Happy Birthday "Angel" Dad

According to Shayne, and my phone calls to the nurses, Grandma Nee Nee's surgery went well. We continue to pray for a a full and complete recovery. We know it will be a long road ahead. THANK YOU for your prayers. Shayla took her a stuffed animal from her bed and drew her eight pictures. That can only help, right?!

Daddy's Little Girl Lyrics
Artist Michael Buble

You're the end of the rainbow, a pot of gold,
You're daddy's little girl to have and hold.
A precious gem is what you are,
You're mom-my's bright and shi-ning star.
You're the spirit of Christmas, the star on the tree,
You're the Easter Bunny for mommy and me;
You're sugar, you're spice, you're ev'-ry-thing nice,
And you're daddy's little girl.

You're the spirit of Christmas, the star on the tree,
You're the Easter Bunny for mommy and me;
You're sugar, you're spice, you're ev'-ry-thing nice,
And you're daddy's little girl.

When I selected the above song for the "dance with my father" on our wedding day, I "thought" I knew and understood the meaning of the words. It wasn't until I became a parent myself that I fully realized how very true those words were. Christi and Shayla are "our little girls" who've blessed us with such joy - truly the light of our lives. While I danced with my father that night, he told me how he had heard the song on the Kodak commercial on TV and how he was so touched I selected it for our dance. He told me that all of his girls were the light of his life. With dad "always being there" I never imagined five short years later he would be gone.

Today, on what would have been my father's 66th birthday, I find I miss him so very much. Dad died of a heart attack, while on vacation in Michigan, at the age of 55. It's hard to believe that was almost 11 years ago. Although my mom didn't want anything buried with dad in his casket, (I think she just really didn't want anything "tacky".) I wrote dad a letter the night before he was buried and we arrived very early at the funeral home so that I could get it to him without upsetting my mother. Writing that letter gave me a lot of comfort since I didn't get to say my final words to my father - like I was so blessed to do with Christi.

Today, my mom and step father (Nonee and Paw Paw) will take us to the Amish Country, in Holmes County, Ohio. It is the largest population of Amish in the world. We all always felt that Christi would absolutely LOVE it there; however, it was yet another place that her carsickness would simply not allow us to attend. Today, Paw Paw will drive us throughout what will most likely be lovely countryside and I am certain I will wipe a few tears away as I miss Christi so much. I wish I could share it all with her, instead I'll look for "orbs" in our pictures to try to comfort myself.

Yesterday, I mustered up the courage to take Shayla to the County Fair. More about that later.

Tomorrow we will visit the cemetery. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Dad! (I hope Miss Christi put "trick candles" on your cake - just a little taste of your own medicine, hee hee!)