Things he may not know I remember and cherish

• Sitting with me while I slowly sounded out words 
  
• Cuddling up on his lap and watching MASH or Cheers (and fake laughing along because I was too young to understand anything.)
• Talking thru my day with him when he picked me up after my day at school or work.
  
• Going out to lunch with him after I got married
  
• All the camping, boating, and weekends at the cabin
  
• Daddy-daughter dates
  
• Listening to him sing and play the guitar (how patient he was to indulge our endless requests for  "Matthew" and "Run for the Roses")
  
• All the evenings I could hear the hammers and saws going long after dark while he built our house after a full day at work.
• His calm response to my sometimes hysterical reactions--like the time I pulled my earring through my ear, or the time I thought I was going to get a C in Geometry, or the time Madeline passed out and I was sure she was going to die.
  
• The multiple phone calls coaching me through sprinkler installation and repairs
  
• Always knowing that he was there to keep me safe from monsters, earthquakes, car break-downs, and jerks 
  
• Guiding me through his own loving example to find a man who is a wonderful husband to me and a fantastic father to my girls.