Happy Birthday Dad!

by Bex 

Today is my Dad's birthday and just like when I did a birthday post for my Mum, his card will be late - oops.  I did post it on Monday so you'd think I'd be safe this time but I don't expect it will be there until next week.  I blame them since they choose to live abroad ;)

Anyway, I thought it would be nice to write about all the things I love about my Dad and my favourite memories of him.

Dad borrowing my wedding day sunglasses :)

He wore a kilt for my wedding day despite not being Scottish :)

I was so thrilled as he walked me down the aisle, keeping me from rushing through the moment.  You can see the huge grin on my face looking at Nik while Dad grins watching me in this screen grab from our wedding film...



He wrote an amazing speech for our wedding, it was funny and emotional and perfect.  He said how proud he was of me and it made me so happy that I could make him feel that way.  He also recanted one of the many hilarious stories he loves to tell over and over from when I was a toddler and used to do hilarious things.  I love hearing them :)  There's the pickled onion story, the "do you want a tablet" story, the woodlouse story...

Dad and I getting emotional during his speech

To be honest, we don't always get on, particularly if we're in the same vicinity.  I know he loves my enthusiasm for life but in person, he often seems to find it irritating (I talk too fast when I'm excited and he struggles to understand me) and we are so similar we often snap at each other.  It's a shame because on the phone and via emails we actually get on great and I have some great chats with him.  He recently sent me a lovely email in response to the tweets and comments I copied to my parents after I published my latest IVF blog post.  It was so sweet and supportive and helped me understand how he feels living abroad when Nik and I are going through difficult times, it made me tear up and feel completely loved and pleased that he was so proud of my writing.  I would share it here but not without his permission and this is a surprise blog post!  Although I'm sure he won't mind me sharing this snippet:

"Thanks for sending the comments, it's lovely to read them and understand even more about the support you have from your online community.  They are such a supportive bunch and I have come to realise more recently what a big part of your life they have become."

Dad and I have a lot in common.  We have so many similar hobbies and I know he always reads the blog.  I love that he likes my writing, it encourages me to write more.  We both love diving, photography, Sunday Roasts and red wine.  We also love Sushi and trying foreign foods.  He even used to come horse riding with me when I was younger.  It was my most favourite hobby as a teenager and he used to drive me to various stables' early in the morning and would sometimes join in and come out riding.  I still have my first riding hat he bought me for £16 (although it's no longer legally safe) and love to remember the time his horse took off with him across a stubble field in Newburgh!  It was quite hilarious - only because he didn't fall off and seemed to quite enjoy the adventure!

Our most recent diving outing in Malaysia

When I was younger I was a total Daddy's girl.  I remember whenever I was upset or in trouble, it was always my Dad who would come upstairs to comfort me and give me hugs, whoever it was who had told me off for whatever I'd done!  He even found the tissue tearing incident funny, the one time I was a bit older and in a massive huff about something and wanted to trash my room - like you see in films when a teenager has a tantrum and swipes things off the sides and throws and breaks things and tear pages out of books (shock horror!)  Except, I liked my things too much and had been brought up to respect my belongings so instead I took my box of tissues and proceeded to tear them into tiny pieces and throw them around my room.  You know, to get my point across and take out my frustrations, yet knowing it would be easy to clean up and there would be no lasting damage.  I really was the worst rebel!

When I was a student and lived at home (out in the country with a rubbish bus service) during my first year, he would always come to collect me at 1am or whatever time I would ring if there was some social event on so I wouldn't have to miss out.  He's such great fun and absolutely hilarious when he's had some wine!  I love it when he's all jolly and chucking away.  He taught me financial sense (which I admit I sometimes ignore - he doesn't understand that fashion is a requirement!) and how to drive (that was another interesting event - almost ending up in a field!)  He enabled me to buy my first home at 18 and leant me the money for my elective when I was a student so I could go to the other side of the world for 3 months and really make the most of it.  These things are what made me the independent, confident woman I am today.  I remember how pleased he was with my emails home with stories of people I was meeting and going bungee jumping, sky diving, chocolate biscuits, surfing, working with the RFDS and swimming with whales, he loved that I was doing all of these things while I had the opportunity and I loved that he seemed so proud of what I was doing.  It was my Dad who encouraged me to pursue photography when I returned from that trip loaded with pictures.  He suggested I enter some into competitions and when I got more interested, bought me my first SLR a year later for my graduation.  I am so grateful my parents always inspired and encouraged me to be ambitious and adventurous and never made me feel like there was anything I couldn't do if I worked hard enough.  I think that's why my life list is so extensive!

He's pretty cool my Dad.  I am so grateful for all he's done for me, we always make sure we're stocked up with Melton Mowbray pork pies and cans of Boddingtons when he comes to visit (he can't get pork or alcohol in Saudi!)  :)

I love you Dad!  Happy Birthday!!
xxx