

So Dad, sorry this is so belated, but happy happy day!

My Pops is fantastic. He filled our minds with beautiful, creative stories; inspired us to dream, to love, and made sure we learned how to work. He is definitely a man who believes strongly in self-sufficiency, but I always knew he would do anything for us. My dad is not super open with people he doesn't know, though he is always kind. Somehow he pulls off two very different personas: one a stern, intimidating hulk of a man who squints his eyes and purses his lips when he isn't happy. (Like say, his oldest daughter happens to have a bunch of friends over and some of them are boys and are hanging out in her room ... gee I still remember him coming in and just staring at everyone with his arms folded, till one by one they disappeared. I think he melted them with lasers from his eyes. Oh I was so mad!) But those who know him at all know that he is just a big cuddly teddy bear who loves to laugh and is quite passionate and imaginative. No boy I ever dated ever saw that side of him, (except for Mark, which is one of the many reasons I just had to marry him) but all my girlfriends just thought he was precious.

I love to see Dad with all his brothers and sisters. Our Thomas family reunions never fail to be quite thoroughly entertaining. Dad picked up the role as the peace-maker, I think. Where most of the family is strong-willed and sarcastic, Dad is forgiving and sincere. Its fun to see their personalities bounce off of one another. I remember being probably ... ten or something like that, and my hilarious cousin Paige decided to label each family. I'm not sure what everyone else got pegged with, but my family was titled the goofy family. I'm pretty sure I was offended. As I have grown a bit, I have learned how true it is, and now love it!

Thanks Pops, for being so wonderful. Now I have turned him into a Grandpa, or Bumpa as we will call him, and wow is he good at that. I think the years have worn away almost all of that "stern" side of him I remember as a kid, and Mac is going to be spoiled rotten. Can't wait.