The Festival of Lights

 My dad has a joke in our family about birthdays. He calls them "The Festival of Lights" because my mom is realllllly good at managing to get several celebrations out of one birthday, well everyone's except for my dad's. It's just a joke but it's kind of true, his birthday is July 2nd so the 4th of July (also his sister's birthday) always tends to overshadow Dad's festival of lights. Not to mention, 2 of my 4 babies were also born in July AND my brother's birthday is July 8th.
  He doesn't want much for his birthday, just a card (which he will open at your house and end up leaving there because it's JUST THAT SPECIAL TO HIM....same goes for Father's Day cards!) I know how important these cards are to him....because one year I forgot to buy him a card and it took YEARS to live it down (and counting).
  Dad, I want you to know that we may not celebrate your Festival of Lights like we do for mom, but I celebrate it several times a week.

  I celebrate your birthday every single time I lay on the floor and Wylee (see, her name is spelled LEE because that's YOUR middle name) runs over and lays on my back...all I'm missing is a coloring book or a newspaper.
  I celebrate YOU on the rare occasion that the kids and I pour ourselves some milk and have an Oreo Dunking Party.
  I celebrate you every time someone tells me that all my boys have that "Talley mark", especially Wyatt.
  And I celebrate you again when we make a batch of homemade popcorn, when I fold a load of laundry (because you taught me how to fold), and when I wrap a gift (because you taught me that, too). I also celebrate you when I pull a Snickers bar out of the freezer and think to myself how you call them Gigglers, and when I catch myself bouncing my leg while sitting at the dinner table.
  I celebrate you when Russell takes a giant breath right before he takes a big bite of food, because YOU DO THAT, TOO!
  Every time I'm coloring with one of the kids, I celebrate you, because you taught me how to color in the same direction so that it doesn't look so sloppy. They think I'm so very talented.
  You're celebrated in my memories anytime I see a Rockwall Baseball shirt, whether it's around town or when my kids wear them to bed. I still have a hard time accepting your retirement.
  I celebrate you when we make kool-aid because it makes me think of how you would pour kool-aid into water bottles and put them in the cooler to take to the Rangers game. And I still have the olive green shirt that you bought me at the game that just you and I went to.
  Your Festival of Lights continues every time I have an anxiety attack or get so nervous that I throw up.....because you passed that down to me whether you wanted to or not, lol. Every time I would sit in the alley way about to make my run I would puke a little, and that's ok, because I know you did the same  before your football games.
  When Russell asks me to lay down with him while he falls asleep I have a hard time saying no, because you used to do the same for me.
  When Wylee refuses to sleep under her comforter, I only SORT OF celebrate you.....because bed bugs just aren't funny.
  Wyatt and Wylee's bright blue eyes...constant reminders because they got them from YOU, their PaPa.
  Going to Sam Houston was my first pick, my only pick, I had no back up....because that's where my daddy went and that's where I wanted to go to.
  I even have a little Festival of Lights celebration in your honor when a Seinfeld rerun shows up on the guide. Sometimes I watch it, not cause I like the show, but because you like the show.

  I celebrate you a whole lot, everyday, you just don't know it. Now you do. I could name at least 50 more everyday things, but then I'd have nothing to write about in your coveted birthday cards. I love you and mom so much and I appreciate all of the memories that I have, I hope my kids think as highly of me someday as I think of you guys. Only 174.5 days until your birthday....but who's counting, right? ;)