HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLD MAN!

The wonderful man I have come to love and respect and honor as my father has officially turned the big 50! He is fifty years old as of yesterday and I just wanted to take the time to let the old fart know how much I truly love him! (Side note: daddy please do not be offended by the multiple uses of the word old in this blog post! I am only letting the world know the truth, that as of yesterday you are old!)

So just because I love this old father of mine I am going to post some pictures I have in tribute to my amazingly awesome and OLD daddy!

Taking a walk down memory lane...one of my favorite memories growing up was when dad would wrestle with us kids! We would always wrestle on one of the many oriental rugs that decorated our home! The object of the game would be for all three of us kids to wrestle against my dad and try to keep him away from one edge of the rug! He would win if he pushed us all to his end of the rug and we would win if we pushed him all the way to our end of the rug! All I know is when I was younger, I thought my dad was the strongest man alive! He would always win but never before a good fight was made!


We lived in Orlando Florida for many years when I was younger! This picture was taken in our last home in Florida overlooking the lake! My how young we look!


All growing up we would take family ski trips to Utah and Colorado! So many fun memories were made on these annual ski adventures! This particular trip we made an igloo and it was mighty fine! My dad was the mastermind behind the whole structure! Oh what fun we had in that little igloo!


This is one of my favorite pictures that is still hanging up in my bedroom at home of me and my dad! We took this when I was maybe 9 years old? We are pretty cute aren't we? I would often stop and just look at this picture growing up! I just knew by looking at this picture how much my dad loved me!


I was fortunate enough to get baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by my loving father! His birthday is a little less than a month after mine so on my dad's birthday he baptized me in the Green River in Wyoming! I felt the spirit that day and am so glad my dad was able to baptize me!


Basically I love my dad so much! He is a great example to me of Christ like love and service! If I can grow up to be half the person my dad is I will be an extremely happy girl! Dad thanks for all you do for me! Enjoy the rest of these pictures because I loved gathering them up! I LOVE YOU!

Family cruise! We have so many memories and it is all thanks to the old guy who made it all possible!


Habitat for Humanity build in Armenia! My dad was able to come along this time and it made the trip so much better!


This picture is out to dinner in celebration of my parent's 25th wedding anniversary! I love their love story and it makes me so happy to see them happy! The whole family celebrating together!



My dad took me on my very first golfing trip...I can't say I was all that good but he sure made it more enjoyable! Thanks for your patience with my lacking skills pops!


This was the very first time my dad met Broc! We had been dating for about 4 months, 2 of those months I was gone in Mexico! Broc got to see my dad in all his glory as we ate sandwiches and talked!


Needless to say they became instant friends! As soon as my dad found out Broc was a golfer he got a new golf partner and they have been buddies ever since!


My dad and Broc also bond over the love for watching tennis! Here we are watching a match and loving life! Thanks for all the fun times dad!


A few months before our wedding my dad said he wanted to take dance lessons so we could waltz at my wedding! Well the day of the wedding came and although he tried so hard, waltzing was not exactly what we did! That daddy-daughter dance was certainly still the best though! I love you dad! :)


The summer we lived in NYC was probably the best summer for my dad because we lived so close and saw him at least once a week...no exaggeration! It was always great meeting up with my parents in a little NYC cafe or going with them to museums and walking across the Brooklyn Bridge! Oh the memories we made!


Now if this is not a classic Natalie and father photo I don't know what is! My dad is never afraid to goof off and have a good time with me! I put that shirt on my head and thought it made me look Egyptian so my dad and I started doing Egyptian dancing! Don't ask me what Egyptian dancing entails but I promise you my dad and I had it down that night!


One of our favorite family traditions is playing Mexican train! Who knew that Broc's family also played dominoes regularly! Well of course that means we could only do one thing...have a Buttars/Merritt battle to the end! I came in first place and Broc came in second! How appropriate! So glad my parents love my in-laws!


And the last picture I have to share...a complete family photo at last! While Broc and I were in Texas doing an internship my family came down for Thanksgiving! Dad could only come for a quick visit but it sure made my day of thanks all the better!


Well pops! I could probably go on forever and post pictures of the fun times we have shared! Basically just because you are old doesn't mean I'm expecting less from you! May the next 50 years be spectacular with many more fun memories to come! I LOVE YOU DAD...even if you are old!!