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thank you for being my friend.  as i'm growing up, i've never cherished that more. 
thank you for loving God and setting your heart after Him.
thank you for leading our family with your love for God and establishing our house as one that serves Him.
thank you for giving me your eyebrows and your nose and your forehead (:
thank you for making me laugh.. all the time!  i definitely have a sweet spot in my heart for your humor!
thank you for your patience and for being slow to anger.
thank you for always letting me drive.
thank you for putting up with me.. all of me.. even the ugly parts.
thank you for leading our family towards healthy lifestyles that honor God with our bodies and food.
thank you for the way you treat women and the respect you give.
thank you that as long as i have known you i have seen you treat and love mom with so much faithfulness.
thank you for those car rides after home depot, beating the steering wheel like a drum with paint-stiring sticks to loud music.
thank you for loving music.  i know you're the reason i love music as much as i do.
thank you for being a person i know i can come to with my questions about God, and thank you for never shaming me for them.
thank you for being baptized with me. i’ll always treasure that.
thank you for introducing me to dark chocolate.
thank you for those times you go out of your way to come and visit me and spend time with me.
thank you for challenging my thoughts and opinions.
thank you for the questions you ask.
thank you that switchfoot’s song, your love is a song, will always remind me of you.
thank you for those spontaneous texts that affirm and encourage me.
thank you for the ways you work hard to provide for our family and support me.
thank you for showing me what it looks like to follow God with your life.
thank you for knowing how much i love eggs and always saving some for me on the stove when i'm home.
thank you for those times you watched i love lucy with me, even though you reeeaally didn’t want to (:
thank you for all of those summers you took me, paige, and nooms camping with our friends.
thank you for being so so interested in my friends!
thank you for being so interested in my stories even when they're about people you don't even know.
thank you for not being afraid to do hard things.
thank you for your humility.
thank you for loving me so much, always.  i've doubted many things in life, but never your love.
thank you for being a father who is so much like my heavenly Father.  you're not perfect, but your life has helped me understand the Lord more.


you’re the best man i know, dad.

happy birthday to one of the people i love most in the world.  cheers to beautiful living.