may30

May 30th 2015

What a wonderful day.

Even though I did not get to bed until after 2am,

I was feeling pretty good 

and got up and ready for an exciting day.

Have you met my baby girl?

Well she is not such a baby anymore.

She will be 18 this week.

18.....

She was so tiny and scared and timid 15 years ago.

A little tiny thing

who acted too grown up for her years.

Instead of teaching her

how to grow up,

we spent the first years with her

trying to teach her to be a kid!

I am trying desperately

STILL

to have her cherish this last year of her teens

and enjoy the silly things

most of us forget to continue as we grow older.

She is stubborn like me,

and has her father's sense of humor.

For most of her life 

she has chosen her friends well,

admitted her mistakes,

tried her best and made us very proud!

Today it was kind of sad

to watch her perform her duties

as 741 Warrant Officer First Class

at the Cadet Annual Parade.

She worked so had to get there.

She gave her time, effort and teen age life

to continue through

what a lot of teens would have walked away from

long, long ago.

She evokes so much love 

from those around her,

and in turn

gives it back with interest.

She is a good leader because she tries so hard

to include everyone

and treat the cadets as she once wished 

to be treated when she started.

It is a bittersweet end

as she finishes up her last duties to the cadets

and embarks on an amazing

new path with the Reserves.

We got home around 5

 and decided that as our expected guests had canceled,

we would go out to celebrate.

After much yes-ing and no-ing by everyone

I put my foot down and made the decision.

The Wayside buffet,

and everyone would have something they liked.

Dinner was yummy,

John eating a ton of perch,

me attacking that roast beef

and the girls in the mood for pasta.

We were very full as we left.

Now the little princess was trying 

to think of something fun to do.

We decided to call her friend Dylan,

and roll on out to Chelsey's house

for a very loud and rambunctious game of Monopoly.

We called it a night at midnight,

and although John and Dylan had held onto

the top spots and most properties

throughout the game,

Kendryk gave up and passed out on the sofa,

I WON!

We headed home exhausted,

but satisfied with a lovely day.

Tomorrow would have to be really awesome to beat

this amazing day.

Good night from John Street.