27 years of AWESOME!

Today is November 24th, 2020. 27 years ago from today, at 6:28 am, our lives changed ... for the better ... with the arrival of Maddison Leigh, our first born. She came into the world as howling, ginger-haired bundle of energy and, if we're honest, not a lot has changed in those 27 years. The howling morphed into belly laughs, the ginger hair is fiery red, and she still lights up a room like she did that early morning years ago with her infectious smile or laugh. She has found her shining star in Chris Cove and they are spending these crazy times transitioning their lives from separate entities into the melting pot of married life, cautiously planned for fall 2021, pandemic willing.

Maddi has accomplished a lot thus far, not the least of which was successfully growing up in a household with yours truly, what with my obsessions, opinions, and workaholic mindset. Genetics being what they are, she inherited most of the best things Joyce and I had to offer, not the least of which is a 24 karat soul and a gargantuan loving heart wrapped up inside an empathetically charged personality, topped off with gingery sweetness. To say that we're proud of the woman she's become doesn't remotely come close to describing the feelings we have.

If you've not had the privilege of meeting our Maddi, here's a few things you've missed out on:
- She's loves to laugh, smiles more often than not, and is quick to share her love with those deserving
- Finding a soulmate in Chris, despite being her first and only love, she smiles demurely and boasts, "Didn't I choose well the first time?"
- As the saying goes, she wears her heart on her sleeve, living her days full of zesty energy
- A talented baker, she spoils those in her bubble with sugary delicacies that look as good as they taste
- She is not afraid of a day's hard work, often going above and beyond the scope of expectations
- An animal lover who has selflessly cared for a wide variety of pets, her present fur-babies Remy (a Portuguese Water Dog) and Pekoe (a orange Tabby cat) are second only to Chris as the apple of her eye
- She possesses a laser sharp focus when required, plying that trait in a successful competitive swimming career, a stellar undergraduate performance, and managing a sports rehab clinic's office, much to the delight of the owners

- While she'll claim to NOT be competitive ... we had our fair share of discussions about this surrounding her swimming ... she'll be the first to admit that she holds herself to a high standard, taking pride in things she chooses to participate in

I'm sure that Chris is very aware that he won the lottery when Maddi chose him to be her forever "Boo", but in case it's escaped his notice, I'll publicly state that ... IMHO ... he is one very lucky young man. Maddi loves large, passionately, and long-time which bodes well when entering into a marriage. When Chris was contemplating proposing to Maddi, he chose the "Old School" approach and sought our approval. Considering the opinion we had formed through our time getting to know Chris, offering our blessing was one of the easiest decisions we ever had to make since we were very confident that their love for each other was deep and strong. 

This could potentially be Maddi's last birthday as a "single" woman, considering this pandemic, and we'd like to gift her our prayers for health, wealth, happiness, and love ... not necessarily in that order ... as she navigates this crazy journey called life. Oh, and just so we're clear, the clock is ticking on Joyce and I, so a grand-baby or two would be greatly appreciated.

We love you forever, 
We'll like you for always,
As long as you're living,
Our baby you'll be.

Happy Birthday sweetie!