1. He has the best sense of humor.

Most people don't understand his humor, but I do. I mean, who else's dad has a list of like 50 jokes about cows? My favorite: What happens when a cow falls down? Udder destruction.

2. He works hard to provide for our family.

He's always worked hard. Because of his hard work, my mom was able to stay home with my brother and I, and I have never gone without.

3. He inspires me.

My dad is my biggest inspiration. Not only does he have a large list of accomplishments (which I have hanging on my desk!), but he also is one of the most genuinely kind people that I know. I hope that when I'm "all grown up," I will be half the person that he is and have half of the successes that he has.

4. He is always willing to spend time with me.

Even though he works almost 24/7, when I ask for help with something or if I suggest a dinner outing, he's always willing to hang out with me.

5. He respects that I'm growing up.

Even though I'm sure he wishes that I was still a little girl, he respects that I am growing up, and gives me the space to make my own decisions. Thankfully, I can make pretty good decisions because my parents taught me how to!

6. He is patient.

A perfect example of his patience is when he was teaching me how to drive. He taught me how to parallel park when he didn't even know how to himself, and when I hit a mailbox, he just calmly said, "Samantha, you just hit a mailbox." Thanks to his patience (believe me, it took a long time and lots of patience), I am a semi-decent driver.

7. He kills bugs for me.

This might seem like an easy task, but when you have a daughter as petrified of bugs as I am, it's certainly not. My dad has killed hundreds of bugs at all hours of the night.

8. He loves my mom.

He still surprises her with flowers sometimes, and I think it makes me just as happy as it makes her. I love knowing that they are still happily in love. They have set a wonderful example of what lasting love looks like.

9. He is a human calculator.

My dad is the smartest person I know. In high school, he scored an almost perfect score on the SAT the morning after he went midnight bowling. I literally brag about this to everyone because I can't say the same for myself. When I struggled with math homework, he would always sit down and help me, even if it took hours.

10. He loves God.

I will be forever thankful that my dad taught me about Christianity, and inspired me to love and seek God just like he does.

11. He makes really good pizza.

No explanation needed here.