Crazytown, let the adventure begin.

This is the seventh Father's Day that we've celebrated. The seventh year of a journey that we never thought we'd be taking.

Before we got married, whenever the the topic of of children would come up Charle's response was that "there are no kids in this camper's future." And he was right. For the first ten years we were married.

But I wanted children. I came from a big noisy family, and I'd always worked with kids through babysitting, teaching swimming lessons, and being with my own family. After six or seven years of trying to have a little one only to be told by several in the medical field that without significant medical intervention, we should consider adoption if we wanted to be parents. I mourned the loss of a child I would never know, and began to enjoy the freedom that comes with the idea of being an aunti to nieces and nephews to come, and spoiling friends kids.

It is amazing how much fun DINKs can have. We had parties with and for friends, cooked amazing foods from around the world - both exotic and spicy types. On a whim we would drop everything for a weekend getaway in the mountains and we purchased some beautiful works of art. In short, we sucked the marrow from the bones of life.

I think we enjoyed ourselves too much. Perhaps, seen as mocking the spirits, we found our lives forever changed one spring day, shortly after my precious greyhound Herman was diagnosed with an in-operable lymphoma deep in his chest, Charles fell and broke his right hand, work for me was crazy busy insane, and we'd just sent off the last payment for a cruise celebrating our 10 year anniversary.

We also found ourselves pregnant.

For real. A combination of medicine, science and stress all culminated into the perfect storm. That was the first Father's day we celebrated and Charles got the biggest, baddest grill we could find. Looking back on it... I'm not sure if we were celebrating the life to be, or saying goodbye to the life of luxury.

Eight months later, BW was born. Seventeen months after that, JB was born. Life has never been the same. It's been a fun ride. And frustrating too. And challenging, and sweet, and... and...

It's on day's like today that I'm reminded of where Charles and I began and of how far we've come. I don't think I'd want to share this roller coaster ride with anyone else. For that I cherish and thank my deepest friend and love.

Thank you Charles for being every bit the man that a woman could hope for, and for being every bit the daddy that a child could want and need. And a toast to all the years to come. (Better make it a strong one, we're gonna need it!)