That's me and my dad when I was little. We got along pretty good then, mostly because I couldn't talk back to him yet! My dad died on Valentine's Day in 2007 from complications of Alzheimers and missing my mom who passed away five months prior.
This is my sister Teri with my dad. She couldn't talk back then either, but she usually didn't anyway. She was more like my mom, she just would walk away rather then scream till her last dying breath like I would! Me and my sister grew up pretty much like the rest of the world at that time. My dad worked for Edison his entire life and there wasn't always a bunch of money left over for the extras but it was a good life. Our vacations were called, "let's go for a ride" which meant usually going to someplace close in the car. This is my dad and us at the old Pier Point Landing in Long Beach, which is still where I live. I still live in Long Beach, not Pier Point Landing, in case you were wondering.
After my dad died I learned more about him. He saved and documented everything, and I mean everything! In his WWII scrapbook,he even had a paw print of his platoons dog. Guess that's where we got the love for animals. My dad had a whole scrapbook FILLED with EVERYTHING his grandkids (my three kids) gave him. Photos, notes, and every Christmas card, like this one.
His grandkids meant the world to him, and when my son Bryce was born, he was so excited because there was finally a "boy" in his family. And actually, as my son gets older I see more and more of my dad in him. Like when I came home from the store the other night and he was working on furniture in the garage like my dad use to do. My dad had that antique bug like all of us. Bryce had some "miner" kind of light strapped to his head so he could see better while working on a piece of furniture. Yep, he is definately still grandpa's boy! The last ten years of my mom and dad's life was tough, bordering hell for me. As I said before, when you're caught up in the dementia/Alzheimer cycle you never have time to come up for air and understand what's going on. We had to take three cars away from my dad, turn him into the DMV, and finally my sister and I had to move my parents into assisted living. My dad knew he needed to be there, but still hated it none the less. When Katie had Riley, my first grandchild, my mom died four days later. She got to see a picture of Riley, then just let go, it was her time. My dad was never the same,except when he held Riley in his arms
And he would always say, "your mom would have loved this baby". One of my friends Leslie once said, "everyone has got a story to tell Sue, you know". So, this is my Father's Day story. It's not about sadness, its about memories, good ones. My dad was an ass, but in a good way if that makes sense. I use to HATE going over to see my dad on Father's day because he would say stuff like, "why did you get me this, I don't need it", or better yet toss the present aside and not open it. Buy hey, that was my dad, the world famous Mr. Moore!! So dad, at least I don't have to get you some dumbass gift this year you'll toss aside or hear you say, "why in the hell did you buy me this, I don't need it"! But instead, I have a lifetime of memories. Thanks, and by the way, I miss you!
When Mom is working in the garden and watering on a great June day, and its summer, what better way to pass the time than a dip in the "pool"! In this case, Yesi decided her daughter Josalyn could spend some time in a Country Roads type pool...totally country!! It was just one of those great summer days here in SoCal. 
The best part about little kids is it just takes so little to make them happy. Josalyn turned three years old yesterday. Where does the time go so quickly. So, after Josalyn was done playing in her own private "pool", what better way to end the day than to have a nice, cold "Lunchable" from Rod's!
And being the polite, little kid that she is, Josalyn even offered to share her lunch with me. So as she sat in the middle of the Annie's Annuals perfectly happy and content, eating her lunch,and when I glanced over at the empty pool,
it reminded me why I love kids, Summer and Country Roads. Its the small stuff that is special, that holds memories in my heart. Seeing the smile on Josalyn's face and hearing her laughter today made me remember,that's what means the most in life, just the small, every day stuff!! Take the time to notice, your days will be so much fuller. Happy Summer!
