Happy Fathers Day!

Today is a tribute to the special fathers in our lives. Since I’ve become a parent, I think more about what it takes to be a good parent, and I realize more and more what great parents I have and how lucky I am to be able to learn from them.

So here are just a few of the reasons why my Dad is so special to me:

• He is the hardest working person I know. For as long as I can remember, he was always working hard, either out of necessity or fun. He worked hard for everything that he has and taught me that hard work pays off. I am so proud of his success (not many people successfully run a business for 33 years) and I am so proud that he is my Dad.

• He is kind, selfless, has a huge heart, and would do anything for his family, friends, and employees.

• Working in a predominantly male field, I get asked the question a lot how I got into software development. And my answer is my Dad. One of my earliest memories was programming computer games, because my Dad showed me how. I love my career and have my Dad to thank for it.

• My Dad made me want to make him proud, especially when it came to school. As a parent this is the one I wish I knew the trick to! I stayed out of trouble because I didn’t want to disappoint my Dad. Please lord let me figure out how to do this with Mateo!!

• He is a great Paw-Paw! It is heart-warming to see my Dad with Mateo, and to see how much Mateo adores his Paw-Paw. It is cute, because he asks for him a lot, but when we get around him he just goes about his playing. I think he just wants Paw-Paw there, in the same room. Maybe he just feels the love, who knows.

Thank you Dad for everything, and we love you!

Now to Juan - Here are just a few reasons why Juan is such a great Dad:

• He is a big KID! I always knew Juan would be an amazing Dad, because all he wants to do is play and goof-off and have fun. And he is creative too. You could give him a stick, and he would find a way to make Mateo laugh with it.

• He is patient.  His patience rubs off on me, and he keeps calm in stressful situations.  He helps me be a better mom.

• He is great at the art of distraction, which is a critical skill as a parent.

• All he wants is for his family to be happy, and he would do anything to make this happen.

• He is optimistic, and I hope Mateo learns this from his Dad!

• Deep down he is a boy scout. Juan never was a boy scout as a kid, but somehow he grew into one. He is always prepared, and we can always count on Dad!

• He is hyper. He will deny it, but he is. And this is great, because he has the energy to keep up with Mateo.

I honestly could not imagine somebody being a better Dad or husband than Juan.  I realize just how lucky we are, and I know that someday Mateo will realize it too.  Thank you Juan for being such a great Dad!

And last, but not least, Grandpa.  We joke that we want to clone Grandpa and have him with us everywhere we go.  Him and Mateo have a bond stronger than any other bond I've seen.  I think "absense makes the heart grow fonder" definitely applies in this case, because regardless of the distance between them, the love between them is apparent.  Thank you to Grandpa for raising such an amazing son and for being such a great Grandpa!

Thank you Dads for being so special to us.  We love you all!