Dear World

Today I bequeath to you one little girl in a crisp dress, two twinkling eyes and a happy laugh that ripples all day long and a flash of curly hair that bounces in the sun when she runs. I trust you will treat her well. She's slipping out the backyard of my heart this morning and skipping off down the street to her first day of school and never again will she be completely mine. No longer will she have time to sit on the front porch steps on a summer day and watch an ant scurry across the crack in the side walk. Nor will she have time to pop out of bed with the dawn and kiss the lilac blooms in the morning dew. The books and learning will replace the blocks and dolls.  She'll find new heroes. For 5 full years I've been her sage and Santa Claus and pal and playmate and father and friend...But today I'll stand and watch her start out on that long, lonely journey to becoming a woman.

So world, I bequeath to you today...

I trust you'll treat her well. by Dan Valentine

Love, Papa

Breakfast mmmmmmmmmm

Tomatoes, Food of the Gods

but only IF they are like these. Firm skin but juicy inside and just the right flavor...my mouth is watering just thinking about these

Add bacon, mayo and toasted bread

Luscious...

One of my favorite things

And yes for Breakfast

Gotta have lots of mayo!

It makes me happy!

What strange and wonderful things do you eat for Breakfast?

Boys...Girls

The Lap of Luxury

Mama and corn...what more do you need?

You are the Smile to my Face

Happy, happy birthday my dearest love.

I met you when I was 17...I can't believe how the time has flown.

You are the horizon to my sky.

You are the gravy to my mashed potatoes.

You are the cold milk to my cookies.

You are the ink to my pen.

You are the ketchup to my french fries.

You are the water to my ocean.

I love you!

...I thought we had sorever...

Only 3 days old and she had my heart.

By the age of one, I knew she was my "bosom friend" as Anne of Green Gables so aptly put it.

Age 2
Her love of all things chocolate...hmmm.
Her love of Barbies...hmmm.
Her girliness, love of pink, purple and sparkles...hmmm.
Hmmm does that remind you of anyone?

Age 3

How happy it makes me to see her complete joy and excitement over things I do for her.

Age 4

I am lovesick and my heart is full to bursting as I think of this day and how she told me "I love my cake Baba HooHoo".

Now she is sive years old...I cannot believe where the time went.  She is the ultimate "Time Bandit"...she has shown me just how fast the years are going...

And I thought we had sorever to play Barbies, and Princesses and Pirates...But she is sive now and school is looming on the horizon...I must capture all of the moments and hold them inside my heart...and remember all of our times in our world of make believe.  I hope she will remember them sorever too. And the tears are running down my cheeks as I write

 I love you my Rose...

Happy Birthday!

The Day I Met the 2nd Boy I Ever Loved

The day he turned 1

The day he turned 2

And he accepted Grandpa Hoo Hoo's heart first...

But I think that I might have captured a tiny bit of his heart too...

Happy Birthday my Baby Wild Blonde Boy

I Yuv you!