I love my Daddy!!

When I sit down and think about the year 2007...many things come to mind, but one thing in particular stands out.

I will always remember April 5, 2007. It's one of those "Where were you when Kennedy was shot?" moments for me.

I was strolling down the aisles of Wal-Mart when Piper announced she had to go potty. Of course, the bathroom was half a mile away....as is the case when any toddler has to go "REALLY BAD!!" My phone began ringing half way through our trek. I saw it was my mom, ignored the call, and continued burning a path to the bathroom. We got to the bathroom, my phone rang again. Once again, it was my mom. I silenced the ringer, sat Piper on the toilet, and listened to the messages my mom left. "Daddy's fallen....." my heart sank. I dialed her back as quickly as possible. While on the phone with her over the course of maybe 2 minutes....it went from, "I think the ambulance may come and check him out" to "Careflight (the medical helicopter) is landing at the end of the street to get daddy to the hospital before he loses any more blood."
I'm standing in Wal-Mart with 2 restless toddlers , I have a full cart of groceries, I'm 20 minutes away from my parents, and I had no idea what to do....I had no idea that when I woke up that morning that my life could change completely--Forever! My dad had tripped and hit his head on a church pew in the back hallway of their house. He split his head open from just above his eye to the top of his head...an 8 inch long, 1 1/2 wide gash. On his 4 minute helicopter ride, they had to revive him.
I rushed to the hospital. As I walked into the big white room in the ER, there was my daddy...my hero....lying there with blood everywhere, 10 kagillion stitches holding his head together. Watching him laying there was so difficult. Praise the Lord for his speedy recovery. (He was asking for his blackberry only hours after his "ordeal.")
That day changed my life. I've never loved my dad more than I did that day. Every memory, every loving thought, everything came back to me. So this year, more than anything, I'm grateful for my dad. I'm grateful that the Lord saw fit to keep him here for a little bit longer. I'm grateful that my children will get to have their grandpa around. I'm grateful that (Lord-willing) he'll be here for another Christmas. I'm grateful for my dad's full recovery. I'm grateful that my mom will have the love of her life to keep her company this Christmas. I'm grateful that I'll have more time to hug my dad, and tell him I love him. Merry Christmas, Daddy, I truly could've never asked for a better dad.