Happy Birthday Lily!!!

ONE. That number seems so pure. Hopefully there will be many birthdays that follow, some of which are certain to be monumental. Like Ten: The birthday where both hands are full. Thirteen: The birthday where they mutate into a Teenager. Sixteen: Drivers License. Eighteen: Adulthood (Kinda). Twenty-one: Adulthood (Really). Thirty: Adulthood (Really Really). Forty: Over the Hill. Etc….

But, for Lily it is ONE. April 11, 2007. It is a birthday that celebrates innocence. Everyday you can see the wonder of life reflecting in her eyes. Her brothers exist for her entertainment. Mom and Dad hung the moon. She gets to eat real people food. She gets bathed, changed, held, rocked, sung to, read to… Moments of Peek-a-Boo are the highlight of her day.

This is an election year. But, she doesn’t care.
The Pope is in the U.S. She is unfazed.
Gas is $3.50 a gallon. She sleeps soundly at night.
The economy is quite shaky. She wants some oatmeal.

ONE. It is the symbol of purity. It is the number that hasn’t been messed with.
You can see it reflected in other numbers, but there is no other number quite like it.
You can’t divide it. You get nothing more when you multiply it by itself. It just is.
It has no equal. It is simply perfect.

“Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is ONE.” – Deut 6:4

First Steps

Apart from connecting 3 and 4 steps together at one time, these were some of her first real steps.

One for the Archive.

I have snapped a few pictures over the last twelve months, and have finally captured the moment. This is THE picture I have been looking for. Let me explain. I know there will come a day in the not to distant future when Lily will want to begin "dating." It will all start out harmless enough I'm sure... silly giggles, a little flirting, "will you go with me," hand holding on the playground... hand holding in between class... hand holding at CHURCH, Lily and ________ sitting in a tree... , blah blah blah. But, I am smart enough to realize there will come a day. Actually there will come THE day when a good-fer-nuthin'-pre-pubescent-squeaky-
voiced-pimple-poppin-juice-box -drinkin' 14 year old turd, will want to take my daughter on a date. Besides the fact that I will say "no " and laugh hysterically in the little guys face... I will have blackmail.
"Dad, PLEASE let me go to the movies with acne-boy."
"Nope. And don't ask me again or I'll bring out THE picture."
"Yes, Father."

"Dad, Can Squeaky-Voice come over and watch a movie?"
"Nope. And don't ask me again or I'll bring out THE picture."
"Yes, Father."

"Dad, Can...?"
"Nope. Picture!"
"OK"

Hopefully I will continue to build a strong army of defense. Because I know that day will come, and as a father I plan on being ready.