52 Reasons I Love You - DAD!!!!

1) you love me
2) your kind heart
3) your “Roper” sense of humor
4) you taught me how to irrigate (and let me do it my way)
5) you made me believe I could do anything
6) the values in which you instilled in me
7) you baled for me so I could sleep in until 6am
8) you gave me rides to school so I didn’t have to ride the bus
9) you made a college education possible
10) you taught me that education matters
11) you listen to me
12) you would take me on adventurous rides up North chasing coyotes
13) you let me ride on the back of the saddle on Babe
14) Sham was “my” horse or at least you let me think so
15) you said I could have bum lambs, “Shree-ten and Fo-fo”
16) you shoveled the car out every time it got stuck so I could make it to a volleyball tournament
17) you sang to me while we drove around and fed the cows and sheep
18) you made me listen to “Grass Roots Gold” every Saturday morning
19) you let me turn hay bales with a riding lawn mower
20) you would fix anything in my house if I asked
21) you’re the best kitchen cleaner I know
22) you rode back with me after Christmas vacation and then missed the train
23) you love my Mom
24) you play cards with me
25) you taught me how to play cribbage and pinochle
26) you let me have new carpet in my bedroom
27) you taught me right from wrong
28) you were always there when I was ready to ask for help
29) you came to Oregon to drive me to and from surgery
30) you supported my decisions, even when they were dumb
31) your strong work ethic
32) believing in me to take care of the farm when you were in Avon
33) you encouraged me with every endeavor
34) you built me stilts
35) working side by side with you gives me pride
36) your willingness to help others, asking nothing in return
37) your compassionate self
38) any daughter would be lucky to call you Dad and I CAN
39) you remove your hat when you enter buildings
40) you still call me daughter after I screwed up the summer fallow
41) you would drive fast through the “big dip” on the road going North
42) you took me with you to get the binder
43) you found a way for me to have a BIG Pink Panther from the State Fair
44) you taught me how to care for animals
45) you let Dirk and I ride around on the snowmobiles all day long the winter of 1978… or was it 79?
46) my best memories are working side by side with my DAD, thanks!
47) you brought home “Shadow”, the first dog I called my own
48) you taught me how to blow up empty soup cans using firecrackers and mud puddles
49) you gave me animals for my 4-H projects
50) you taught me that everything tastes better with cheese on it (except for apple pie)
51) for being my DAD
52) you’re hard working, honest and you make me PROUD to call you DAD!


So, Father's Day came fast and as usual I find myself not so prepared. This year I'm making my Dad a gift. I'm using a deck of cards and the each one will have one of the above reasons for my love for him. Obviously it's going to be late, but I think he'll like it anyway. Happy Father's Day to all the Dads!!!