Sixteen years ago on August 12th a baby girl was born…her chosen name would be Makaila and she is our daughter, the youngest of our three children. Since Lynn and Darrell were already in their teenage years when Makaila was born, it was like starting all over again with the night-time feedings, learning to walk and daycare but we did it. It was one last chance for us to be parents and it’s been nothing short of an awesome journey. I have many favourite memories of you Makaila, but my all time favourite has got to be when you were about four years old. We were walking back to the trailer from the beach hand in hand one day and you said to me “Daddy wouldn’t it be fun if we could just live here?” Or as crazy as it made me sometimes, when we would play on the swings and you would start “Barbie has a red dress” and I’d say “Barbie has a purple dress” and we would play that game until one of us said a colour that had already been taken. My best memories of you are times that we spent, not money that we spent. I want you to remember that when you have children of your own.
In a couple more years, my summer may be filled with preparing Makaila for college or university and I’m not quite sure how that will be…I did it for Lynn and I did it for Darrell, but I always had one more child at home to look after and didn’t have to face the reality of an empty nest. I’m not so sure that I’m going to like this new chapter in our lives and even though I still have a couple of years, the past sixteen have gone by so fast, there’s no reason to believe that in a few blinks of the eye, the next two years won’t pass just as quickly.
So here’s to you, Makaila. I told you that I would write about you when it was your birthday. It’s been a great sixteen years. Just like your sister and brother, you’ve been a gift to us, a blessing in our lives. The excitement that surrounds you keeps our house full of joy (well most of the time…you ARE a teenager!). But remember this…no matter what direction you take in life, or what city you will live in, I’ll be there for you. I’ll always believe in you. And no matter how much to try to outgrow it, remember this too…you’ll always be Daddy’s Little Girl!
Love you to the moon and back!
