Randomness with Rachel: Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today is my dad's birthday so I wanted to use my blog as a chance to tell him HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I will be home in a few weeks and will have a late celebration then. Love you daddy!!

With my folks at a Rangers game last month

My dad:

-He is the proud father of six kids, proud grandpa of 16 grandchildren, and proud great-grandpa (Pawpaw) of four great-grandchildren (soon to be five of them later this year).
-My dad has been preaching for 60 years. At the age 62 he felt the Lord was calling him to be a missionary so after sending me off to college, he and my mother moved to Thailand to do mission work for two years. After that, they lived in Brazil for two years doing mission work.

-To this day, he still calls me dumpling (or baby dumpling).

-He loves to read (I get my love of reading from him). In fact, my father has read the Twilight series (he heard me talking about it when I was reading them, so he decided to try it out). He thought they were okay, but didn't like Book 4 (I'll be honest, most people who like the series don't care for Book 4).

-He loves history and knows more historical information than Google. True story.

-He loves watching crime shows (You see a pattern? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree). :)

-He loves anything about his hometown San Antonio (especially the Spurs- sorry Mavs fan friends, I was raised a Spurs fan). BUT he will cheer for the Mavs if they aren't playing the Spurs (he likes and respects Dirk). :)
-I love hearing his stories about growing up during World War II.

-He loves watching the news and making comments throughout the broadcast when he disagrees or is disgusted by something. This sometimes happens when I'm on the phone with him.
-He's been known to talk politics for hours (that is something I did NOT get from him- I avoid political discussions like the plague). For the record, please don't ever try to talk politics with me. I respect what you believe, please respect what I believe. We can agree to disagree on topics. :)

-I'm pretty sure he remembers the name of every person he's ever met.

-I think he secretly wants a dog, but knows my mom won't let him have one.

-He is fascinated by anything related to the Titanic (except the James Cameron movie- he didn't care for it).

-He says he was fascinated by the Titanic before it was "cool" to like it. In fact, one of my favorite sermons of his is one about the Titanic.

-He still acts surprised whenever he gets a stocking on Christmas or basket on Easter (yes, my mom still makes one for him).

-He listens to the Dallas news on the radio (they live about 2 1/2 hours from DFW). One time he called me at 6am because he heard on the news about an unknown female in her 20s who had been killed at a Dallas apartment complex, and the name of the complex was similar to the one I lived in at the time. He wanted to make sure it wasn't mine (and that it wasn't me, I was 27 at the time). Obviously it wasn't. But the apartment complex name WAS very similar to mine.
-He still worries when I tell him I've gone out on a motorcycle ride or that I was out late with friends. So I just don't tell him anymore. :)

-He likes sports but has never really been a fan of watching the games on TV. I get that from my brothers.

-He loves fruitcake (yeah, he's one of the 5 people who actually like it).

-He jokes about selling some of the grandchildren (and great-grandchildren) to a band of traveling Ishmaelites. He's been threatening to do that since I was a kid!

-After retiring from full time preaching a few years ago, he pulled a "Brett Favre" and is a pastor again at a small church in the town my folks live in.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!! XOXO!