I like the age I am

I like the age I am
It's a wonderful life no matter when
So if I'm a hundred or if I am ten
I like the age I am
~Carol Johnson

We traveled to Florida over the weekend to help my dad celebrate his 75th birthday. Yes, seventy-five. For as hard as it may be for me to believe that my dad's 75, it's probably just as difficult for him to accept that I'm 37 (and that his baby, my sister, is 30). The weekend was such a treat. The last time we saw my parents they were both suffering from acute bronchitis. We had limped our way through Christmas, and at the time I could hardly imagine they would recover so well. The weekend was filled with laughter (so much so that I nearly choked more than once) and we repaired our Christmas woes.

Grace and Julia started my dad's day on the right note, serenading him with the song lyrics written above. That's the same song I sang to my grandpa (with the help of my sister and cousins) when he turned 70. Dad was tickled. That night we took the whole family and some surprise guests (thanks, Pete & Leslie) out for dinner. There were a few wistful moments as we missed my brothers and sister-in-law, but Grace and Julia, as usual, kept us all entertained.



On Sunday we enjoyed some of that beautiful Florida sunshine. The girl's cruised the development on their kickboards, and we all enjoyed watching the wildlife, including a gator and egret:




And as the sun descended I caught the sky's reflection in the canal outside my parent's rental:




The weekend was just about perfect. I'm thrilled that we were able to be together for my dad's birthday and that my parents are on the mend. I could get all mushy here about my dad, but my keyboard isn't waterproof. He's a great, great man. He's taught me much and loved me even more. Thanks, Dad, for everything. Happy Birthday.

Here's the link to all the other photos from our weekend.