As I progress through this whirlwind adventure called ‘parenthood’ I always try to stay conscious of the big picture. In particular, those moments that both define me as a parent, and also remind me what the point of all this is. Saturday night was definitely one of those moments. Ellie’s Brownie troop had a Sweethearts Dance to celebrate Valentine’s Day, and the dance was a Daddy/Daughter dance. So…lucky me! I got to be Ellie’s date for the night.
When I first got the invitation I immediately got nervous due to my less-than-stellar dancing abilities (picture a fish out of water, then electrocute said fish). But I decided to put my initial fears aside and move forward with the event. I responded that Ellie and I would be attending, but I kept it a secret…more fun for me 
As the dance got closer I decided it would be nice to get Ellie a new dress, so I picked one up (and matching tie!) and surprised her with both the invitation and the dress. She was sooooo excited about the dress (and I assume the dance as well ) that it made the planning and nerves worthwhile.
The night of the dance I took her out to a quick little dinner at the Exchange Tavern. While sitting there I decided that I was going to do whatever it took to enjoy this night to the fullest. Rarely do I get to do anything with just one of the kiddos…and if so it’s usually with Cam’. I decided that I wouldn’t worry about how I looked on the dance floor, or how much my body might hurt the next day…I would just go for it. And that’s just what I did. The dance was cheesy, and loud, and silly, and an absolute blast! The dance was two hours long, and we were on the dance floor the entire time. I limbo’d, line danced, led a conga line, did the macarena, and ended up having one of the best nights of my life.
So next time I feel myself getting nervous about a particular situation…or hesitant to let my true feelings shine through…I will think of this picture:
Thank you Ellie for showing me a WONDERFUL time. I love you so much.
And thanks everyone else for reading…hope things are good!
PS. Here’s a couple more pics 
We are a family of five, living happily in Colorado. And since we find ourselves running out of hours in the day, we built this little site to keep friends and family up to speed on what's going on in our lives.
You are correct in the pictures showing pure happiness. What a wonderful evening for both of you. You gave each other such wonderful memories. Love the dress you picked out. You are a great dad. Thanks for the post. I love you.
I was reminded of a call I recieved from someone about a father and a daughter wondering if ever they became Daddy’s little girl! And my answer was just wait. What a wonderful time!
Have a GREAT day!!
I remember that call too! Your advice was dead-on.
It was a great night
and they will keep on coming!