Happy Birthday Baby! - Gavin is 1 today

That was then







Mommy and I were talking about what we were doing one year ago yesterday. I either had the day off of work, or I got off early we are not sure, but we remember going to Biaggis' and talking about you. You were mere hours form coming into this world, and we were completely in wonderment of what it would be like to have a baby of our own. It was a nervous night and the next day we got to meet you. It has been an absolute pleasure raising a little boy like yourself.
This is now!

This little light of mine

Gavin,

In getting to know you I am getting to know the little me. I was talking to my uncle Pete and he mentioned that when I was your age I had the same type of thumb callousness from sucking my thumb that you have right now from sucking yours. It made me think back to the time your grandma put this nasty liquid on my thumb to get me to stop sucking it, and I would suck on it and spit it into my pillow until I couldn't taste it any more. I think I was about 12 years old when I finally stopped sucking my thumb. It was a really old age to finally quit, and it was tough, but I was tougher I guess. It just took your daddy a while. I am really enjoying all the kisses you have started giving us. Your mommy and I are so happy that we can ask for kisses and you will give them to us as often as we ask. I'll tell you a secret, we have to control ourselves so we don't wear you out because we can kiss you all day long. It is that wonderful. It's even better than ice cream and candy if you can imagine that. I would trade the entire contents of Willy Wonkas factory for just one Gavin kiss.

I love you,

Daddy

I Do

Today is the 7 year anniversary of the day your daddy proposed to me. I know you will want to know this story as I would tell it and just in case I never get the chance...This is how it went...It was a ususal Saturday morning, I was at the ice rink teaching skate school, it was right before my last class and Lori (my skating coach) asked me if I wanted to play hide the beanie baby with her class for the last ten minutes of class. I thought this was kinda wierd because she has never asked me to play before but, whatever, sounded like a good idea to me. So the last ten minutes come along and we get our classes together and start to play (I should probably tell you how this game is played, each child has a beanie baby and there are a bunch of orange cones on the ice, the teacher takes all the beanie babies and hides them under the cones, then the kids find their beanie baby. The kids love it.) Well, after a few rounds Lori decides that is my turn to find the beanies, (this was wierd to me too because the kids were the only ones to ever find the beanies, not the teachers) so the kids hide them all and I start looking. So, I'm looking under the cones and I'm finding the beanies left and right when I come across a little box, weired, but whatever I just pick it up and keep looking for the beanies. Then Lori asks me "Aren't you going to open the box?" Just then, your daddy skated onto the ice, ever so gracefully, (he almost fell. hehehe) and I open the box and he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes. He went all out, in the background he played "Say it" on the loud speaker and had a bunch of little girls hold a huge sign saying "Will you marry me Lori?" It was amazing, I was blown away. Everyone was in on it, Uma and Opa and Grandma and Papa were there, practically everyone knew but me. It was the only time I have ever been completely surprised. What a perfect time.

Love, Mommy

Happy Valentines Day Mommy!

Daddy and I worked very hard making a card for you. On the outside it said we love you! We used glitter pens to make it shiney, but daddy wouldn't let me play with them yet. I wonder what they taste like? Maybe next year. *giggle* On the inside it said "Thiiiiiiiiiis Much!" and daddy traced my hands!
But the big suprise was waiting for you when you came in the door! We got a brand new onsie and put a special little message on it for you.

I LOVE YOU MOMMY!

Valentines Day

Lori,

Should I have saved the last post for today? I don't think so, but on this manufactured day of love I struggle to give you more of everything I have. I feel like I can never give you enough to show my love. Valentines Day is a nationally recognized marker that I haven't made the world I want for you. I know that sounds a little un-Valentines Day, but if this is the day to share our hearts with the one we love then I have done that.

All I have to give you is me, and I feel I am not a great gift, but I pray that God will understand that he has my mind but you have my heart and soul.

I love you today as I always have,
Mike

Thank You

Thank You for believing in me when I fell to my lowest point
Thank You for nudging me when I can't keep my mouth shut
Thank You for trusting me when I did not deserve your trust
Thank You for holding me when I couldn't hold up
Thank You for seeing me for who I could be and not who I was
Thank You for understanding me when my logic missed the mark
Thank You for staying patient with me when I had no patience left
Thank You for loving me when I felt unlovable
Thank You for supporting me in everything I do
Thank You for joining me in raising this little boy
Thank You for being the wonderfully unique woman that you are

This lifes journey is only worth taking with you by my side.

In all the world I Love You Alone.

Love Deeply

Those who love deeply never grow old; they may die of old age, but they die young.

-- A.W. Pinero

Life in Pictures

I'm kinda in Love with these two!

Quote

Nothing is ever lost by courtesy. It is the cheapest of pleasures, costs nothing, and conveys much.

-- Erastus Wiman

A NEWBORN'S CONVERSATION WITH GOD

A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"

God said, "Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

The child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."

God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."

Again the child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?"

God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."

"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"

God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."

"Who will protect me?"

God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life."

"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."

God said, "Your angel will talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you."

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God, if I must leave now, what do I call this angel?"

God said, "You will simply call her, "Mommy."

So kiss me...

The day has arrived. A couple days ago Mommy was putting you to bed and she told you to say goodnight to daddy, and I said gimme a kiss big boy and you leaned right over and gave me a kiss. Uhhh Houston we have a problem. Daddy was not ready for such a moment. I just about started sobbing, but I think I was too shocked. Mommy and I were both shocked.

Since then you have given real kisses to Papa and Mommy and I think Uncle Jason. You won't know how much that little kiss, slobber and all, meant to your daddy until you have a little boy of your own, and you wait for months for him to show you he loves you in a way you can understand. Then when that moment arrives you are just not ready. You think you are ready, but you're not. It's like the moment in Fight Club when Jack finds out he is Tyler Durden.

You struck your daddy silly.

(Pictured Auntie Michelle and Cousin Jack)

Happy 5th Birthday Trinity!

OK the word is out Gavin loves the puggies. Numerous times we find him sitting there laughing at them as the play tug-o-war with a toy. In fact he will even jump in there and get a hand on the toy himself. If they are playing and they move someplace else he quickly gets down and chases them. The pugs don't seem to mind at all.

I was thinking about the fact that small dogs have long lives usually sometimes 13 or more years. Gavin could be 10 years old when the time comes for our puggies to go to the happy farm. It's a shame people can't visit that farm. :)

If only we knew...

I always wondered what I would be able to say to my kids that would make them say "WOW! You're old!". Well kids...I am older than the Internet. That's right; when I was a boy there was no Internet! Fancy home computers didn't exist either. The coolest electronic device we had was a calculator watch, and it was Huge. To this day I don't know what the hell the point of a calculator watch is, but the commercial made you feel like you were James Bond if you had one. James Bond did A LOT of long division right? Right?

The reason I bring up the Internet is to poorly segwey and tell another story which ties these two seemingly unrelated things together, in case you are wondering where I came up with this crackpot idea, just search the Internet for Photo Orbs. Despite it's shoddy pseudo-scientific origins this crackpot idea is one I would like to believe.

If you didn't hit the link I will sum it up for you. Have you ever taken a picture and noticed those little anomolies in the photograph they look like a little orb of light? Some Internet folk believe that those anomolies are spirits watching the person in the photograph.

Gavin hasn't had a remarkable number of these show up, but when they do I always like to think that I caught his Abuelita or his Papa spending time with him.

A picture is worth a thousand words, or in this case a thousand I LOVE YOU'S!

I LOVE YOU BIG BOY!

Cousins

Gavin Loves Mommy! 

Gavin Loves Daddy! 

Snow Snow Snow Snow SNOOOOOW! 

Mommy wants a hug...

Watch out Gavin because, having kids just makes you into one big sappy slob. I was talking to your mommy on the phone and we were talking about something and the conversation just found it's way to you. Imagine that. Your mommy told me she wanted to hug you so bad she could actually feel her body ache when she thought about it. She loves you so much it hurts her to be away from you. What an awesome mommy huh?

Merry Christmas Family Picture