Happy 60th Birthday Dad!

At the end of August we celebrated a very special occasion in our family. My wonderful Dad turned 60! It was the first time we had all been together as a family since my sister Chelsea left to go and live in Queensland in January. She flew back for a week and booked it to coincide with Dad's birthday. We were all very excited to be able to be together to celebrate the occasion as there always seems to be at least one person missing from our family dinners.

We all decided that The Observatory at Sky City would be a lovely venue so the rest of the family travelled up from Hamilton for the day. We all know that seafood is Dad's favourite so this was a great option. He absolutely loved the restaurant, the food and the setting, as did we. We are trying to think of another excuse to get back there soon as it was so fantastic!

When I think about my Dad I can't help but feel so blessed to have had him right by my side as a grew up, even now he is still there for all his girls (all four of us!). Nothing was ever too much trouble for him and I always felt secure in the knowledge that he would drop all tools to come to our aid when neccesary.

Like the time I was hit by a drunk driver, the numerous times my various cars failed their WOF and needed work and when I was stranded in various parts of Auckland and needed rescuing! My fantastic Dad has always been there for me and continues to help and support me and my family in so many ways.

Dad has always been a 'doer' and has the best work ethic of anyone I know. He taught us the value of hard work and the importance of keeping busy and getting on with the job. I love him so much for this and hope that I can try my best to emulate this in my own life and teach my own children this important value.

When we were growing up, Dad took us everywhere with him. Weekends were spent at the golf course, the Brighton rugby club and travelling around Victoria to rugby tournaments. Week nights were spent bike riding (with Dad running beside us!) along St Kilda Beach up to the Esplanade and exploring the canals close to where we lived. On the odd occasion we were even able to go to work with Dad in his truck or to painting jobs. :-)

Yep, our Dad surely is the best any of us could have wished for and this tribute is for him. Happy Birthday Dad and Papa! We love you. :-)