To my Dad and to my Prince.

Happy Birthday! …

I totally planned the Prince's moment of arrival to be at 11:22pm on October 3rd, 2005. I thought it seemed like a good way to make up for crappy presents I gave my Dad in previous years.

I also totally planned that The Prince would turn 6 and The Princess would turn 4 the year my Dad turns 64… Dude, can I time things or what?!

I can remember being really young, maybe 6 or 7, and my parents taking us on a family vacation. Their plan was always to get up and on the road before daybreak and before chaos erupted. One of these little trips (filled with hundreds of pit stops making a 4 hour drive 19 hours, etc) I woke up sitting behind my Dad while he drove. And I was happy. Like deliriously ~someone get this child a sedative~ kind of happy. I loved my parents, I loved my siblings, I loved the car - kind of happy.

Most days are not filled with that amount of giddy, spastic joy. And for the most part, that's a really, really good thing. But every now and then I get that bubbles-in-my-tummy kind of happy, only the feeling comes through all of life's responsibilities and stresses, which makes it so much more beautiful (and rare).

6 years ago today I felt that kind of happy. Holding my delicate baby for the first time. Seeing my Dad on his birthday hold his first grandchild for the first time.
Today, I have bubbles-in-my-tummy kind of happy all over again. Only one half of my joy is here and one half is across the continent….

I love you Seth.
I love you Dad. I miss you Dad.

Happy Birthday.