Today is my dad’s birthday. He would be 82, and passed away when he was 62. This photo was taken when he was in his thirties. Handsome man!

This is my dad and birth mom, Joanne (aka. mom #1). She died when she was thirty-six from complications after a routine surgery. My dad had five children ranging in age from five to sixteen when she passed.

He took the family on a three week camping and sightseeing trip out west the summer after mom #1 passed away! A brave man.

A little over a year after my mom was gone I met the woman who would become mom #2. True love marries a handsome man with five children!

We lived near Washington D.C. Beautiful cherry blossoms every year!

Mom #2 took me to ladies lunches, taught me how to set the table, cook, sew and shop. I still don’t like shopping and miss her bargain hunting talents and fashion advice. The beautiful young woman sitting at the table is a dear friend of my mom’s, Jane. She continues to stand in as a mom and good friend for me!

Dad was the photographer. It seems like most of the photo’s we have of him also capture him holding a camera.

He taught us to garden. I hated pulling weeds, but loved gathering the squash, lettuce, greens, beans, broccoli, cucumbers, tomatoes, melons, and especially digging up potatoes!

Dad taught us all to fish and hunt. I’ll spare you the deer hunting photographs. I could shoot a rifle or shotgun, but never could kill an animal. I just couldn’t pull the trigger if a deer was standing in front of me and I’d follow the dove as they flew across the sky, never daring to pull the trigger when birds were in sight.

Dad was a techie and true geek from a young age. My husband’s office reminds me of dad’s. My theory is if Brent had met my dad he might still be in his basement talking and tinkering with electronics.  What do you think? Look at this photo of Brent’s set up!

Brent and his Ham radio gear.

This is one of the last photos taken of mom #2 and dad together during a trip they took to Greece.

Mom #2 (aka Maxene) lived for seven years without my dad. At only fifty-nine years old, she passed on from breast cancer and its nasty complications on the day my dad would have turned sixty-nine. We think she wanted to be his birthday present in heaven.  My brother Brian, then boyfriend, now husband, Brent, and I had the sacred privilege of being at home with her when she left this earth. No matter how long we live it still seems life goes by so quickly.

I’m thankful for my life, my family, my friends, and today I am especially thankful for the three parents I was blessed to have raise me, and for the Father who continues to guide me each day!

Hope you are making memories today!  With love – Madge

As a father has compassion on his children,so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children— (Psalm 103:13-17 NIV)