Happy Birthday Dad

Dear Dad,

I am convinced that there are few, if any, other families with girls who adore their father as much as your girls adore you. I think that there are men who felt sorry for you that you only had women in the house, but you reveled in it.

My fondest memories of you and me usually involve some kind of sporting activity. I love that you coined the term "No Mercy when my Chezzie's serving", which I think was half sarcasm and half a term of encouragment. I always took it as a term of encouragment. I will never forget the note that you wrote and left in my bathroom the morning of the district tennis tournment in high school. You wrote "Win or Lose, you're the best...if you are behind, Fight Back"...and that is how I played. You may recall I lost in the single's final that year, but the following two years, I won the title. And the year that we won the regional finals to advance to the state championship, you couldn't be there because you had to catch a flight to South America. But that didn't stop you from calling Mom a half a dozen times on the way to the airport to check on what was going on...and when I finally got to talk to you after we had won, I loved that you wanted to hear the play by play of everything that happened.

I loved our Daddy daughter trip to Majorca. I loved that you wanted to do what we wanted to do, and when we all witnessed the lady slide on the liquid in the grocery store, I LOVED that you thought it was just as funny as we did...and still do. "Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

I also love working with you. I loved putting up hurricane shutters on the Parkland house together while mom talked to us. I loved that you trusted me enough to help you. I even love (now) our trips to the Den. It wasn't a pretty picture at times, but I always came away feeling understood and loved.

I love that you knew how much it meant to me to go back to visit my friends in England. I love that you did the work to contact them to allow me to stay there with them, and I love that I got to travel there with you.

I love that you told me once that you thought I could be President of the United States. I thought it ridiculous, and I still do, but I thought it was AWESOME that you thought I could be.

I love that you always wanted what was best for me, even when I didn't know what the best was. I love that over breakfast at Frontier Pies you asked me why I hadn't asked Tanner out yet after I introduced him to you and I told you I liked him. And when I said "I don't know", you said "you have to do it, you might lose your chance if you don't do it now." I took your advice...and I would say it was pretty good advice, wouldn't you?

I believe there is something unique and special about the relationship between a father and daughter, and I feel like you lived it up to the fullest. No other dad could have done it better for me than you. I love you dad! Happy Birthday!

It's Called Snow

Yeah, I almost didn't recognize it either after the 60-80 degree weather we have been having in Virginia since September '06. It snowed for about 45 minutes, and as quick as it came, it was gone, and the sun was out again. Unfortunately Clark was asleep and missed it, but Tanner and I went out for a quick stroll in the winter wonderland.

Post Office Stamps

So...I was doing my weekly errand to the post office the other day, and I ended up being there for almost an hour...it's a long story not worth telling, BUT what IS worth telling is the conversation I had with the employee when I asked to buy 5 stamps. I only needed 5 because I don't send things very often via snail mail, because I pay all my bills on the internet, but I like having some on hand just in case. He asked me what kind I wanted, and I looked down at my choices...cue the disappointment.
1) Some random author or musician that I have never heard of before (or maybe I am just culturally challenged). Actually this one was Ella Fitzgerald, who I do know, but I just did not like the stamp. Why does the USPS feel the need to choose the most unflattering portraits for their stamps?
2) A breast cancer research stamp that while I think is a good idea, I just can't send stamps out that have a breast on them. However, I am all about collecting my little pink Yoplait lids.
3) The Valentine's Love stamps with Hershey Kisses on them. Hello?! It's not even February yet!
Honestly, I don't know why I care so much about what my stamps look like. It's not like people look at them right? Or do they? I always look at the stamps on my letters because it helps me know if it is a personal letter or some junk mail trash. I always get excited if, when I pull the mail out of our box, I happen to see a corner of an envelope with a FOR REAL stamp on it, because it means that someone loves me...at least enough to peel a stamp off a prepasted booklet and stick it on an envelope (we should still have to lick our stamps like in the old days. It meant more knowing that someone had to get a nasty taste in their mouth just to send something to you).
Back to the post office...
So I tell the guy I want the Love stamps, and he pulls out a booklet of twenty and accidentally scans the whole booklet. I look up and say "Oh, sorry, I only wanted five" (I don't know why I apologized, it's not like I scanned them, but I have a habit of apologizing for mistakes other people make because I get nervous due to the imminent confrontation...no matter how great or small). He looks up and says "Oh I'm sorry, I guess you don't want to send out that much love." And although that may sound rude, I thought it was totally funny...it must have been the way he said it. I started to laugh and quipped back "Nope, just five stamps worth is good for now." He smiled and handed me my stamps.
As I walked out of the post office I thought...

I need more excuses to buy Love stamps.

Hello Button!

He still can't see it over his big belly, but he knows it's there!

Bookworms

Clark loves to read, and he particularly enjoys his Emergency Vehicles book. He usually reads it upside down, babbles, and makes lots of noises that, I think, sound like sirens. Some might even consider the noises a little girly, but I think he just has great range. The other night I caught both of my boys reading together ... for some reason, I think I will be taking many more pictures like this one in years to come.

Time Out Location?

I had just finished folding all the laundry, which by the way, I don't mind folding, but I LOATHE putting away, when I saw Clark playing around the laundry basket. I immediately thought of the picture that my sisters and I LOVE of my Dad carrying Tricia in a trashcan/laundry basket with her head poking out when she was little. Sooooo, I plopped Clark in to see what he looked like. Tanner and I were cracking up laughing, but Clark just looked at us with his classic Stone Face (which he inherited from his mother). I don't think he loved it in there, which gave me the idea to maybe use it for time-out one day. But that would require 1) that Clark actually need a time out and 2) that the basket NOT be overflowing with dirty laundry ... both of which are a rare occurence indeed.

Go Seahawks!

The Seahawks have a big playoff game against the Bears this Sunday. Coverage begins at 1pm. And if you need some extra motivation to watch, here is a little song to get you pepped.

Airplane Ride

Clark was such a trooper with all the travelling we did this Christmas. The twelve hour drive home from Florida plus the six hour flight to Salt Lake the next morning was a little rough, but thanks to awesome flight attendants Clark got plenty of exercise walking up and down the center aisle and he stopped to meet everyone on board, and it seemed he would wait to move on until he received a smile back. It was only a 3 1/2 hour flight on the way home thanks to the jet stream (I was so happy!) and it also helped that the flight wasn't full so Clark could have his own seat. We actually had a lot of fun, and Clark perfected balancing a cup on his head skills ... seriously.

The Colonel

The day before we planned to drive back to Virginia from Florida, we received a phone call from Tanner's mother telling us that her father had passed away. Tanner's grandfather was an incredibly amazing man, and I wish I had known him earlier on in his life. We decided to fly out to Utah for the funeral. We drove back to Virginia as scheduled the morning of the 3rd, got home at 9pm, unpacked, repacked, and we were on a plane by 11am the next morning. It was wonderful to see all of our family, despite the somewhat sad circumstances.

Grandpa White was a Colonel in the United States Air Force, and lived and served in many different places throughout his life. He fought in World War II, including at the Battle of the Bulge, and many other notable conflicts. During the last few years of his life, he had started to lose his memory, but I will never forget some of the war stories he still told us in such great detail. Tanner and I went and stayed with him one night when we were engaged. He asked us in his quiet, low raspy voice if we were going to sleep in the guest room. Somewhat surprised, we replied "no Grandpa, we are not married yet", to which he said, with a smile and twinkle in his eye, "I hope you can wait that long." Tanner and I were laughing so hard, I don't even know if we responded.

Because of his military status, he received full military honors, and many of his friends from the military came to both the funeral and viewing. I have always had a soft spot for older people, and I just could not take my eyes off of this group of men in their uniforms. You could just tell they had had some amazing life experiences. I wanted to sit down with each of them and just listen.


The funeral was wonderful. We were all glad to be together as a family to celebrate the life of this wonderful man. All of the grandsons were pallbearers and Tanner's mom received the flag that draped his coffin. It was a long day for Clark and by the time we returned to the chapel for dinner, he was tuckered out. We were so glad we were able to be a part of this experience and it is one we will cherish forever.

Happy New Year

I have to admit, I am not a big New Year's fan. I guess it all started when I was a teenager and I never had anyone to kiss at midnight unlike my sisters who always had boyfriends on hand or my parents who had eachother. Watching the ball drop while hearing everyone count it down in the background 2 seconds behind just doesn't do it for me. I think the best New Year's celebration I ever saw was what the French did with the Eiffel Tower in 2000...now that was cool. However, this year was a little bit different because I was around children, and they were just cute. My Clark loved the sparklers, and the Seguine kids had so much fun making noise. I convinced my mom to make cinnamon rolls and we played games most of the night after the kids went to bed.


I think I am finally realizing that I enjoy the low key, low maintenance kind of celebrations in life more than the hyped up extravagance that is almost certain to disappoint. I am also not a huge fan of New Year's Resolutions (also something that is always hyped up). I will never forget when Tanner and I were faithful gym goers when in January, it became IMPOSSIBLE to use a weight machine without standing in a line. I was talking about this to one of the employees, and she said "Oh just wait until the middle of February, and it will be back down to regulars." It is just another example of people doing something over the top and have it disappoint in the end. So, as a result, my goals for this year are going to be small and doable...I am going to try to not walk faster than I am able, but try to take a stroll and accomplish some things and enjoy it without feeling stressed or guilty...I am choosing to ignore the conversation we had over Christmas about how guilt can be a great motivator...because for those of you who know me, you know that I am ALL about NO GUILT and NO STRESS.