For my Dad

Last night I was talking to Michelle and the Cheesecake Factory cheesecake she had for her birthday cake came up. It got me thinking about my Dad, and how even though we only got to spend every other Christmas with him, he always went out of his way to make the holiday special for us. One year, when we were in college, he FedExed us my favorite Cheesecake Factory cheesecake - White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle - on dry ice. There are no Cheesecake Factories anywhere near my Mom's, and it was amazing. It wasn't just Christmas, though. He always made sure we knew he was thinking about us if we weren't with him, sending little cards and treats for every holiday - Halloween, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day. A lot of things about our parents living in different parts of the state was no fun for us growing up, but we always had the excitement of finding treats in the mail and going fun places with Dad when we'd go to LA or when he'd come pick us up and take us to Reno for the weekend.

This year, I am especially thankful that I've made plans to make a quick trip to meet my sister at my Dad's before I move on to Phoenix for the holidays. We found out this week that my Dad has Myeloma. Tomorrow he will have a test to find out how extensive it is. I nearly didn't write this blog, because it's been a tough week for our family and it's hard to actually put it in writing. But I believe in the power of prayer, and I ask you to remember my Dad in your prayers.

We love you, Dad!