Dad turns 60!

My parents are only a few months different in age.  So last week was my dad's 60th birthday.  We wrote some memories down for him.  If you have any birthday wishes or memories you'd like to write in the comments I can pass them on.  We'll be putting them in a book eventually.

Hosing down the tarp slip-n-slide for the grandkids

  I think the time I most surprised/impressed dad was one week on our mandatory property work hours.  We were irrigating the fruit trees and dad left to go weed-eat the weeds- not a small task mind you.  He told me to call him if I saw any gofers pop up so he could kill them.  Well sure ‘nuff a few minutes later a small gofer came scurrying out of a hole.  I yelled for dad as loud as I could but he still couldn’t hear me over the weed-eater.  I knew he wouldn’t be happy if I let it get away.  So I did the only thing a self-respecting- hunters-safety-graduate-daughter of a hunter from Cornville would do. I grabbed a shovel and smacked that gopher flat.  When dad came back I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so proud.  I know he was disappointed I never went on a real hunt- he was lucky to get me in that hunter’s safety course.  Sorry dad!  I made the mistake of telling this gopher story in my freshman English class and I never lived it down. (Nicknames like gopher slayer and drawings in my yearbook come to mind.)

Taking the grand kids to throw rocks in the creek

I appreciate that dad worked at the fish hatchery.  At the time I didn’t always appreciate the lack of neighbors but now I can’t imagine a better place to grow up.  I have so many great memories of riding bikes and roller blades around the hatchery, and running into skunks and some mean looking raccoons.  I loved having such a big yard- especially the tree house.  I loved swimming and exploring around the creek.  I was so proud when he gave the tour of the hatchery for our class field trip.  I remember every day when he would walk to work he would take the trash and give mom a little "love peck".  Sometimes if he forgot he would come back to give mom her kiss.  I thought it was gross and sweet.  I always knew they loved each other- and they still make each other laugh.  He would always come home for lunch and eat warmed up left-overs or pb&j and watch Andy Griffith and the news.  I remember watching him crack nuts into a bag or peel an orange in one large peel.  Practically magic!

  Dad was always an interesting person to take on a field trip.  I remember he came on a trip with all the science fair winners (so of course at least 2 Diehls were on the trip- with a teacher for a mom and a biologist/amateur inventor for a dad we were a shoe-in) in this case Cody and me.  We stopped at Encanto Park and dad lured a few pigeons into his trademark lunchbox/ice chest.  The best part was when one of them got out in the school van on the way back home and pooped.  I’m not sure Mr. Hammerle invited dad on any more trips.  Those pigeons were the start of a large coop in our backyard, another one of dad’s never-ending projects.

When we were in high school Marti and I (mostly Marti) read dad the Harry Potter books.  He always called them Harry Pottifer and kept joking they were about witchcraft- in a bad way.  But when we stopped reading to him he finished the series on his own and went to the opening nights of the movies with us. 

Charlotte's first birthday

Holding Charlotte up to see the tigers at the San Diego zoo Oct 2009

Dad and tiny Oliver 2010.  

I appreciate so much what a good dad you were to us.  I knew that you cared if we were making good choices.  I think I’m your favorite to tease- I know it’s because I give the best reactions and faces.  Thanks for loving me.  It's been fun to see you be a grandad. Happy 60^th birthday dad!   I hope you get to do all the fun things you have planned for your retirement- except maybe that Para plane thing…

Dad the observer on my wedding day May 2005