Today is my Dad’s 51st birthday, so I would like to send out a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to him. Love you, Dad.
Interesting facts about my family. My dad is 30 years older than me and we both have the initials A.Y. we also have the same skin tone, I got my red hair and freckles from him! People say I look just like my mom but I have my dad’s colouring. My mom is 30 years older than my brother and both their initials are L.Y. and they both have olive skin and tan easily whereas me and my dad burn in the summertime and just get really freckly! I always thought that was kind of interesting!
Anyways, my dad has always been there for me, driving me back and forth to countless hockey tournaments in the winter, to lifeguard courses and swim meets in the summer and everything in between. Whenever we had any kind of sporting event I could count on my dad to be the loudest voice in the crowd! I remember my first year of hockey I was standing in front of the net, trying to stay up because I still couldn’t skate very well then and I heard my dad’s voice from the stands, “STICK ON THE ICE” and whoosh, down went my stick to the ice! He was definitely my biggest fan 
I am running the Scotiabank half-marathon on June 28 to raise money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation since my dad had a heart attack last August. If you’re interested in supporting in my run, go here to donate! I still have a ways to go to meet my goal of $2,000 and every little bit helps!!
Here’s some pics of me and my dad, the first one I have no idea how old I am, I’m thinking between one and two? And the second one is at my graduation three years ago!
Time to announce the winner of giveaway #1, for the larabars and clif bars! I went to random.org and plugged in the numbers and the winner is…….
………….Amber from A little pink in the cornfields!! Yay, Amber is just getting back into running so I’m confident she will put the bars to good use, they make a great pre-run or post-run snack! Amber, email me at amber (at) girlwiththeredhair (dot) com and I’ll get your address from you and send you these yummy bars straight away!
Today’s the last day to enter the giveaway for the book, so if you haven’t already you better get on that!
Me and Eric went to see UP last night. It was such a cute show, I’ve never watched a 3D movie before so that was really wild! It was definitely a sad movie and it got me thinking, do you think it’s harder if the husband passes away first or the wife?
I’ve always thought that husbands depend on their wives more than the other way around, maybe not so much anymore, but back in the day the wives did EVERYTHING for the husbands. Cooked, cleaned, sewed etc. So I’ve always thought it would be harder if a wife died first. It’s also a little more unexpected to lose the wife first because women usually outlive men, for some reason I always feel more sad when I hear about a widower rather than a widow. I don’t know why that is. What do you guy’s think?
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m hoping I go before my husband … I know that’s weird to say, but I don’t know what I’d do without him.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to your dad! i love the pics of you guys
so sweet
happy birthday to your dad. 51 is really young to have a heart attack. that’s scary stuff, i have some heart disease in the family too. my grandfather died from a heart attach at 60.
and it’s a man’s right to die first. wives nag and annoy the hell out of us for so many years, our final bit of payback is getting to die first. it’s a last hurrah. plus it’s natural, women live longer than men do anyway by an average of four years. of course, since my wife is four years older than i am, she might beat me to the grave. but i have high hopes. time to go get some more life insurance.
You are such an adorable little kid!!! I am so jealous of your red hair
Since I don’t have red hair, I really hope that one day, my kids will. Yes, I’m that obsessed 
lol! My mom and I also have 30 years difference 
Was UP in 3d worth seeing??? Or was it just 2 minutes of it? Anyways, I can’t wait to go see the movie, it looks so cute
Hmmmmmmmmmm this is so debatable. I think it’d be easier if he died first. the boy relies on me for a lot. but if he went first, i wouldn’t know what to do with his thousands and thousands of records. Yikes!
Happy Birthday, Daddy-O! And don’t you two just look lovely in your graduation pic
You are such a cute kid!! And happy birthday to your papa and many more to come!!
Steve and I are going to go together like the couple in the Note Book!!
Katrina
Happy Birthday to your dad!
I haven’t seen UP yet but I can’t wait to see it. I love Disney/Pixar films. Well, my dad’s father passed away before his mother did and she died of a broken heart. She was never the same after he passed away, and while it took her 13 years after he passed, we are convinced she died of a broken heart. She kind of gave up living.
I would like it if we went together (though that would be hurtful for friends/family) but if not, well, I don’t know.
I love the pics of you & your dad!! There is nothing like the Father/Daughter bond. It’s so different than our relationships w/ our moms, isn’t it?
As far as the question of who goes first – it is hard either way, but I know in my case, my dad would be lost w/out my mom. My mom would have a tough time w/out my dad, but not nearly as hard of a time as my dad would. We were just talking about this topic this weekend – my dad’s cousin lost his wife last year and has started to date someone. I am sure there is statistics about this somewhere but it seems like men are more likely to re-marry than women since they just really struggle w/ being alone after their wife passes. I could be totally wrong, but that is what I have observed!
happy birthday to your dad!!
Thank you so much Amber! I just emailed you
Happy Birthday to Amber’s Dad!! Those pictures are adorable! I love that white dress on you!
Aw happy Birthday to your dad! We have more and more in common with each of your posts that I read; our dads are both red heads and I also grew up playing hockey lol
Hope you have a great day!
Oh that’s a really sad thought…I live in a fantasy world and I would be happy if we both went together…I hate the idea of either of us living without the other, or having to raise our children alone or finding another partner…it makes me so very sad!!!
SO on a happier subject, I am a daddy’s girl too. I am SUPER close with my dad (despite the fact that my parents split when I was 13 and he moved out). He has always treated me like an adult though he still treats me like his little girl…I have a picture of him holding me when I was really young (about 6 months old) and it my favorite picture of my childhood.
First off….Happy Birthday to your dad! What a lucky man!
My daughter is a Daddy’s girl too, looks like him has crazy curly hair like him.
On a sad note…
I went to see UP too on Sunday and I wasn’t expecting how sad it was, I almost sobbed, tears running down my face. My daughter had a tear or two but I couldn’t help thinking of my brother who lost his wife (44) and my four nephews who lost their mother this past March. I think it is harder for the husband and his children. They need that nuturing side. And yes she basically did everything for them. Even this morning I was having a moment thinking about her, them and how it’s not fair that she’s not here and how those kids are learning to do everything themselves, how my brother struggles to keep his house in order.
I do think it’s harder on the man.
happy birthday to your pops! your dad seems so young to me since mine is turning 60 in August!
those pictures of you two are so cute though and I love your dress in your graduation photo. That’s pretty fancy for graduation! you look like you are going to get married!
as far as your question goes, I haven’t really thought about it too much. I think it would be devastating either way if you really loved the person. I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose my husband (not that I am married, but when I am, one day…) . I think I would be so lonely. But I think it would be the same if I went before him! At least, I hope I marry someone who would be devastated by my death! ha. This is kinda morbid, but anyway, I think that while it may be harder on the man if his wife did everything for him, I think it would be equally hard for the woman to have no one to care for anymore. I know that is how it is with my boyfriend’s grandma. Her husband recently passed away after being sick for years and she is so lonely. She even wants my boyfriend’s 92-year-old grandfather to move in with her so she would have someone to take care of!
I think in general its more common for the husband to die first (partly I’m sure since men traditionally marry girls younger than them.) I know my grandparents live in a retirement community and there are a lot of widows there but not a lot of widowers. So basically in the community the widowers have their pick of whoever they want!
And Happy Birthday to your dad!
Aww, happy birthday Amber’s dad! Sounds like you guys have a great relationship
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I am selfish, and I seriously hope that I die before Lucas…so I don’t have to mourn him. How terrible is that?
Fingers crossed that we don’t have to worry about that for many, many years…
Happy birthday to your dad! What a sweet post! Love the pictures of you guys! You were the cutest lil baby … and you look so pretty in graduation photo — in Canada do you dress up for graduation? Or was that like a debutante ball?
It’s so awesome your dad has always been your biggest fan … and how you’re now supporting him with the Scotiabank half-marathon!