Happy (Belated) Father's Day and Birthday!

My Dad is (and has been) on vacation, so it's okay that I'm a little late with this post. I want to wish my Dad a very happy Father's Day and a very happy birthday! And in honor of that, I'll talk a bit about what my Dad means to me.

First of all, this picture was taken of my Dad in his natural setting: fly-fishing. As he is fond of saying, a bad day on the river is better than a good day at work. I love this picture because of my Dad's smile. His smile is infectious, and I can't help but smile every time I see it. Also infectious is his laughter. My Dad laughs harder and more sincerely than anyone else I have ever met. Anytime he laughs hard it is the highlight of my day. You have to respect someone who laughs with such abandon.

The most important thing I have learned from my father is integrity. He has more of it in his pinky toe than most people will have in an entire lifetime. If he says he will do something, you can rest assured that if it is physically possible, it will happen. He is honest, and he works harder than anyone else I know. Anything he does, he does well. There is no one in the world that I respect more than my father. He has taught me how to solve problems, how to work hard, and how to let your work speak for itself. My Dad has given me very high standards for the men in my life.

I know that parents are supposed to be proud of their children, but I am also proud of my
father. When I was little, he had started his own repair shop out of our garage at home. He is a truly gifted mechanic with an innate understanding of how things work. He believes in fixing things the right way and not patching anything. He carved out a niche for himself doing fleet maintenance and repair and is very successful. He is truly amazing and talented in ways that most of us can only dream of. I learned so much working in the family business growing up, and I can honestly say that things I learned at Welton Repair have made me a better employee at every job I have had since. Also, the principle of rotating inventory (putting the old stuff in front and new in back like my Dad does in his parts room) has served me well in everything from my pantry to linens shelf :)

My Dad has a great way with words. So here are a few of my favorite Dad sayings:

Explaining 4WD to me at 15 years old my first time driving in snow:
"It has a lot of go, but not a lot of woah."

When servicing our vehicles at the shop:
"It's good enough for who it's for."

Advising me when I'm having Peter problems:
"I've always liked him. Of course, I'm not the one who has to look across the breakfast table at him every morning."

So thanks, Dad! I am so lucky to have you for my father. I have learned so much from you, and appreciate all that you have done for me (and I know there has been a LOT). I can't wait to see you in August!