Happy Belated Father's Day

I didn't get a chance to blog last weekend. My 24 hour break just gets away from me somehow!

Anyway, I just wanted to say Happy Father's Day to all those dads, especially my wonderful dad!

-Thank you for always putting up with me when I was younger, and my attitude.

-Thanks for not always just wearing my bottom out, but sitting down and lecturing me like Willie Purtee used to do yall kids.

-Thanks for saying things like "just go with the flow" and "watch your tone Rachel Elizabeth" probably 30,000 times over the course of my life so far.

-Thank you for teaching me to ride a bike in 1st grade down the road to the Kelso's and back.

-Thank you for letting me try every sport I could ever have wanted to including dance, gymnastics, softball, soccer, volleyball, cheerleading...and for paying for them!

-Thank you for taking me to numerous J.O. tournaments pretty much every weekend from Jan-May for 9 years!

-Thank you for actually watching those countless volleyball matches even when I had a bad attitude, or for coming to my school games straight from work in your suit and tie.

-Thank you for always telling me to "police my room" each morning before school, and teaching me to be clean. (I actually tell my kids that every morning here at camp, ha)

-Thank you for teaching me hard work, not only by your words, but by your example.

-Thank you for teaching me and making me mow the yard, rake the leaves, and clean the pool.

-Thank you for building us a playhouse, letting us have dogs, providing us with food, shelter, and a comfy bed to sleep in, toys, games, tv's, everything we ever wanted with little to no thanks in return sometimes.

-Thank you for always bandaging me, and taking care of me through my whiney, accident prone years.

-Thanks for teaming up with mom and making me do stuff like play the violin for 8 years...and for listening to me practice even though I'm sure it wasn't that good!

-Thanks for teaching me about commitment, and that once I start something I'm to finish it and do it to the best of my ability.

-Thanks for teaching me about integrity, and how to do things the honorable and right way...not "playing the politics" or using your name to accomplish things.

-Thanks for letting us play Pretty Pretty Princess with Laura and me, and putting on plastic jewelry.

-Thanks for always saying "I love you, you know that?" every morning and night when I woke up/went to bed.

-Thanks for always saying "you know, there's some kid out there who would give their right arm for _____" because I wasn't always that appreciative of what I had.

-Thanks for saying the "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep..." prayer with me when I was younger and listening to me go through the entire family (cousins and their dogs included) when I'm sure you were dog tired from a day at work.

-Thanks for answering my many questions when I was younger like "what are the yellow striped lines on the road for?" and explaining them to me.

-Thanks for always verbally praising me for when I did good. I think my "words of encouragement" love language is because of you.

-Thanks for being such a great, Godly example to Laur-o and me when mom was sick and after her passing.

-Thanks for loving me during my time of rebellion when I was a teenager.

-Thanks for STILL giving us lectures about being clean, and money management.

-Thanks for your "no news is good news" policy, and letting Laura and me have adventures in life and trusting us.

-Thanks for buying me a white convertible sebring with a black top when I was 15 because that was my dream car I wanted.

-Thanks for always helping me put on my pantyhose before church each Sunday when I was a little kid, I know now that I have to put them on myself how difficult that was.

-Thanks for sitting me on your knee every morning in the bathroom and telling me to say "eee" and "aah" while you helped me brush my teeth....no cavities still :)

-Thanks for always letting me peel your sunburns after we came back from the beach each year.

-Thanks for waking me up gently every morning for the first 17 years of my life even though I was grouchy EVERY single morning...waking up on my own is definitely not as much fun!

-Thank you for rubbing my back and singing Winnie the Pooh to me to help me go to sleep when I was younger...and for waking back up and continuing to rub my back/sing when you fell asleep first.

-Thank you for being protective of us concerning boys when we were in jr. high and high school. Yes, fear of potentially telling you I had a boyfriend kept me from having one sometimes, but I am thankful nonetheless.

-Thank you for driving on all the family vacations we took, and taking the seats out in the van to put the portable tv in there so we could watch movies and lay down.

-Thank you for taking care of Harley half the time, and ALWAYS taking care of Buddy and Rolly even though they were "mine and Laura's" dogs.

-Thank you for somewhat building our house with Papa Willie. I was only 3, so I don't really remember it, but I know you worked hard like you always do.

-Thank you for always being a great example of Christ's love for me and Laura.

-Thank you for always loving my mom and being faithful to her.

-Thank you for showing me the value of family, and that I should always be thankful for them.

-Thank you for being my dad and for all that you've done for me. I am so blessed!

These are some of my favorite pictures over the years with my dad.

This is us eating Laura's 22nd birthday cake. Dad had done something funny for the camera and this was us laughing after.

Our family this past thanksgiving taking Christmas pictures.

The Purtee family eating in Memphis for Laura's 21st birthday.

Dad helped me vote for the first time. Yes, I'm a nerd, and I wanted to document it.

Me, Dad, and his mom (Granny) at my senior sports banquet.

Some of our family at my senior sunday. They came to support me even though I went to a different church than all them.

Laura, Lana, Dad, and me at my senior homecoming game.

Me, Lana, and Dad at homecoming senior year.

My senior homecoming pep rally.

My senior cheer camp. Dad with the video camera, always supporting us and catching every minute of it.

I received an award my junior year in Little Rock. Dad took off work, and went with me for the presentation.

Our family in Memphis eating for mom's birthday my freshman year.

My mom's family at Thanksgiving my freshman year.

This picture is poor quality, but I love it! Dad used to mow the yard with me on his shoulders, and I would fall asleep. Laura popped up in the shot. After carrying kids around on my shoulders here at camp, I now know how annoying and difficult it is to have this dead weight that fidgets and doesn't help hold themselves up.

I wish I had a picture of me on the big wheel tricycle, but this Barbie jeep will do. I used to ride down the drive way on it, and rather than me walking myself up Dad would always push me back up.

I just had to include this picture because I just love it so much. It's mom and dad on a church choir trip I think.

The Purtee children at Christmas 05. Mom and Dad were able to come home from M.D. Anderson in Houston.

Dad and Mom always supported me at my boring, long J.O. tournaments.