lets hear it for the boys

this post is dedicated to all the "dads" in my life...i have many. as i am a daddy's girl, through and through, even at the age of 25, i seem to have collected dads along the way.

my mother's day post was quite sentimental, my father's day post, not as much. i am equally as thankful for my "dads" and grandpas, but sentimental expression doesn't seem to do justice.

so with out further adu, here is my "thank you"...

for my dad, thanks for being you. for teaching me to be strong and confident. for teaching me to love the smell of cologne, ties and suits. thanks for teaching me to love polo shirts and kakhi shorts and old sweatshirts. thank you for teaching me to LOVE nordstrom and gap..i don't know if i should blame you or mom for my love of shopping...you both contributed. thank you for teaching me to speak my mind and speak it well. thank you for making me a better writer and student, for reading my 25 page psychology and law paper the day before it was due and wanting so bad to yell at me for leaving it to the last minute, but instead you just dove right in and fixed it. thank you for forcing me to put in my contacts and for teaching me how to ride a bike. thank you for helping me become me. for letting me make mistakes; for letting me live out my dreams and change my dreams and for being my number one fan...always. thank you for believing in me and making me believe in me. thank you for letting me call you with my millions of silly stories and for listening. thanks for always letting me talk and talk and talk...anytime. thanks for letting me grow up...i know it wasn't always easy, but i hope it was all worth it. and most importantly thanks for being my dad. love, kate

for my grandpa vawdrey, thanks for being nothing short of the best grandpa. thank you for showing me what it means to love your family unconditionally. thank you for always being there for me, and for my mom, and for ry. thank you for teaching me that it is always the best decision to do what is right for you. thank you for leading by example. you are one of the strongest people i know. i know that it isn't always easy, but you have been a rock for our family. thank you for coming to almost every single softball game i ever played in. and for always saying "great game sis". i hear those words often. thank you for always telling me how proud of me you are. i hear those words often too. thank you for teaching me to love cowboy boots and baseball hats. i have very few memories of you without your cowboy boots or baseball hats...a tom vawdrey staple, and lets not forget the polo shirts...i guess i can thank you and my dad for that one. thank you for being you, and for letting me call you "gramps".

for my grandpa jenkins, so many things i wish i had asked you. i cannot belive that it has been 3 years already. thank you for sharing with me your memories, things you didn't share with many people. thank you for telling me stories, even when they were hard to tell. thank you for always smiling and laughing...and smiling. thank you for having such a love for my grandma. and being the other half of the greatest love stories i will ever know of. thank you for having such a love for your family, and for leaving that with us as a part of your legacy. i know you are happy, with grandma where you should be. but, know that i miss you and will love you always.

for my four best second grandpas: jay, moyle, larry and gordon. all i can thank you for is loving me like i was your own. as we grow older we come to realize how much we have taken advantage of our time as kids. i have very few memories that don't involve one of you, if not more of you. i hold these memories dear to my heart because i know that i will never be in that place again. i love my memories of camping, bouncing around from jay and lolas trailer to moyle and dions...and feeling like i belonged even when i was the only non-grandchild around. i actually hated to leave jay and lolas trailer...good thing they were usually right next door. i love my memories of larry, for truly making me feel like i was his granddaughter. i love him for knowing me so well, and for letting me be a part of his life. what a wonderful example of a father and grandfather larry is, a man of his word. thanks for letting me be your "best girl."

for all of my other dads...dennis, russ, joe, ken and jim. you all have a special place in my heart. i am thinking of you today. because of all of the "dads" mentioned, i am proud to say i am a "daddy's girl". each of them have allowed me to be a part of their lives...and for that i say thank you.

happy father's day.