one day to go: the countdown to 30

my papa bear.

for so many reasons, i love you. your wise counsel, your never ending tales that begin with "when i was your age", the yogurt upheavals, how when you tell a story you think is really really funny...you start laughing so hard you can't finish it...until tears are streaming down your face...

papa, i am so blessed to have worked with you over the last 15 years. you are a model of hard work, dedication, and devotion...and i am so grateful for your guidance and strength in my life.

this is, by far, my favorite self-portrait of you and me. It's one of the only ones that saw your big hair after viper was driving you nuts, and i swear that this was the weekend of your first canary births in the aviary. i see where i get my attractive looks from! :)


thank you, thank you, thank you for praying for me before i was born, for believing in me when i was growing up, and putting up with me when i think i am all grown up.

i love you, daddy!