Friday, September 5, 2008

One Year Closer To The Grave, Think Of All The Food We'll Save!

(I'll leave it up to you to explain to your dear readers about this title.)

Dear Daddy,

Hey there big guy! There are so many things I love about you, that I could start my own little blog about it called:

"My Dad Is Above Average In More Than Five Billion Ways".

You and I would enjoy that, but other people might tire of me telling you how truly fabulous you are day in and day out. So instead of doing that, I'm hacking into your blog to tell you just a few things I love about you, with supporting photographic evidence. (If you read this every day, it will be like I'd done that blog thing I mentioned above.)


Aren't you ADORABLE in this little jumpsuit snuggled up next to your mom?! What a good boy you were for staying right by her for the picture and letting her protect you from falling with her arm. You have protected me my entire life in various ways, and for that, I love you.


Hey there Lady Killer! Even though you look super serious in this picture, I am imagining that your hand we can't see is pinching this nice girl in the tush to get her to smile. (You would NEVER . . . ) My point is, I just love your wacky sense of humor! I love how we'll all hang on the edge of our seats to hear you deliver the punch line of a joke - even when it's no good - because you're so good at it. You make me laugh and sometimes that is just what I need.

I see in this young (handsome!) cadet, the face of a man who is dedicated to serving his country and fellowmen and who isn't afraid to work hard to reach a goal. You have given me a great pride in our country, our Armed Forces and the military heritage that is a part of our family as well as taught me the value of work and I love you for that, too.
I love the smile you wear in this picture. It makes me think of your friendly, outgoing nature. This is the look I love to see on your face. This is the smile you have when we talk with one another and share stories and it makes me feel so loved because I know you are listening.

Here you are with my beautiful mom. When I saw this picture again, I cried, because it reminded me of you suffering through something really hard. And even though I hated every minute of it, I can see now that it has made us closer. I have a new and greater respect for you and I love you even more after it than I did before.


So, dearest Daddy, I just wanted to wish you the happiest of birthdays and tell you how very grateful I am to have had yet another year with you. And I need to let you know I am counting on many, many more.

Love,

Samantha

15 comments:

Anderson Zoo Keepers said...

Happy Happy Birthday Kernal-Dear.
Happy days will come to you all year! If I had one wish then it would be, a Happy Happy Birthday to you from ME!!

And many more....

Love you to bits.

(Great blog Sam)

Tobi said...

I hope you have a super fantastic birthday Uncle Ken! We all love you and want only the best for you.

-Camp Wilkinson

Carmen said...

Happy Birthday Ken!

We love you - Carmen Lynch and family

The Queen Vee said...

Yah, I still love you, and I'll still feed you, though your 64!

Happy Birthday big guy and I'm planning on MANY more!

Unknown said...

Happy Birthday and many many more.
Even though we are having a tropical storm rain on us today,I hope you have a wonderful day. Sam the blog was great.

Anonymous said...

I know Marshall can laugh for a few more days that you are 64 and he is not. You have been a good and always interesting friend throughout the years, so to the Kernal,the Jolly Green Giant and my leader up the hill: HAPPY BIRTHDAY Have a good day and a great year. Also, glad the Queen will still feed you. All our love to a special friend.

Kernal Ken said...

Samantha,

I had almost forgotten that you and the Queen know how to hack my blog.

Thank you so much for your kind words and loving thoughts on my 64th birthday.

We used to be required to say, during Beast Barracks at West Point, "Sir, all I am and all I ever hope to be I owe to my First Detail Squad Leader, who wishes to remain anonymous." If he thought you were a good Plebe, he would let you use his name.

So, on this occasion, I would like to say:

" Sir, most of what I am and all I ever hope to be I owe to my loving wife and my wonderful children and grandchildren - as well as many, many good friends - who have given me hope and kept me alive with their care and their prayers through a pretty tough stretch of my life's journey. I am forever grateful to all of them."

Love, Dad

Apis Melliflora said...

To be able to wish you a happy birthday is surreal and fabulous! Happy Birthday Ken, B.D., Papa!

Banana verse air meal fwa!

Let's see how well that brain's working at 64!

Kernal Ken said...

Rather than leave all of you hanging, what Apis wrote was the English pronunciation of the French phrase,
"Bon anniversaire, mille fois."

The translation is "Happy Birthday a thousand times.

Clever, n'est pas?

Pinspot said...

How lucky that I get to share my birthday with such a kind, loyal, big hearted, handsome dad! I love you very much!

The Carlsons said...

Hope you had an AWESOME birthday! I'm not sure if you'll be able to forget that awesome dance Samantha and I did for you... we should have put in on YouTube and see if we could be on the next America's Best Dance Crew! Of course we need Chris' made skills to give us a smooth beat.

Thanks for letting us share your birthday with you. What a yummy dinner. I'm lucky to be able to call you dad since you are very much above average.

Love, A

squeezeme said...

Happy Birthday Col. Ken! We are grateful to see you celebrate this one and many more to come.

Crazy Granny said...

I hope you had a marvelous birthday. May the force be with you (that would be Victoria). The rest of us lesser beings are with you as well.

Kasey said...

You have a very loving family sounds like. I know you have heard it many times before, but I just wanted to say that I'm praying for you and your family. You and your daughter have touched my heart today.

The Queen Vee said...

Okay Birthday Boy, it's time to post another blog story, your loyal fans are waiting.