Happy 88th birthday Dad.  I miss you everyday.  Thank you for being my Dad, for loving me as your own daughter and instilling discipline in me, although I know it must not have been easy.  I love seeing you at night when you come to me in my dreams, although it has been some time since you've done that.  I still have the Raggedy Ann you gave me and the Raggedy Andy I gave you when you got sick.  They are now in a collectors case so they are safe.... I used to let Willow and Sage play with them and they were always very careful with them, because they knew how special they are to me, I know if I were gone and you were still here you would do the same thing.  Jayson drew the tattoo that I put on my leg when you left us, I love when people ask me about it because then they get to hear the story of Raggedy Ann and Andy and it always makes them cry, sometimes I cry too but it usually just makes me smile.  Right now I am crying because I really miss you and I've had a rough week, but Mom and I walked and had a plain dish of vanilla ice cream for your birthday, I do it every year, and I have to admit that this year, we put the vanilla on a sugar cone so we could walk back to the salon.  I know you would be sad that we lost our house, you would probably yell at me, and the salon too, but I still have the first dollar I made in a frame that you paid me for the first haircut in Salon Moxie, weird as this may sound, sometimes I want to take it out and hold it.  I see your face everyday in photos and you always make me smile.  Sometimes we still like to make fun of you , like when you fell asleep on the couch and the phone rang and you answered the remote control....you got so mad at us because we couldn't stop laughing at you because you just kept say..."Hello..?"  over and over again.   Or when I spit chocolate milk across the table because Carol kicked me at dinner.  You didn't think it was funny, but at 14, I sure as hell did.  I've got your mouth, only worse....I also have your patience....none and your scattered organizational skills.  Definitely your filing skills.  But the one thing that I got from you that I cherish the most are my memories of having a Dad and getting a family.  A wonderful family, I have sisters and brothers that I love so much and would never think of them other than blood.  They miss you too.  So does Mom... after all who would help her around the house?  LOL Just kidding, Dad... just kidding.....!  I love you, I miss you and Mom and I had some vanilla ice cream today for your birthday.  Oh and if you're still around, come see me before Jaysons wedding, you would love Guoda, she has really shaped that Jerky kid up.  She is amazing and fits into our family like a hand in a leather glove.  Have a happy birthday Dad........till I see you again.......I love you and miss you very much.


                                                                            Bubba