Two days before I was due, my dad celebrated his 60th birthday. I thought it would be fun to have the baby on his birthday but apparently Weston didn’t want to steal his thunder. Or maybe he was just saving all that thunder for when he came out…because dude…the thunder from down under is un.be.leeeevable.
My grandparents were in town for the occasion…down from Pittsburgh…and looking just as good as always. I love that my Pappap is wearing a shirt that has my dad’s company’s logo on it. He is so supportive of us all. He always does little things to make everyone feel special and loved. One time I asked my siblings who they thought was Pappap’s favorite and we all said ourselves. That says a lot.
So my mom planned a big 60th birthday party with friends and my dad’s golfing buddies. For some reason or another, I was the one that was supposed to get my dad to show up at the country club and to stall him till 7pm. My mother can’t lie. She just can’t. It would be like asking her to speak with an accent. One time she tried to do a ‘reggae’ accent and she sounded like Fat Albert. We thought she was gonna pull out the bagpipe accordian. (Any Fat Albert fans in the house?!)
Anyhoo…since apparently I was the official ‘package-deliverer’, I called my dad and pitched him an idea that I had. A photoshoot. One with him and Will…doing one of their favorite things….playing golf.
Remember how I told y’all that I am going through an around-the-editing-world-trip? And that each image feels different and looks different because of how I edited it? Yeah. That hasn’t ended. I’m still trippin.
I decided that this one would count as Will’s November photoshoot.
I love this one. like a lot. My dad is always cheering us on. He was a math teacher for 16 years and coached everything from basketball to football to golf…so seeing him raise his hands in celebration of my little guy brings tears to my eyes. I raise my hands for you Daddy! Full circle baby.
Yes, those are marshmellows…not golf balls they are toasting. Don’t judge me. Will needed a blood sugar boost and mommy needed a happy toddler at the country club.
The most ridiculous part of the entire thing was the fact that the sun was down way before 7pm. So I had to stall them…and keep pretending that I was certain I could shoot in the dark.
I had them sit. walk. walk back. do it again. point at stuff. drink a special “Pop” soda pop.
Apparently sugar cane root beer is not very good. Thanks a lot World Market.
Thankfully, 7pm came and I convinced him Dad that we needed to go pick up Jeremy at the reception room. My dad was so confused but I think he generally is very confused by me and my wackiness so it worked out this time.
Overall it was a really fun night. My mom had it catered and then of course she brought food…like 7 key lime pies….and a four tiered cupcake stand. Have I mentioned that she’s Italian and can not for the life of her cook for less than eighteen times what’s needed?
My dad with his golfing buddies…sorry for the fuzzy photo Dad….I was on a sugar high…let’s blame Mom’s mountain of snowball cookies…
Also, I was in charge of making the slideshow video thing of my Dad. It’s nothing fancy…but Mummum & Pappap – this is for you! I thought you would like to see it since you couldn’t be there for the party. Everyone else….if you choose to sit through the almost ten minutes of someone-elses-Dad pics, please ignore any evidence of my awkward tween years. or ugly kid years. or the length of any shorts in the video…it was the 80’s and my dad rocked daisy dukes like Jessica Simpson. I think he gets extra man-points in heaven for that.
dad tribute from Katie Bower on Vimeo.
To my Daddy – I love you. I love you for a million and a half reasons. And I will take care of you when mom dies in the kitchen from a coronary due to the stress of cooking too many side dishes simultaneously. And I won’t even remind you that I have photographic evidence of your best George Costanza pose in the sand. But seriously…Daddy…I love you so so much. you taught me what to look for in a man. you showed me how to really love my spouse and how to lay down my pride for someone else. you taught me how to really say I love you and I’m sorry and I’m scared. You taught me to work hard, ask for help, go all out and trust God. And because of you, I still have great follow through on my jump shot. You are the best. Happy 60th.
Love, Love, Love. Today’s my birthday and I feel like I get to share it with your dad!
So sweet
Is it weird to cry a little watching a nearly 10 minute video about someone else’s Dad? No? Good, cause I totally did. Loved it!
Not that you don’t do lots of sweet things (I’m sure), but this has to be one of the sweetest things you’ve ever done. I don’t even know your dad and I’m in tears after watching that video. Your family seems so full of love and joy, and I know that must warm your dad’s heart so much. Good job being an awesome daughter!
I just posted about Fat Albert yesterday! http://ourtinyplace.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-fat-albert-laugh-does-it-again.html
Will is aborable! That outfit is to die for. Such a sweet post 🙂
You are such a great photographer! This photoshoot is DARLING! Will is going to be so grateful for having a mother like you when he turns into a man and can look back on all of this.
Oh Katie – absolutely adorable! And what a sweet tribute to your Dad, in words & video! xo
OMGoodness! You do realize that Will is the spitting image of your dad? The black and white school photo of him as a kid is uncanny in the resemblance! What a wonderful, thoughtful party!
I LOVE the photos. I have three daughters and I love watching my dad with them. He is a great, great man. Hope you and your family are getting lots of rest and remembering to enjoy all the craziness a new member of the family brings.
Thanks for sharing,
LA in TX
Great post and heartfelt message to your Dad. Loved it!
this was a great post. your posts are so charismatic and charming. they are thoughtful and thought provoking. they are joyous and sad. they are sweet and sassy. every time I read your posts, I laugh or cry. Or like this one- I did both. ; )
great dads are ALWAYS worth a shout out.
so basically, you rock. thanks for posting- even when your hands are full, you’re tired, and sleep deprived.
Aww! Tears! Lovely ode to your Father.
Happy 60th to Katie’s Daddy! You seem like an incredible man, father, grandfather, husband and friend.
I originally wrote more than that, but it kicked back all wonky. I am simply sentimental and I love seeing the progression of time. While some people might dream of being a parent, I dream of hopefully someday becoming a Memere. The day my grandchild is placed into my arms it the day I weep uncontrollably while my kids tell me to pull it together.
Happy belated birthday, Katie’s dad! My dad celebrates 66 next month and hasn’t slowed down a bit. If anything, he’s the healthiest and happiest he’s ever been. With all the medical advances and all that we know now about taking care of ourselves, 60 really is the new, what, 40? 30? At this rate, I might as well wish you 60 more awesome years!
We have very similar pictures in our albums. My dad had quite the ‘fro. Think Art Garfunkel at his ‘froiest. And I remember trying on a pair of my dad’s old short shorts when I was in high school. They were so short, I didn’t even feel comfortable wearing them. (How was that ever normal?!) P.S. Will looks so much like your dad when he was young!
Yay for great dads! 😀
That last paragrpah is just about the best tribute a Dad could ask for. If one of my kids writes me something even half as nice as that some day, I will be thrilled. PS – can you rent your Dad out to my daughter for awhile? I’m kinda worried about that “what to look for in a spouse” thing….. 🙂
This is the sweetest!
Those pictures of Will and your dad are certainly keepers for a life-time. My dad is a golf fanatic, too … I’d love pictures like these with him and my (someday) kids!
Cute pics! Um… the massive destruction downstairs is horrifying and something people so rarely talk about! There are classes/info about pregnancy and delivery, but nothing about the aftermath. I swear it gets worse each time too – ALMOST makes a C-section look good just so you could keep it all ok! I can’t even imagine what you’re dealing with after a baby that big!
This is so sweet. Happy birthday, Katie’s dad!
(Can we just talk about how adorable and fantastic the grandpa/Will golf game was?)
what a sweet post!! I can’t believe how much you look like your Dad!! Can see some of him in Will too 🙂
ps. that picture of him on the beach in his sport illustrated swim edition pose is a.ma.zing. HAHAHAHAH!!
Shut up! What a sweet post for your Dad! Your pictures of him and Will are beyond precious! Although you were taking those mainly to stall him, those will be a great treasure for him and you for years to come. While watching the slideshow you made for him, I was either laughing or tearing up–all while rocking out to The Eagles and Journey!! You did a great job!
PS: Your parents are the cutest!
Katie, thank you for sharing this video you made for your very special dad!! You have an amazing family, full of love and joy!
Happy 60th Birthday Bill!!
I don’t know you, I don’t know your dad but I watched that video (at work, shh!) and had tears in my eyes! You are so lucky to have such a wonderful relationship, and I can tell your dad loves his kids and grandkids! Happy 60th to him!
Wonderful tribute to your Dad!! Love the phots too of Will out on the golf course!
This is beautiful and something you will all treasure. Here’s to many happy more!
This is so heartwarming! Your dad seems like an amazing man, father, and grandfather. I absolutely love the video!
oh heavens to betsy! I am the worlds BIGGEST daddy’s girl and this dang post made me want to have a baby so that i can have cute pictures with baby and paw paw!!!
my husband would go for ANY reason for me to have a baby— your 10lbs bundle of joy scares me! hahaha
lots of love— i hope you are doing well <3
Just wanted you to know that your note to your dad at the end of your post was amazing! I got choked up. I lost my dad way too young and only wish I could have said those things to him!
This post just made me cry a little at work. Those pictures are fantastic! My Dad just celebrated his 60th over Thanksgiving. We are lucky to have such wonderful fathers in our lives.
Love it! Looks like you have your love of photography and getting great shots from your family – great photo’s – Thanks for sharing! Made me teary eyed.
Katie this is so sweet! Our little girl was due on my Daddy’s birthday. I had to be induced the day before and my mom informed me that as the day progressed, my dad was telling everyone that called the check on me he was holding out for 12:01 am. Our little miracle was both on my daddy’s birthday and I don’t think he ever got a present he liked nearly a much as his first grandchild 🙂 Happy Birthday to yr Daddy!
What a sweet tribute to your dad! I’m all hormonal and pregnant with our first little guy and have thoughts like “One day we’ll be the great grandparents watching our children be celebrated by their children.” If you can follow that AND not get weepy thinking about it, you might be out of the pregnancy woods. Also, I had the root beer recently and was amazed at how bad it was. Felt like I’d been tricked.
Katie this is so sweet! Our little girl was born on my Daddy’s birthday. I had to be induced the day before and apparently as the day progressed, he kept telling people that were calling to check on my that he was holding out for 12:01 am. Reagan made her debut at 2:43 am and I’m pretty sure she is his favorite birthday present ever!
Great idea for a photoshoot! I too love the picture of your dad cheering Will on. There’s something so special seeing that relationship between grandpa and grandson.
The knickers? I die. So cute.
Happy birthday to your daddy!
Hey Katie!
How do you do these slideshows!? Do you scan the pictures in?
Hi Kate! I am new to the blogesphere and found YHL and fell in love and from there I found you guys! I absolutely adore your honest writing and look forward to your posts. I had such a vivid dream last night of babysitting your two boys that I woke up feeling like I had just talked to you. Weird? Perhaps! Haha, but it was too funny, I had to share 🙂 I hope your post partum recovery goes by quickly! 🙂
Oh girl, I just bawled like a baby watching that video. I so wish my dad were still with me…cherish EVERY second you can with your family! 🙂
This is really special, Katie. Loved those pictures of Will and your dad. I know you’ll cherish them forever.
That was beautiful, Miss Katie.
So sweet! I love Will’s outfit.
I loved your blog post and video! You did a great job! You sound like you are very fortunate to have such great parents in your life. It really makes me wish I was still close with my dad.
What a lovely tribute and such adorable pictures. I love my father and I miss my grandpa each and every day and cherish all my pictures with him. Your son will no doubt feel the same way one day about these pictures.
What a sweet tribute! Also, AMAZING photo shoot with Will and your dad. Love it. You definitely made that “stalling” time a thing to remember!
This video literally brought tears to my eyes! I honestly love when you post about your family, because all I see is unconditional love and happiness. Such a beautiful family, happy birthday to your dad! (I see so much of him in you!)
Great tribute to your Dad, I enjoyed it and I know the whole family will as well. I’m still smiling, and wishing I had kept track of more family pictures. Good Job!
Oh my gosh…what a sweet & completely hysterical post. I snorted my way through it. And then teared up. I wish I had that kind of relationship with my dad. Very happy for you though! (still snickering about your mom dying in the kitchen…).
Great post! Great memories! I can really see now who you get your great personality from Katie! Your dad seems like a great guy. That first picture of your Dad as a young boy in the video looks just like Will!
Great post andpictures! Love your comment about your Dad being used to your strangness! I think my parents would feel the same way…
This is such an adorable post! Love you nad your beautiful family 🙂
Happy Birthday to your Dad!!! What a wonderful, heartfelt tribute, and some of those pictures were priceless. Katie you look so much like your Dad.
What a beautiful tribute to your dad. It brought tears to my eyes! 🙂 You are so blessed. I’m praying for you to have a quick recovery–congratulations on the new addition to your family. He is gorgeous!
Decoy photoshoot or not – these are wonderful, wonderful pictures! I lost my beloved grandfather this year, and looking at these pictures of your Dad and your little man brought tears to my eyes.
What a treasure.
You have a really neat family, Katie!
Katie, you look just like your father when he was younger! It’s crazy! And Will looks just like him too. So sweet. Congratulations on your newest addition. Having a VBAC & pushing out a 10 lb baby…you’re my hero 🙂 Hope you’re feeling we’ll & adjusting to a new family of four 🙂
I just want to give your Dad a big hug after seeing that video and reading this post!! The second or third pic in the video reminds me of Will. They look so much alike. Your family is the cutest! Happy Birthday Mr. Hughes. God blessed you all with a beautiful and loving family. God Bless Katie.
Has anyone ever told you that your mom looks like a much prettier version of Paula Deen? I wonder if Italians like butter as much as us Southern ladies 🙂
Happy birthday to your dad! Loved the slideshow, he looks like a great guy. Doesn’t Will have his eyes? I loved the early pictures – he just radiates love for his children. And your mom is freaking adorable!
Katie,
Those pictures of your dad and Will are beautiful!! You’ll have to frame some of them! What a precious memory. It was truly a blessing in disguise that you used that to surprise him for his party. Also, the video was very special. What a blessing to have such a loving family and how it has grown with the little ones.
On another note, I think the last post you had before you went into the hospital was on painting your outside lights by your door. I had responded to that post and told you that I had painted mine also and needed to do the ones by the driveway. Your post inspired me to go ahead and get it done and actually, I painted them the day you went into the hospital to have Weston! It was a good day!!
A beautiful tribute for a beautiful father, Katie. xx
I LOVE the idea of the photo shoot! The pictures turned out SO great! What an amazing keepsake for you & your dad!
Congrats on baby Weston! He’s so handsome.
~ Heidi
Beautiful pictures ,you are a gifted photographer. Can’t wait to see pictures of your two boys together.
I just belly laughed over your mom’s “reggae” impression!!!!
I watched the video… it was sweet. You are lucky Katie. I didn’t have a good relationship with my dad and now he is gone. I get a little jealous of great daughter/dad relationships. Happy for you!
I hope all is well with Weston and you are healing up!
Where did you find the Pop Shoppe soda? Brings me back to my childhood. That was our special treat going to the store and getting to pick what flavors we wanted.
I watched all 8+ minutes of your video and loved every second.
You’re, quite obviously, a great daughter and your love for your dad is beautiful.
Congrats on new baby Weston, he is gorgeous, just like y’all. ♥
Thank you for always keeping me entertained. Im one of those silent readers, but I love ya and stay tuned in on the daily. 😉
Happy Birthday to your dad! I recently started reading your blog, and I have to say, this post made me all teary!!! Congrats on your new baby and great blog!!
Gosh thank you for making me cry! The love in your family kills me every time you do this kind of post. Happy Birthday to your Dad! On a side note…where are all the ugly people in your family? Do all of you have to be so good looking? Hahaha
single tear! I agree that is the sweetest picture of his hands raised up for Will. Got me a little choked up this afternoon. Cheers to 60 Katie’s Dad!
I didn’t have a dad growing up, that wasn’t the story that god gave me but this post gave me a deep joy for the good dads out there and a deep gladness that this is your story. Not that we are friends or anything of the sort …. but I feel a contented gladness that comes from when good happens to friends and people you care about.
Those are AMAZING pictures you and he will treasure. What a great idea to use that as an excuse!
Beautiful post. Beautiful pics. Will’s outfit: beyond adorable. Families are priceless. My parents are gone and I miss them dearly. My five siblings and I all live in different states. Thank God our parents instilled in us a closeness and love for each other, no matter the distance.
Such sweet pictures and a great celebration! My husband and I found out today we are having a little boy and your pictures made me super excited. We are both golf lovers but don’t get to play enough but this definitely has me wanting to hit the courses!
Beautiful…simply beautiful~the whole thing, from the sweet pictures of your dad and Will to the birthday video. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m 8 weeks pregnant, or just because, but I was weeping. My heart was in my throat. Seriously, Katie, you and your daddy have something that is so precious, and so rare. I was one of those little girls-turned young women who wished I had had a dad in my life who had loved me, adored me, taught me about the goodness of God, and had shown me what to look for in a man. I believe that little girls need this more than anything. I am now blessed to have healthy, loving relationships with both of my dads, but your video is proof that it can exist from day one. Thank you for being you. Thank you for sharing things like this. Yes, you’re incredibly talented and super-funny! But, I have to admit that I find myself spending so much time on these kinds of posts…reading and re-reading. Have a beautiful day!
OMG I absolutely love the pics from your photo shoot! Everytime I see adorable pics of your family, I get excited all over again about the baby boy who will be joining our family this March. Also, the song you chose for the slideshow is one of my all-time favorites. Excellent work 🙂
What a beautiful, moving tribute! And your photos are wonderful……beautiful work. I bet Will is going to absolutely cherish those photos when he’s grown up.
Love this! I feel exactly the same about my dad. A girl with a daddy she loves and trusts is such a HUGE blessing!
What a sweet tribute to your dad! And those golfing photos–lovely.
Totally random, but I can’t believe you found Pop Shoppe soda! (sorry it sucked). My dad used to work for Pop Shoppe when I was a kid, and we always had a ton of it at home. Just this past weekend I happened across a vendor selling flowers in Pop Shoppe bottles at our local city market! I pretty much flipped out on the spot. I haven’t seen those bottles in ages, and I sure didn’t know they were still making the stuff! Of course I now have the bottle perched in my windowsill with a hydrangea in it…reminds me of dad.
Darn it – you made me cry! And I don’t even know your Dad! Or you! Beautiful tribute and gorgeous photos of your Dad and Will golfing. I’m a photographer and I have photo envy ; )
Beautiful pictures you took of Will and your Dad.
I have to say you or your sis didn’t age at all and you look just like your Dad.
Thanks for sharing. Makes me miss my Dad, who lives abroad (or do I live abroad because I moved away?) so thanks for sharing.
In any event…Congrats on Cute Weston. Hope the healing and adjusting to a family of 4 works wonderfully even with little sleep.
Beautiful photos and even better video tribute. I couldn’t help but marvel at Little Debbie….. she was and still is, so beautiful and looks so joyful.
THAT’S who she looks like. didn’t realize until you said it that i couldn’t quite put my finger on it. 🙂
katie, that was really sweet. lucky fam!
oh me, oh my!!! i always, always love your photoshoots, but this one really takes the cake! best ever! i canNOT get over will’s pant/sock situation (gah, PRECIOUS!) and knowing how special your dad is to you (like mine to me) and your sweet boy is to you (like mine is to me) makes me tear up with joy and thankfulness. God is good!
haha…she gets that a lot 🙂 Even Will thinks that it’s Nana on the cover of cooking magazines 🙂
xo – kb
I use Windows Movie Maker…it was free on my computer and yes, I just scan the photos to my computer and drop them in. easy peasey 🙂
xo – kb
#youmustimmediatelyenterthosephotographsinacontestyouwillwinonemilliondollars
#youwillthenowemehalfofthemilliondollarstopayfordamagesthatjustoccuredaftercryingmyeyesoutandfloodingmybedroom
Thank you
Your slide show made me cry. I watched it while sitting here nursing my baby girl and seeing the pics of your dad with his babies … And thinking about how I’ll be 60 some day too and my baby girl will be all grown up like you (and like me)… Oh gosh I’m all teary all over again. Family love is so special and life goes by so fast… Thanks for sharing it all with us.
OMG. At minute 2:00 ish….the couch and chair? I had the EXACT same couch! I loved that couch. It was my first ‘real’ furniture purchase…..circa 1981.
Is your family Steeler fans??!! I knew I loved you. 🙂 I only became a Steeler fan through marriage (seven thousand years ago), but I’m Steeler Nation all the way now.
Also … shedding tears over this beautiful post and the video tribute!!!
Xo
Katie, what an awesome tribute! Love in every pic!
I love your photoshoot, great connections and styling! If you’re in an editing experimenting stage right now, have you thought about trying kelvin white balance? Obviously not an editing process, but it can make your post-processing a lot easier, and I LOVE what it does for colors and skin tones. So much easier and faster than custom white balance too. Just google for more info (I learned all about it on the clickin moms forum). Congratulations on your first few weeks as a mother of two!! I have a 21 month and 4 month old… it’s a minor miracle that I even had time to type this comment lol, I’m so impressed that you can blog as much as you do!
Very nicely put together….Please share—-How did you get the video in this resolution? When i try to do it I typically have to compress the resolution to send pics in a video form to my parents back home.
Also just an observation….Your sis was pretty younger but now you look so…so…pretty or prettier! 🙂
Katie,
I loved this. I haven’t watched the video yet because I’m at work and the picture of your dad with his golf buddies made me cry. My father was an avid golfer and had so many buddies. He passed away about a year and half ago and this brought back SO many memories. Good ones, but still… Keep treasuring your Dad. Thanks for sharing this.
Beautiful post Katie. Such heartwarming pics that you will surely treasure forever. <3
I am entirely blaming this on the fact that I am 7 months pregnant and irrationally emotional–your tribute to your Daddy made me cry! How precious! Yes, I am a weirdo that sat through an 8 minute tribute of pictures of someone else’s dad, but it was worth it. It reminded me of my Dad! Aside from the fact that he’s a 46 year old black guy with only 2 kids. lol. Seeing the pictures of your Dad with his grandchildren made my eyes water up. Such beautiful love, and so inspiring to see how close your family is. Thanks so much for sharing!
As I watched I kept thinking, ‘Now THIS is how a man spends his life’. Made me miss my dad, and appreciate my husband even MORE. Thank you for sharing this beautiful tribute.
Beautiful. Amazing. There’s nothing like a good daddy! And, you and your dad are twins :))
As usual, your writing makes me laugh and cry. Katie, thanks for keeping it real on your blog.
Oh, and for the thunder down under……try Dermaplast or the New Mama Bottom Spray from Earth Mama/Angel Baby.
WOW! That video brought tears to my eyes! And seeing the pics of your Dad, you can totally see who Will looks like!
Congrats!
I never realized how much you look like your dad and your sister looks like your mom! Wowzers!
Oh yes. We bleed black and gold 🙂
xo – kb
It’s just in standard resolution…in the Windows Movie Maker, it does give you conversion options but doing the high definition takes too long so I always choose standard.
Hope this helps a little!
xo – kb
I’ve tried it but I always seem to switch back to auto WB…probably because I’m shooting a rambuctious toddler and would rather engage him and worry about proper composition, exposure and focus….I would rather use Kelvin but sometimes it’s just outta the question…I’m sure you understand 😉
xo – kb
That photo shoot is literally the cutest thing I have ever seen. Amazing. Happy 60th to your Dad!
The golfing pics are just the sweetest!! LOVE!!
Katie,
So many things.
#1- this is beautiful…almost tears-in-my-eyes-at-work- beautiful. You and your dad clearly have an uber-special relationship and the tribute was awesome!
#2- the golf shoot?! aahhhhhhh so cute.
#3- Will with no sideburns. So cute. Maybe Weston will repeat? 🙂
#4- Your glasses. Amazing. I feel your pain and feel as though we are all some secret sisterhood of frames that were too big for our faces.
#5- UNBELIEVABLE how much you look like your dad AND your mom. Also- so cool that Will resembles your family, too. I often think he resembles Jeremy from your pictures. Looking at this family history, if you will, was really sweet because it showed all of you guys at kids and now us readers see where your kids get it from, too. 🙂
#6- HOW IS YOUR MOM SO BEAUTIFUL IN ALL TIME PERIODS?! I seriously can’t handle how gorgeous she has stayed FOREVER. I hope that I age as gracefully as she has because she is a stunner!
Hope your family of 4 is fabulous! 🙂
Those pictures are so great! My dad and husband love golf, so I can’t wait to get our future kids into golf and do a photoshoot like this!
Aren’t dads just the best? Your dad seems like a stand up guy. 🙂 Happy Birthday to your wonderful dad and many more!
P.S. You look so much like your dad!
I can’t believe how much Will looks like your dad! Beautiful video…loved it!
So many times I think Will looks like Jeremy- but these pictures of your dad show otherwise!! So many of his expressions come from him! Such a sweet photoshoot and video! and…those were some SERIOUS daisy dukes!! 😉
I love the black and white pic of Will putting! I would hang that on my wall (not in a creepy way, but in a cute kid art kind of way). Watching the video it’s so clear that your dad has lead a life full of fun and love. He and your mom look so happy! And I LOVE that you included that hillbilly pic!
Beautiful post, beautiful pictures and the most beautiful video slideshow! Couldn’t help but cry a little it was so moving. Music can do that to ya! Happy Birthday to your dad!
Katie–
I am not a photographer, I mean that literally. I have an 18 month old granddaughter and the only pictures I have taken of her have been on my phone. But let me tell ya sister, I know some beautiful shots when I see them. You are extremely gifted…carry on the good work. As for your Dad, what beautiful words. I lost my own father 10 months ago, and it hurt, as well as warmed, my heart to read what you wrote to him. Again, carry on the good work.
This is one of my favorite posts of yours. I lost my dad when I was 4 y.o. and reading this brought tears to my eye. When I got married 6 months ago my brother-in-law walked me down the aisle and shared during the toasts what I imagine my dad would have said. Those pictures of Will are priceless. Thank you for the heartfeltness but also the humor 🙂
Will looks so much like your dad! Great little tribute.
1. is it weird i got teary eyed during this? #strangerdanger
2. your befores and afters totally make up for your in-between stage. but i still really enjoyed those photos 🙂 seems kids these days skip that stage. im going to make sure mine dont. middle stages humble those who need humbling. now im rambling.
3. your dad can rock a stache. all out.
4. my dad wore daisy dukes too! oh wait. he still does. awkward.
5. your dad seems freakishly tall but maybe thats because im freakishly short. i seriously wondered if those bell bottoms were custom made.
6. great collage! wanting to do this for my dads 70th- minus the surprise aspect since hes such a stick in the bush. mud. i mean. sheesh.
Such an awesome video! Don’t know you all, but I love your dad! Lol!
Totally made me tear up – I think any time I see a dad looking so happy with his kids it just pulls at my heart strings. Happy birthday to your dad!
I found your blog & watched your tribute to your Dad..it was awesome & I had tears streaming down my face even though I don’t even know you. I could just feel the love. Thanks so much for sharing. Tammie
Love the golfing photos you took of your dad with Will. So cute. And the video (Yes, I watched the whole thing!) is such a lovely tribute to your dad. Beautiful family. Thanks for sharing.
So you’re from Pittsburgh? That explains a lot of your awesomeness. :]
My folks are both born and bred from a small town along the Mon called Charleroi. It’s about thirty minutes outside the Burgh and although I never lived there, it is home to our family 🙂
xo – kb