Happy Birthday Dad Ashby!

This weekend will be spent celebrating my Father-in-Law's 60th Birthday!! EVERYONE is coming up to Flagstaff and today we are heading to Out of Africa. It's going to be a lot of fun! I wanted to share a little bit of a gift that Race and I got to be a part of. My sister-in-law Tyne found an awesome idea on Pinterest where you gather 60 memories for the past 60 years. I wrote a memory and Race wrote in a TON of memories. I thought that I would share some of them on here because they are just that special.


Here is mine:


Dear Dad, 

I don't remember exactly when this was but it was probably pretty soon after Race and I were engaged. We had spent the weekend in Show Low with family and as we were about to leave you gave me a big hug, kissed me on the forehead, and said "I love you." I remember feeling an overwhelming love for you and being so excited to be a part of the wonderful Ashby family. I look forward to that hug and kiss on the forehead every time I see you Dad! Thanks for making me feel so included in your family! I love you! Happy Birthday!! 

Love, Emma Frances Ashby 

Here are some of my favorites that Race wrote: 

How on earth can EVERYTHING under the sun be related to a math problem?! “Dad, can I drive the BMW? I don’t know Race… this sounds like a math problem to me…” “Dad, how do you spell ‘biology’? Well Race, where’s your calculator?” “Dad, do these cookies taste o.k.? Tell you what Race, get me a piece of paper and a pencil…” “Dad, should I add a few more boxes of cereal to this cart? Add… subtract… whatever it takes.”

Dad is kind of an artist. Like when I was really little, and Mom wanted me to be the Phantom of the Opera for Halloween. I don't know how long it took Dad to make my Phantom mask, but he sculpted it like he had made a career out of paper mache mask masking. Every detail, right down to the left nostril hole added at the last minute with a sharp pencil, remind me that Dad took his job seriously- no just as chief costume designer, but also as my Dad.

I've been called the "cookie doctor" in our family, and the title is well deserved. I've wasted more sugar and flour than anyone I've ever met in an effort to perfect every cookie recipe under the sun. I'd be working on something I'd found in Grandma's old recipes- some cookie-delicacy I was sure would impress the whole family, and Dad would wander into the kitchen and ask something goofy like "why aren't those chocolate chip cookies?" I know I inherited my love of cookies from Dad, but in his eyes, there is only one kind of cookie; chocolate chip. Anything else is practically a vegetable.

We've all probably changed our "favorite movie" a hundred times. Not Dad. He has one favorite movie; Matilda. Teal and I can weave movie lines in and out of any conversation, but we learned all that from Dad, who can't talk about cameras without asking if you know how to "adjust the eyepiece," or spell the word "difficulty" without shouting "why are all these women married?!"

I remember playing soccer as a kid- I was never the best on the team, or the most coordinated. I did get a lot of playing time though. I could say that was because Dad was my coach, and it would be true, but not for the reasons you might think. Having Dad as my coach made me want to work hard. I wanted to show him I could play soccer well, because he liked soccer. I wanted to show him I could run fast, because he liked to run. Dad watching me has always made me push myself to do better- without saying anything he made me want to try harder in high school sports, academically, and as a worker. Dad’s not watching me all the time anymore, but just thinking about him still has that effect of making me want to do the best I can. And while I’m pretty sure Dad was never impressed with my bicycle kick in little league soccer, I’m glad he coached my team then.


I remember singing the primary song “I’m so glad when daddy comes home.” Dad was in Korea, and he would be coming home soon, so I really worked on getting the words and hand motions right; including the whole “pat his cheeks and give him what? A great big kiss!” part. I remember exactly where I was and how I felt when I saw him. No matter how long it had been, or how young I was, I remember when Dad came home. And I made sure I got that hug and kiss just like the song said.


{How cute are Race's stories? And isn't he an absolutely wonderful writer? I think so!}

{This is both sides of the family at our wedding. I don't have super good pictures of Dad Ashby and Race and I anywhere. I'll have to get some of those this weekend!}


So many wonderful memories of such a wonderful father. :] I loved this gift idea and I loved learning more about my father-in-law. He really is a wonderful person! Happy Birthday Dad Ashby!! 


{Today I am grateful for my in-laws! They are all such wonderful people. I gained an absolutely wonderful family when I got married!}