It was 7:25 p.m. on December 19, 1996, when she came into the world and forever changed our lives! She was so tiny and soft and so helpless -- I did not want to let her out of my sight for one second! It was so exciting to be able to take her home to her new room in her new home. Of course, nights were never the same again. Sleep was hard to come by!
Through the years so much has changed. She is no longer the tiny baby who I can hold with one hand but instead has grown into a beautiful young lady. She no longer has a little patch of hair but instead beautiful long blond hair. Instead of screaming and crying she now sings beautifully and laughs a lot. Oh yea, and she has that beautiful, sweet smile that steals your heart.
At times I look at her and wonder, where does the time go? I lie down beside her in her bed and recall the times I would rock her to sleep at night. I watch her reading a book and recall the days she'd sit in my lap and I'd read to her. I see her climb a tree and remember those times when I would hold her up so she could reach the monkey bars. I watch her swinging and remember those times when I would get to push her. I listen as she sings her solo in the youth Christmas musical and tears come to my eyes...my little girl is growing up!
Haley, you are one special young lady! God blessed my life the day you entered this world and each day since has been a blessing. I hope you know how special you are to me and your mom, and to all of your family for that matter. But I also hope you know just how special you are to God, your heavenly Daddy, who loves you so much more than I could ever love you. Thanks for being so special, so sweet, and for spreading so much sunshine into each of our lives!
I love you my precious daughter! Happy Birthday Haley!
Showing posts with label Memories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Memories. Show all posts
Friday, December 19, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Dad Would Have Loved It
I’m sitting here in the dining room at my twin sister Robyn’s house. Our family has just finished our early Thanksgiving meal and it was delicious as usual. The table has been cleared and the dishes are now being cleaned (hopefully they will not notice that I’m not in the kitchen helping with clean up...after all, I’m too stuffed to move at this point).
As I sit here I begin to reflect. I’m listening to the sounds and observing the actions of my and my sisters’ children (whose ages range from 4 to 17). Our children are playing hide-n-seek together upstairs. I hear my niece call out, “Where’s Jared?” Another voice hollers, “I’m hiding.” Occasionally I see one of my little ones coming down the steps with gummie bears in their hands. I hear lots of movement and there is giggling and laughter. After a while the voices begin to fade as all the cousins head for my sister’s bedroom (apparently my sis’s walk-in closet is a good hiding place). I also hear voices coming from the kitchen. It’s my mom and brother-in-law talking as they are cleaning the dishes (thankfully they have not noticed I’m missing in action). As I sit here I notice there are some voices missing from the mix. It seems a little quieter in the house. Oh yea, my wife and sisters went shopping...no wonder it is so quiet!
There is another voice that is noticeably missing from the mix though this voice has never been heard in my sister’s house. In fact, I have not heard this voice for a long time, but that is not to say that I would not recognize it were I to hear it again. You see, it is the voice of my dad that is missing. It was 25 years ago this week that my dad lost his battle with cancer. Dad was only 42 years old when he was diagnosed with colon cancer and he lived less than three months after his diagnosis. The last time I heard my dad’s voice was the day after Thanksgiving, 1983. It was the day after my twin sis and I turned 16. Little did I realize that I would never hear my dad’s voice again after that day, nor would I ever see him alive again on this earth. It was just three days after my sixteenth birthday that my dad went Home to be with his Lord and Savior.
Today, all I have are memories of my dad but I’m so thankful for the memories that I have of a wonderful dad who loved God, loved his wife and children, and who loved life to its fullest. I’m also thankful for the ability to remember! Yes, Dad would have loved hearing and seeing what I heard and saw this evening. He would have loved sitting at the table with his wife and children once again, and he certainly would have loved holding his grandchildren. To be quite honest, I would love to hear his voice again. To see his smile. To sit and talk with him. To introduce him to my beautiful wife and daughters. And how I’d love to feel that big hand on my shoulder once again.
This Thanksgiving week Dad would have loved to be with family creating more memories. But since that is not to be, our families will continue to add to the memories. We will take the time to cherish the moments before they fly away. And whatever we do I know dad would have loved it! So, if you’re reading this and still have your dad, take time to create some more memories...and if, like me, your dad has passed from this earth, take the time to create some memories, and know that your dad would have loved it.
As I sit here I begin to reflect. I’m listening to the sounds and observing the actions of my and my sisters’ children (whose ages range from 4 to 17). Our children are playing hide-n-seek together upstairs. I hear my niece call out, “Where’s Jared?” Another voice hollers, “I’m hiding.” Occasionally I see one of my little ones coming down the steps with gummie bears in their hands. I hear lots of movement and there is giggling and laughter. After a while the voices begin to fade as all the cousins head for my sister’s bedroom (apparently my sis’s walk-in closet is a good hiding place). I also hear voices coming from the kitchen. It’s my mom and brother-in-law talking as they are cleaning the dishes (thankfully they have not noticed I’m missing in action). As I sit here I notice there are some voices missing from the mix. It seems a little quieter in the house. Oh yea, my wife and sisters went shopping...no wonder it is so quiet!
There is another voice that is noticeably missing from the mix though this voice has never been heard in my sister’s house. In fact, I have not heard this voice for a long time, but that is not to say that I would not recognize it were I to hear it again. You see, it is the voice of my dad that is missing. It was 25 years ago this week that my dad lost his battle with cancer. Dad was only 42 years old when he was diagnosed with colon cancer and he lived less than three months after his diagnosis. The last time I heard my dad’s voice was the day after Thanksgiving, 1983. It was the day after my twin sis and I turned 16. Little did I realize that I would never hear my dad’s voice again after that day, nor would I ever see him alive again on this earth. It was just three days after my sixteenth birthday that my dad went Home to be with his Lord and Savior.
Today, all I have are memories of my dad but I’m so thankful for the memories that I have of a wonderful dad who loved God, loved his wife and children, and who loved life to its fullest. I’m also thankful for the ability to remember! Yes, Dad would have loved hearing and seeing what I heard and saw this evening. He would have loved sitting at the table with his wife and children once again, and he certainly would have loved holding his grandchildren. To be quite honest, I would love to hear his voice again. To see his smile. To sit and talk with him. To introduce him to my beautiful wife and daughters. And how I’d love to feel that big hand on my shoulder once again.
This Thanksgiving week Dad would have loved to be with family creating more memories. But since that is not to be, our families will continue to add to the memories. We will take the time to cherish the moments before they fly away. And whatever we do I know dad would have loved it! So, if you’re reading this and still have your dad, take time to create some more memories...and if, like me, your dad has passed from this earth, take the time to create some memories, and know that your dad would have loved it.
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