Father's Day 2009

So Kris calls me at work the other day, and as soon as I pick up the phone, he asks "Do I look old?"

Me: "What?!" I ask (thinking "where is this going?")
Kris: "Do I look old?"
Me: "Uh, no, why do you ask?"

He proceeds to tell me about a conversation he had with someone in a hamburger joint. They talked about hamburgers and which neighborhood restuarants had the best. You know, your typical, ordinary chit-chat with a random stranger. When the other person got up to leave, they wished Kris a Happy Father's Day.

And this is what set him off.

A random stranger wished Kris a Happy Father's Day without truly knowing that he was, in fact, a dad.

Now, don't get me wrong. Kris loves being a father. He loves our little girls sooo much, and he's a wonderful father. Loving, playful, attentive and caring... but strict when the situation calls for it. In other words, Kris doesn't let Addie run the show. I, on the other hand, let her get away with too many warnings... gotta work on that.

Although Kris loves being a dad, the fact that someone assumed he was a dad -- based purely on looks -- kind of got under his skin, and made him ask "Do I look old?"

At the time, I simply responded with "No." Had I a moment to think about it, I would have said:

"No. You do not look old. You look like a father. And a husband. And a friend. Although you may not look exactly like the boy I met in college, you are a version of that boy, only better, for that boy has grown into a man. And through the years, as we watch our little family grow, I will never think of you as old. You will only be you, and that will always be enough for me."

Err, or something to that affect.

And, since I don't like to post without a picture or two, I thought I'd share a few of Kris and how he's... um... shall we say "evolved" over the years (He may very well kill me for this, you know). I apologize for the quality of some of the shots. I had to scan in a few prints that were not digital. (Remember film? Yeah, me too. I don't miss it as much as I thought I would. Digital is just so much easier.)

So here we go.

This is Kris at age 19 when we first met in college, circa 1995. He was the hot-shot swimmer from Canada who was training for the next Olympic team (and, if you put stock in reputations, had the ego to match). I was the girl who tripped over her own two feet on the diving board. I guess he found bloody toes to be an endearing trait in a girl.


This is Kris 5 years later on our wedding day, December 16, 2000, rockin' the tux. We've had our share of ups and downs along the way, but as the inscription on his wedding band reads, I'd do it "all over again" just to have him in my life. What can I say, the man kind of grew on me.


This is Kris 3 years later in December 2003. Now, this picture is going to get me in trouble. He's not going to be too pleased that I posted this, but I wanted you to see the change. You see, Kris may have put on a few pounds over the course of our early relationship. Well, maybe a little more than a few. Well, maybe about 75 lbs, if you start from the weight he was when we first met. Shhh. Don't tell him I told you so.


And this is Kris TODAY. Pretty hot, don't ya think? He's gone from a high of near-xxx lbs to a much slimmer, trimmer (and dare I say, sexier) frame over the last couple of years. And the instigator for all this amazing weightloss: he wanted to be a better dad. If you ask me, I'd say it worked.



Happy Father's Day, my love.