We just found out that we have the day after Thanksgiving off for a holiday. I consider this an early Christmas gift so, in turn, as much as I am ashamed to admit it, my mind decided to make the connection to Christmas through song.

I’ve been singing (in my head) (mostly) “All I Want for Christmas” since we found out.  Please, don’t ban me from my favorite store, Nordstrom!

But honestly, this blessing may seem small to some, but when you live hundreds of miles from your immediate family members, every day is precious, especially around the holidays. And, in less than a week, I’ll be going home to my favorite people on the planet.  But there’s one in particular that I’d like to focus on today.

My daddio. He’s kind of absolutely a big deal in the movers and shakers of the courtroom, and I’m proud to say he’s been on the “Best of” for his profession for the past three years.  But that’s just stuff you can find out from a quick Google search. So I’ll spare you all.  I’m here to write about the man that I’ve known and loved longer than any other.

To the man who had five kids in 9 years, and served as a human jungle gym as we scurried and climbed all over him, trying to claim “king of the mountain” on our father.  I swear, growing up, I was certain he had extra arms, because he was always holding one of our hands or carrying another or adjusting the one that was on his back.  He’s such a pro, you’d swear he majored in “baby juggling” at school.

To the man that makes my mom happy every single day. The one that texts her a little love note in the morning, just about every morning. The one that searches high and low to find her the perfect present for Christmas and birthdays (even if I botch it and suggest that the “perfect present” is a dessert tray. Oops, sorry mom!)

To the guy that looks at his wife the way teenage boys look at the girl they’re taking to prom. It’s like he sees her and thinks, “WOW! How did I get so lucky?!”

I’ve never seen him prouder than the night of her Grad Party celebrating her graduation from grad school.

Wait. I may have seen him prouder, and that’s when I graduated from UNC. He’s the man that supports his family without question, in any and every way possible.

His hours at the work are nothing compared to the hours he spent driving us to tournaments, cheering us from the bleachers as we swam, spiked, dribbled, blocked, and shot. He’s our number one fan, and I always worked a little harder when I heard him shout “GO JORDY!!”

Here’s to the guy who taught me that family comes first. The one who drives two hours to pick his mom up and bring her home when Hurricane Irene is on the horizon. The one who cares for his nieces and nephews like they’re his own, and the man who made every Christmas morning magical.  This is honoring the guy whose handwriting looks EERILY similar to Santa’s and the Toothfairy’s (a conclusion I didn’t reach for years upon years.)

Here’s to the guy who everyone would describe as serious and straight laced, but the one that taught us that, when there’s a song you love, you’d better dance your face off.

To the man who iced his son.

I’ll never forget that moment.

Here’s to the trunk of my family tree, my Dad. The one who was there when I was born, the one I look forward to one day walking down the aisle with, and the one who’s turned from a father to so much more, to one of my best friends.

Happy Birthday, Dad, and thanks for everything!!

I LOVE YOU!