Monday, September 21, 2009

Old photos bring back memories

We only have 70 days to go till we go back to the good ol' U.S. of A and each day seems to drag by so slowly. It reminds me of my childhood just weeks before Christmas, the wait was unbearable. Speaking of Christmas, we are really looking forward to being home in time for Christmas and being with our family and friends. My Dad is also very excited to see our kids again. Below is a picture of Dad in a carefree and happy-go-lucky mood.
Here is a pic of the women in our family. My niece Jen, my sister Crystal (Jen's mom) and my mom a few years before she passed away. This picture was taken when Crystal won "Mom of the Year" in our region. She got a limo ride to dinner and all of the special treatment that goes with it. Jen submitted an entry and that entry won. My mom joined them for the celebration.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

3 Generations

My Dad is celebrating his 87th birthday on the 14th of this month, so to honor him, I snagged these photos from my Lovely Wife's blog. On the left is my Dad, I'm in the middle, and on the right is my son EJ. Three generations together.

My father left home at an early age to serve in the three C's (Civilian Conservation Corps) in which he travelled throughout West Virginia and other states providing plant and wildlife conservation efforts as well as assisting in the national efforts towards economic recovery. He was drafted into the U.S. Army as he ended his duty with the three C's and headed off to WWII. He was assigned to the Pacific Theatre under the command of General Douglas MacArthur in which he fought against the Japanese throughout many islands of the pacific such as Guam, Saipan, and the Philippines. He returned from the war and started a family and a new career with Weirton Steel Corp.

I'm very proud of my father because he is a true survivor in life. He was born in the Roaring Twenties, lived through the Great Depression, contributed to the liberation of the Philippines as well as victory in WWII, and he managed to make it back to his home state and raise a family. He has a strong moral character and if he believes in something, he always sticks to his guns. I still recall, during my teenage years while on a hunting expedition, he was able to out-climb and out-run me up the hills of West Virginia and he was already in his 60s.

In my lifetime, I would be happy to say that I accomplished at least half of what my father has during his. He is a Great American Hero in my eyes and I love him dearly.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Friday, September 4, 2009

Wedding Bells

I was watching a movie with my daughter this evening and the funniest thing happened. She looks over at me and says, "Daddy, when I get older do you know who I want to marry?" I replied, "Not a clue, who do you you want to marry?" She then replied, "I want to marry you." I then told her that I would be honored to marry her and she laughed. It was very cute.
It reminded me of a conversation I had with my mother years ago. She told me that I had asked her to marry me when I was little and she told me that she said yes. She said that all of her sons had asked her the same question during their childhood. I wondered at what age I would get this question and now I know. I'm curious to know when my son is going to propose to his mother and I'm curious if any of you parents out there have been confronted with the "BIG QUESTION"?

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Victorious Smile!

She won an international smile contest for the month of October 2009. This contest was sponsored by Division of Pediatric Dentistry, Department of Oral Health Sciences, University of British Columbia, Canada.

God bless y'all!

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