The first week of November is always an up and down week for me.

It starts with celebrating my dad’s life on the 4th. It’s a sad but happy day for me. I miss him beyond words but I also love to think about him and all the happy memories I have of him. In addition to this, we celebrate my grandpa’s and my father in-law’s birthdays on the 6th. Those, of course, are always happy days. My grandpa is a special kind of breed. He’s a pain in the neck but I love him and all of his hilarious quirks and I love celebrating his life with our annual pancake breakfast at Norm’s where he can tell me all about his latest aches & pains. Then there’s my father in-law…

These photos are really bittersweet for me. They make me incredibly happy because E has a special connection with his grandpa. Well, he actually has a special connection with each of his grandparents. But his grandpa, there has always been something unique about their relationship and it’s clear in these pictures. I love my father in-law, he’s a great man, father, and grandfather so really, who can blame E for gravitating toward him?  But they also make me feel a hint of sadness knowing that E will never get to meet my dad. I know that they too would’ve had an amazing relationship. I know E loves his grandparents beyond measure and I am eternally grateful for them. He loves “Grandma Day” and “Nana Day” and sometimes gives me a whine when I say it’s a “Mommy Day”. Fine by me if it means he’s enjoying his time with his grandparents that much. ♥

So, that being said…Happy birthday to the best father in-law on earth. We love you. Especially the little version of us.