Ten Things

Charley Bear,

Today is a hard day. Its Father's Day, and I wish with all of my heart that you were here to help me spoil your Daddy. I know that he is sad...it hurts so much. I wrote him a letter today and made sure to tell him all of the things that we talked about last night. I told him how much you love him and miss him. I told him how proud you are of him each and every day. I even remembered to tell him that you are sooooo thankful for the love that he gave (and continues to give) to you. I believe that it takes someone very special to be a Daddy to an angel, and just because you aren't physically with us today, I know that you have been lingering close.

Father's Day 2010

Your Daddy is a pretty incredible man, Charlotte. I wish that you would have had longer with us to learn all of the cool things about him. I want to tell you so many things but I will limit it to....

"Ten Things You Should Know About Your Daddy"

1. He is sooooooo competitive and likes to be good at everything he does. You might remember the silly trophy in our garage...you know...the "Supreme Master of the Universe" trophy? Your Daddy won that playing silly yard games with his friends and Uncle Tom. He was so happy that you would have thought he won the Super Bowl!

2. He is a picky eater just like you! I like to describe him as a "meat and potatoes" guy. I have gotten him to try more foods (spaghetti, chili) but we still have to be pretty basic around here.

3. He is very "crafty" (sorry for outing you, Matt!). He made 3 of the mirrors in our house and painted lots of the pictures. He worked very hard on the animal paintings in your room and they turned out so cute! Daddy always thought that you would grow up to be a painter (or a scientist!)

4. Shhh....don't tell him I told you this....your Daddy snores. He'll deny it, but between me and you, its the truth!

5. 95% of the time your Daddy empties the dishwasher because he knows that I hate to do it.

6. You're Daddy would have been the one to teach you how to ride a bike. I never learned how when I was a little girl so he taught be when I was 24! It was quite the workout for him, but he stuck with it and eventually I was riding! (We'll skip the part about the broken elbow 2 weeks later...ending my future as a professional cyclist).

7. He is my rock. Your Daddy takes such good care of me and has been there for me through some very hard times. He helped me stay positive when I was scared before you were born. He reassured me and kept me calm when you were sick or having surgery. He holds me tight and wipes away my tears now when the pain seems unbearable.

8. He loves his family and would do anything for them. We are so lucky to have him in our lives.

9. He told me that his favorite part of the day was coming home after work and seeing you. Most times you and I would be playing on the living room floor when he got home. As soon as you heard him come through the door you were craning your neck to search for Daddy. Oh Charley, my favorite smiles were the ones that you gave when you saw him come into the room. Your smile was HUGE. Your eyes sparkled and your arm instantly reached out for him. No wonder that was his favorite part of the day!

10. He loves you more than I could ever begin to explain, or even fully understand myself. I know that you felt that love when you were here with us, and it just continues to grow stronger each and every day.

May 2011

So these are just a few things...I will try to remember to share more from time to time. I know that you are always watching over your Daddy, especially today. I will be sure to give him more SUPER DUPER Charley hugs and tell him how much you love him a few more times before this Father's Day is through. Make sure that you do the same to Papa Paul. Let him know how much Mommy loves and misses him. I bet that the two of you are getting into lots of trouble together!

Love and lots of kisses,

Mommy