Was this how Van Gogh started?

Emma's therapists brought some large ink pads over the other day. They also brought many stamps thinking that Emma could do a "cute little stamping project". Emma took the 1st stamp and with a gleam in her eye she tossed it across the room. Then she proceeded to stick her entire hand on the stamp pad...and that is where the fun began. The therapists soon realized that the clothes needed to come off. So, Emma found a new joy in life. She had so much fun...as the pictures below will tell. She also made an awesome picture for our wall...far better than ANY stamps would have done!







I'm thinking about sending Em's GI doctor this picture and asking him...."I'm pretty sure this isn't jaundice (from liver disease)...but, what would cause this discoloring of her stomach? LOL!!! This is actually her tummy....the finished product!!





Van Gogh.....EAT YOUR HEART OUT!!! Do you think this is how he started??? HMMMMM?????

Go Broncos!

Emma is a true Bronco fan through and through thanks to Aunt Becky and Uncle Joe! We are pretty sure they won yesterday because their petite mini cheerleader was wearing the jersey. What do you think? Wouldn't you win a game if you saw that sweet face? Go Broncos!!!

3 Amazing Years

I awoke this morning with a dark cloud looming over me....and a strong pounding in my head that suggested maybe my alter ego went out last night and tied one on without me. As the day went on the headache subsided, but the cloud continued to follow me (isn't there a cartoon about that). While we were eating lunch it hit me like a ton of bricks.....it's been 3 years today. Why do I always remember these "anniversaries"? Today marks the anniversary of the beginning of a journey that we never signed up for. There were no road maps made for our travels. We began this journey with a blind fold on, and many days I feel like I still have it on. Yes, on September 17, 2003 we admitted Miss Emma to the hospital for the very first time.

I vividly remember pulling into the circular drive in front of The Children's Hospital while tears welled up in my eyes and proceeded to pour down my cheeks. This was followed by the sobs that racked my post partum body while I opened the back door of our car to remove the car seat which held our yellow baby with wondering eyes. She looked up at me as if to say, "Mama, what's wrong"...and that is how our journey began. That particular entrance at Children's Hospital still pains me to walk through. I hope to never experience that feeling again. The utter fear of the unknown that can take over your entire being.

The memory of walking through the halls, trying to find our way to a room that was on the other side of the construction zone. Without a map....it took patience that we did not have at the time. Finally we found it, and we weeped some more as we laid our precious 6 week old child in the crib. The crib that she would spend the next month of her life in. Those bars that I would look through to see my child with tubes and wires. My child who was trying to heal...with a liver that would not allow her to. Those bars were like a prison that had trapped us all in a time that I felt like my world was ending.

I remember feeling as if I were falling deeper and deeper into a dark hole. I worried each time that I went to sleep that I may not be able to climb out the next day, or worse that someone may tell me something else to push me further. The darkness encompassed my world. The pain of the unknown was my every breath. My entire body felt it.

Today is a day of memories. They are not the kind of memories that I want to have, but they are the memories that help me to cherish my child more than I ever knew I could. Those moments are a part of my child's history, and they have helped to make me who I am today. Before having Emma I never knew how strong I could be. The past 3 years have helped me to become a person that I am proud to be. Looking back, I can tell you that the past 3 years have been amazing!

From the Mouths of Babes!

My students were working on a project today (I teach a multi-age Kdg./1st grade class) when one of my kindergarten students said, "Mrs. F, how do you make ladybugs?". I said, "Real ladybugs?". He said, "Yes". I began to tell him that only nature can make real lady bugs. He was not convinced of this, so he said to me, "But, I WANT to make a ladybug". I continued to tell him that only nature could make ladybugs...it was just not something that we could do. He put his hands on his hips and he said to me, "WELL, MRS. F. YOU SAID WE COULD DO ANYTHING IF WE TRY HARD ENOUGH".

Just when you think they aren't listening....you realize that they really do hear EVERY WORD YOU SAY! The way they interpret things in the literal sense is something all of us could learn from the innocence of a child.

Life blooms as the flowers wilt away

Life is blooming here in our little corner of the world. When I look out my window there is a heavvy haze in the air from the brutal forrest fires that are taking their toll on our surrounding states, but looking past it I can see the leaves begin to turn the beautiful crimson and orange of the impending fall. Blooming...in the fall? I know that it may sound as if I have the seasons mixed up. Lord knows that in Wyoming when the seasons are changing we dare not blink before the next season is here. I do know the difference between fall and spring (after all...it is a 1st grade benchmarks).

I guess by "blooming" I mean within our household and within our lives. Life is finally just EASY...and I never thought that I would EVER be able to say that again (and I am knocking on wood vigorously...and using strong caution while typing this). Emma is blooming! I have come to the conclusion that once you have a child life really does cease to be about you any more....and when you have a sick child on top of it...well, just forget about life ever being about you again. However, I don't want it to be about me. I stand in her glory and look at her with awe. The obstacles that she has faced and overcome are inspiring....and she continually impresses me every single day. Yes, she is blooming. She is eating like a champ, she is using the big girl potty (with the assistance of the Elmo Potty video....and it is still not real consistant...but, I'll take what I can get), she is talking more and more every day, she has a strong will and determination that just flounders me!! AND....are you ready for this???....she is going to start pre-school!!

One day a week my little princess will go to pre-school. I'm SO excited!! She will start on Oct. 5....and yes, I already have her outfit (complete with matching shoes) picked out....are you surprised??

It amazes me how much more relaxed life can be when things are somewhat "normal" (I know Becky....normal is JUST a setting on the dryer). Life may never be everyone else's version of normal in our house, but I will enjoy our "easy" moments while I watch Emma bloom:).

Rain girl????

After dinner this evening Emma wanted nothing more than to go for a walk with her new bike (for her birthday she got a tricycle that you can push like a stroller...it is GREAT), so we headed off to a nearby park. In the past Emma has liked the park, but when it was time to go she didn't make a big deal about it. Today things changed!

When we got to the park there were 3 other children there. Emma headed right to the swings. As I placed her in the swing the mom next to me (who was pushing her little boy in the other swing) asked the infamous question, "How old is she?" (innocent enough, right?). So, I answered, "She just turned three. She replied, "Oh, he will be 3 in February". OK....the child was a bruiser!! He was AT LEAST 10 pounds heavier than my tiny Miss Em:). Her child wanted down, and he ran off to play with the other 2 children. They all 3 climbed the slide by themselves and went down. I sat and watched in awe as I wondered if that would EVER be Emma? For one thing she is terrified of the slide, and she doesn't have the upper body strength to climb the slide yet. Next, Emma wanted to go on the merry-go-round, and she loved it, but I felt like the outsider as we played in one corner of the park while the other 3 children played together. It really made me sad.

However, after 2 of the children left the park there was only one little boy left. He came up to us and said, "My name is Dillon". I said, "It's nice to meet you Dillon, this is Emma". Emma kept pointing at Dillon saying, "Dillon" and pointing at herself and saying, "Emma". She loved playing with Dillon. She chased him around and followed him up the stairs (of a different slide that is a little easier....but, it was still a first for her).

Then, the wind started to blow. It blew and blew, and it began to get COLD! So, I told Emma it was time to go. She threw herself on the ground and kicked her feet. I looked around as if to say, "Whose kid is this??". So, I picked her up put her back on her bike (thank God there is a belt to buckle her on) and off we went.....and DOWN came the RAIN!!! It started raining within a block of leaving the park. I could see the look of pity from the passing cars as I just smiled at them. I really did find it quite amusing! Emma thought it was GREAT!! We were about a mile away from our house. When we had walked a little ways we came to a big tree, and we stopped to wait for the rain to pass. I was so amazed when 2 different cars stopped to ask if we needed a ride. It's so nice to know that there are good people out there! However, with the bike and all I said that I thought we could make it. Finally, it calmed a bit and we ran the rest of the way home with Emma saying, "WEEEEEE" all the way!! We pulled into the garage, and I helped her off her bike. I turned around and she was GONE!! Yes, you guessed it, she ran as fast as she could out of the garage to play in the "water" on the driveway. I think she would have played there all night, and the beauty to see her playing on nature's playground far outweighs the feeling that I would have felt if she were just a "typical" kid going down the slide with the other 3 kids at the park. Thank you rain for reminding me of the beauty of MY child:).

Hi ho! Hi ho!! It's off to work.....

Tomorrow is the big day! My first day "on contract"...which translates to the first day that I am paid to be in my classroom. The first day that I have to be there from 7:45 until 3:45. It is so much earlier this year. Am I ready??? In some ways I am. I am ready to have a "schedule". I am a person who likes order. Granted, it is nice to have a few months to do whatever I want, whenever I want (well, whatever Emma wants), but I do look forward to a more structured life. I am also ready to have some adult interaction (other than Tim). It is wonderful to be with my husband 24/7 for 3 months, but I think we are both ready to be around other adults also.

Now, I am not in any way ready to take Emma back to the babysitter. I know that she will love it. She will not miss me AT ALL!! She absolutely LOVES her babysitter (and I am so thankful for that), but I will miss not being with her. I will even miss her naughtiness that has taken over lately (pinching, pinching, pinching).

Ready or not here it comes. I am very excited to see my students. I have the wonderful opportunity to have my students for 2 years in a row (I teach Kdg. and 1st grade). I really become attached to my kids, and I do miss them over the summer. I am also excited to get to know my new kindergarten students. Now, there are a couple of parents that could give me a run for my money, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there (and kill them with kindness)!

So, think of me tomorrow in my classroom up in the middle of the beautiful mountains....preparing for my 9 wonderful students who will enter my classroom next week and teach ME more in a year than I ever could imagine!

"Life Ain't Always Beautiful....."

Have you heard the song?? "Life Ain't Always Beautiful...But, it's a beautiful ride"....I'm not sure who sings this song, and I absolutely do not like the word ain't, BUT the song truly has good meaning. Life isn't always beautiful, but when you look back at the journey it is a beautiful ride. Yes, today I can say this. Emma is doing phenomenal...knock on wood (HARD)!! She has been 3 years old for 10 days now....and she is a "new" person. It is like a switch has suddenly clicked, we've turned the corner, I don't know what it is....BUT I am hoping that there is no turning back! She is eating....like crazy! I have waited for this day for 3 years...and I.AM.LOVING.IT!!! She is eating turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, peas, carrot, tortillas, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, apples. She is just eating, and eating, and EATING!!! YYYIIIPPPPEEEE! And, you know what!!! If life HAD always been "beautiful"...if we had not had these eating issues....then I would not be able to appreciate the pure joy that I am experiencing these past 10 days! It is like she has been born all over again! My stress has been lifed, and I feel a sense of peace that I have not felt in 3 years. No, life may not always be "beautiful", BUT it is a beautiful ride! Let the journey continue! I just can't wait to see what is around the next corner. The view is just getting more and more spectacular:).

A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words

Innocent, sweet, beautiful child of mine. Words cannot describe the feelings I have for my girl. My husband took this picture the day before her 3rd birthday, and she looks so grown up. Emma, you truly are a beauty. Always keep the innocence my child!!

Now that she's 3......

I cannot believe that my baby girl turned 3 years old yesterday!! In so many ways it seems like just yesterday when we were having her. The memories are so vivid! However, with all that she has been through....I honestly think she should be about 25! Or is it just that I feel like I am 50 some days??? Either way, yesterday was a terrific day, and Miss Emma was SOOOO excited that it was her birthday. So, now that she is 3.....She has her own "wheels". Yes, Emma got a jeep AND a princess tricycle (complete with an overhead canopy, water bottle, and a bell). She also can swing in a "big girl swing" all by herself (occassionally lets go with one hand and scares the crap out of mom....but hey!). She can also climb up her jungle gym (this still requires SOME assistance from Dad due to extremely short legs...runs in the family...LOL!). She is growing up!! I'm not ready!



OH! And the first picture is her cake! Yes, I made it all by myself! Can you believe it??? Must mean that I am 33 years old...and officially a grown up......NO! I am not ready for that either:).

August Thoughts (Ramblings)

I honestly cannot believe that August is here. I am just not ready, but no one asked me if I was ready or not. Here are some of my thoughts about August:

1) We have been married for 5 years this Friday! Some days it feels like 15 years. Is that a bad thing?? We have just been through SO much that it does not feel like it has "only" been 5 years. In many ways we are so very strong, but in other ways there is so much room for growth. I guess that is true for any marriage. I can still say that I am so lucky to have my husband, and I feel fortunate to be on this journey through life with him....has it REALLY only been 5 years???

2) My sweet baby girl will be 3 years old this Saturday! Some days it feels like she should be 15 years old also....but some days it feels like it has only been 15 months. It is such a weird feeling when your child has been through so much. I feel like we missed out on alot of the sweet cuddling times that are bittersweet for a first time parent. A new parent shouldn't have to make life decisions about their child within the first 2 months of life. BUT, that is our journey, and I wouldn't trade my little angel for anything!

3) I think I have finally reached the cliff in my journey (does that sound like a bad place to be?....it's not at all). I feel like I have been running through trees since Emma was born. I have been running and running and running and trying to find the answers. Then I have hit boulders that I have tried to move to make my life "better". I have fallen into large holes which I thought I would never be able to dig myself out of. Through all of this...the shadows from the trees have hung over me and I was having a difficult time seeing the beauty. However, I think I have finally come to the cliff. The sun is shining, all shadows are gone, and I see my life ahead of me. My life with a beautiful little girl who is the sunshine of my world. And I LOVE HER FOR WHO SHE IS....I am no longer trying to make her someone that she is not. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I am enjoying my summer with her SO much!

4) UGH!! School starts SOON! While Emma is so excited to go back to "Miss Joline" (her babysitter)...I am not ready to take her!!! I know that she will be in EXCELLENT care, BUT it will NOT BE ME! I know that if a Mom has to work....teaching is one of the best occupations of choice, BUT....I don't want to go back! I will adjust. I always do....and I am not sure I could be a 100% stay at home mom, so I completely enjoy being one for 3 months every year!

5) Thanks for taking the time to read my rambling thoughts! We are excited about Emma's party on Saturday. Wait till you see the cake pictures. We'll see if I can top last year's Elmo cake:). It was pretty impressive....so, we'll see!

Hell's Angels Taking Over???

Our little town happens to be the lucky place for the 2006 world reunion of the Hell's Angels. A town of 10,000 is now also inhabitted by 2,000 hells angels. Our law enforcement has overeacted maybe just a little. We have 100 police cars, 2 helicopter surveilance, 25 DCI (Department of Criminal Intent), cops on motorcycles, undercover cops, etc. While this does ease the fears of the population...it may be just a bit of overkill. The thing that gets me is ALL of these law enforcement people are giving tickets for EVERY LITTLE THING including a man riding his bike too close to the sidewalk, many people have been cited for jaywalking, people have received tickets for having a crack in their windshield.



I am just in awe of all of the Hell's Angels, and it has made me wonder just exactly what their lifestyle is. There is not much information on the internet about them. I know they are the "bad boys" of the motorcycle clubs, but do they have jobs, families, etc? Some of them are ENORMOUS (some very tall, and some VERY round....although I would not want to tell them that!).



I have to laugh at Miss Emma however. Wouldn't it be nice to be a child again, and have no fear of people? She sees the Hell's Angels and she waves and smile.....turns even the meanest looking of men to absolute putty!



She just HAD to wear her motorcycle shirt today! Here she is "dreaming" about life in the fast lane! Have a GREAT week!

A moment to reflect

My blog has been a little quiet lately. There are a few reasons for that.



First, it is simply amazing how a teacher who "has the summer off...ha, ha" can keep so incredibly busy!!! We have home projects, conferences, and oh yes...the almost 3 year old who I chase around all day long!



Second, it seems that every couple of months I go into a little bit of a funk for about a week. During this funk I just want to be by myself. Just ask my husband....I really am not myself. I find myself trying to sort things out...trying to figure out "why" to a question that I will never know. I continually beat myself up during that time for "what I should have done different during my pregnancy" (which includes not taking the medication that my OB prescribed that the pharmacist said "I've never heard of a pregnant woman using this"....but believing that "my OB knew best"...why didn't I question that more???? Or maybe when my OB prescribed some med for a yeast infection during my 1st trimester...which I later read in the handout enclosed "not to be used in the 1st trimester of pregnancy"...why didn't I read that earlier???? Again, I THOUGHT that my OB knew what was best! Or, maybe it was just the lime frenzy that I went on in my 1st trimester! I ate 3 limes a day...just peeled them and ate them like oranges. They were so sweet...UGH! HMMMM?? I will question all of these things until the day that I die.....then, I will have my list of questions ready for "the man upstairs"!!



Third, anytime that Emma goes through a vommiting bout is very very bad for my mental status! I just cannot handle it. I went for 2 1/2 years of having her vomit between 1-4 times a day. In April we finally figured some things out, and she went almost 2 months without throwing up at all. Then, KABOOM! It starts again...WHY!!!! I cannot even begin to explain how much better my emotional well being was during that 2 mths!!! So much less stressful! So, I took bananas out of her diet 3 days ago....and....no vomitting!!! I think she now has an allergy to bananas (along with dairy, soy, rice, wheat, eggs, nuts, and shellfish....sigh!). As long as I know what it is....I CAN handle it:).





And, last but not least, forth... I can only blame it on scrapbooking! AND, to scrapbook...you must have pictures. So, of course I have been taking many pictures of Miss Em. I thought I would share one with you. During my "funk" I had one day where I just couldn't quit crying. So, I loaded Em into the car and we went to the river. It is amazing how calming flowing water can be to the soul. Emma loved it!!

Enjoying summer

Emma and I have been enjoying the summer sun while Daddy teaches classes in the afternoon. Today is his last day of teaching, then we can all have fun together. Last summer seems like so long ago when I think about how much Emma has grown and changed. At this time last year Emma was not walking on her own, which made any kind of yardwork extremely difficult! If we stepped more than 10 feet away from her she would scream. She just wanted to be a part of the action. She is such a wonderful helper, and this year she has the chance to help in every way. We have been planting a rock garden with a few plants disbursed throughout. Emma is so great at taking the plants OUT after I have put them IN the hole! She also loves to take the dirt and throw it around the black plastic to create her masterpiece (thankfully there is the Shop Vac)! We really have enjoyed Emma this summer. She loves to pick the very green apples off of our trees and eat them (EEEWWWW!! They are SO sour...but, she loves them). The slide is her newest love. She has a little one that she can completely do on her own, but now she has moved onto the BIG slide, which is just hilarious when Mom goes down with her....again....and again....and again....and again! It just amazes me to watch our little peanut walk all the way back to the back of our property with us (only an acre, but a HUGE feat for those tiny legs). She is just such a trooper.



As always, here are some pictures! Enjoy!



Here is Emma, on a cooler day, picking flowers for her Mom:







Emma's new found love....her sprinkler:





I just had to capture the little princess that FELL ASLEEP on her big wheel! She was just SO tired!






And, last but definitely NOT least. Emma's newest "friend"...and my newest "enemy". The deer LOVE the flowers that we have planted in the rock garden (the black plastic you see in the picture will be covered with rocks...that is our rock garden). Now, most of our yard is behind the fence (the fence is to keep Emma in), and the deer have NEVER come inside the fence until this summer.

When I come to the door and BOOM there they are...they scare the crap out of me!!! However, Emma thinks they are fantastic, and she loves it when they come to visit her! I think the deer in this picture is thinking about riding Miss Em's big wheel!

Waiting for "the shot"

We drove 10 hours (one way) last weekend just to get a shot so Emma would be less likely to contract the chicken pox virus. In the car Emma was the happiest child. She laughed, played, and thought that we were going on a family vacation! We felt like we were taking her to the slaughter house! We knew that the shot was going to be very painful, but it had to be done.

Here is Emma waiting outside the hospital (with her Havalah duck) for them to come to get her (since she is immunosuppressed they do not want her in the germy waiting room....and neither do I):







Here is Em's fashion statement for the week:). I think everyone will start wearing these soon:







Waiting in the ER room, Emma is practicing her karate kicks (don't ask me where she comes up with this stuff). She kicks her leg and says, "Hiya!" Too cute!







They gave her the shot, she cried for about a minute, the nurse gave her stickers, and she stuck them all over her body while she laughed like crazy. Silly girl....you've gotta love her:).

More vacation pictures

Sorry, it has been awhile since I said I would post more pictures. We had to go on a whirlwind trip this weekend to get Miss Em a shot so she would not get chicken pox. We were gone from home for 50 hours (19 of which we spent in the car). Whew!! It's good to be home!!



Well, when we went on vacation we went to the zoo. It was a fantastic zoo!! Emma loved it! They had a turtle that looked just like me:



Emma loved it so much she just had to go give that turtle a BIG "mooch". I'm pretty sure the turtle loved it too.



Then, we went to the butterfly garden. WOW!! It was amazing! They had 500-600 butterflies. They were everywhere! Here was a really pretty one:







Emma had this one land on her leg. She thought that was SO funny, but I was impressed by how still she sat.





This one liked my hair!







We ended the day with a ride on the carousel. Em was definitely NOT sure about this one when I put her on it, but she warmed up to the idea quickly...then she was in full parade-waving mode!

Bigger than she is

It is true that Miss Emma attracts the attention! A simple glance at a person and she can make anyone smile. She has this aura around her that glows. Even someone who is having a really bad day cannot help but smile when they look at Miss Em. When we are in the front yard Emma has to wave at every car that passes by on the street...and most of them wave back at her.

I was talking to my aunt on the phone the other day. My aunt lives very far away. She has only met Emma one time...right after she was extubated in the hospital in April. Em was a bit groggy when my Aunt Tammy walked into the room, but Emma say up, smiled at her visitor, and waved hello. They played together for quite a while. When I was talking to Tammy on the phone she said that "Emma just makes the whole room glow". I said, "yes, she gets noticed everywhere she goes...I think it's the hair". Tammy said, "Her hair is as big as her personality". I think they are both bigger than she is.

WHY GOD WHY?????

The words that I was yelling as I cleaned up vomit from Miss Em's tray right after she had just finished eating her entire lunch! Now, I guess this is a step in the right direction for me because this is the first time that I have even spoken to "THE MAN UPSTAIRS" for quite some time. I know....turn your troubles to God....well, I have tried that and it didn't work. I would like to know exactly why He keeps dishing out the bad stuff to my kid!!! Mentally I just cannot go back to the puking all of the time thing, and believe me....that is where we are headed AGAIN! Every single day this week Emma has puked. I can't do it. I have no Calgon....what is a Mom to do????

If your reading this and want to give me some inspirational words about God....please don't! I am just angry right now. I am angry that my child had a liver disease. I am angry that my child had to have a liver transplant and will be on medication for that for the rest of her life. I am angry that the nieve parenting that I am supposed to be experiencing has been robbed from me. I am angry that my child still is not speaking. I am angry that my child cannot eat like a "normal" child. I am angry that my child is allergic to so many things. I AM JUST FLAT OUT ANGRY!!!!!

Hah!! We just got a call that Emma was exposed to chicken pox last night! Now we are on the hunt for some nasty shot that she has to have to lessen the chances of a major outbreak (because chicken pox in a child that has had a transplant can be a very very bad thing....and NO she cannot have the vaccine for it because it is a live vaccine that can also be harmful to her)... oh goody! SOMETHING ELSE TO BE ANGRY ABOUT!

Sorry....I know....it's a very negative post....but, these are my true feelings for the day:).

Vacation all I ever wanted!

Sing with me now....Vacation happy to get away.....!



We went on our very first (since Emma was born), non hospital related in any way, vacation a couple of weeks ago. It was wonderful!! I am still recovering (and so is our washing machine), but it truly was a memorable trip. Amazing that I can still say that after 24 hours in the car with a two year old...and my mother in law:). It really was GREAT!!



So, my next few posts will be trip related. I had to start with our first night....in a motel...on our way to Uncle Steve's house. Can you tell that Miss Em was too excited to sleep?







This was how Emma felt about our first hiking adventure of the trip. Come on Em! After all....you do have the correct footwear (extremely important for any 2 year old).







I think Emma is saying to us, "You are taking me WHERE?". I love it!! Em is obsessed with sunglasses and cellphones. Can you say 2 going on 20?

Happy Father's Day

I knew the moment that I saw Miss Em's face this morning. She knew it was a special day. As she rubbed her tiny hands over her sleepy eyes, she smiled at me, and pointed to the room across the hall and said, "Daddy???" as if to question..."Mom, is he there? Is he having a good day?". So, I scooped the little princess from her bed to go and give her Daddy big mooches, and he accepted without hesitation! The two of them layed in bed together while I made a big breakfast...and that is how our Father's Day began!

Today is a special day for all men out there. Men who are Father's, men who will be Father's, men who have been Fathers, and men who will never be a Father but have made an impression on someone's life. After all a Father is an impressionable figure in one's life. My Dad has always been there for me, and I know he always will be. He has taught me that life can be tough, but it is what we make of the difficult moments that matter. How true that is. He has said to me, "People may not remember what happened, but they will know who you have become because of it". A very profound statement that I heard many years ago. It has stayed with me, and I now know the TRUE meaning of it.

Yes, my Dad probably has every one of his gray hairs on his head because of me. I did give him a run for his money in my teenage years, but in return he gave me unconditional love.

They say that you look to marry someone who is similar to your own Dad. In my case I think that is true. There are many similarities, although there are also many differences. I am glad that Tim possesses many of the same qualities that my Dad has. I know that he will raise Emma to be a strong and independent person, while letting her lead the way to her own destiny.

On this Father's Day I would like to thank my Dad, my husband, and all of the men out there who are making a positive difference in someone's life.

Happy Father's Day Dad and Tim! You both deserve only the best!!!