Happy Fathers Day!

Fathers day is always bitter sweet for me, well has been for the past 25 years with the loss of my dad in 1988. I get a tiny bit sad because I don't get to call my dad or send him a card or buy him a gift-all I can do is send him a thought and a prayer and spend the day just thinking about the funny things he would say and do. I am lucky in that I also have a stepfather is amazingly kind and loving and puts up with all our crazy, haha.. BUT, my dad is gone and never coming back. He never got to see his amazing grandchildren that my sister and I gave him, he won't get to bounce a great grandchild on his knee and that makes my heart heavy. Don't get me wrong, I know he is watching down with amusement at the crazy antics his family provides. I miss him. I just miss him. I remind our kids that we are here only for a short time and to make the most of it with your family.

On a happier note, I have an AMAZING husband and father of our 6 children and grandfather to our 4 grandmonkeys. There are so many wonderful daddy stories I could share about Sal, he really is one of the best fathers I know. He is strict when its needed and loving and patient always- and trust me, I test that patience all the time!!  A few things that stand out to me are watching him meet his 1st born for the first time, walking a daughter down the aisle, teaching a 16 year old how to parallel park in the pouring rain, saying goodbye to a daughter leaving for college, and being the BEST monster/wrestler to 2 little fellas who think he hung the moon and the stars. I just want to take this moment to say thank you to my husband Sal and Happy Fathers day! I could have never wished for a better father-ever! I love that you are not only the father to our Biological children, but that you have taken so many "kids" under your wing and stepped up to be the father figure they needed, whether it was a soldier, airman or kid in our lives. You took the time in Italy to drive the teen bus after hours so the kids could have a normal teen life of hanging out late at the movies or bowling and ensured they got home safely, you have given butt chewings when needed but amazingly after, you just let it go and move on, you have woken up with my crying because a nursing child was waking up for the 20th time in 2 hours and you just held me and encouraged me and told me that this wouldn't last forever and it would be okay. You have provided so many wonderful memories for this family and I love you!... Nicholas, Ashlee, Cassidy, Anthony, Dominic and Roman are 6 lucky babies to have you in their lives...