Happy Trails

One of my dearest friends in the world died today.  Mike has been a fixture in our family for over ten years.  He has been the good man that was always there.  He provided us with love, service, laughter, and ten years of joy.


To say that I will miss him is so inadequate.  A piece of my heart passed away with him.  I'm glad he was able to take it with him though.  I will treasure all the memories I have of him, but right now I just cannot imagine life without him.


He won't be here to see Bailee finish growing up.  I hope he gets to watch from heaven.  The rotten part is that he won't be here to HELP Bailee grow up.  I hope she will remember how he lived his life.  I hope that she will remember the last things he said to her.  I hope that she will live her life to be a credit to this man who loved her like a grandfather.


Mike was a big John Wayne fan, so it seems appropriate to end with this quote:

John Wayne as Duke Gifford (Operation Pacific):
"He was a good man. Make sure that it says so on the patrol report."