Celebrating My Dad

Most people are lucky enough to have their parents alive for most of their life. Not me- my father past away when I was 20 & there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about what life would be like with him still here or what life would be like for my children if their father's past away at a fairly young age. He would of been 83 today. He was 14 years older than my mom. She's only a couple years older now than he was when he died- it's weird to think about. In a couple more years I will have lived as long without him as I had with him. I'm not the only person in this world who's lost a parent. I have way too many friends in the same situation who's parents life's where lost to cancer- diabetes- drunk drivers- the list goes on. All of these friends are lucky enough to have people in their lives that fill that void. Maybe it's not completely the same but it's definitely helpful.

The Choules Family- 1979?
bottom- lisa- dad- mom- me
middle- eric- heather- andrea- grandma blair (elsa) michele
missing adopted sister lori : (

I love that my little Ida looks so much like my dad- yes it makes me miss him a little more but it also makes me feel like he's alway here with me.

* He past away the weekend before my very first professional ballet performance with ballet Iowa {one of my favorite companies I danced for} He & my mom were suppose to come see my show as well as tour the campus of the University of Iowa where he went to grad school. Wow what a crazy week that was. I had rehearsal till late Monday- then flew home for the viewing & the funeral Tuesday & Wednesday- then flew back to make it to perform Thursday night through the weekend. My mom & my sister Heather still came out to see me. {isn't that amazing} I'm usually a nervous reck before a show but I don't even remember being nervous this time- I had so much crazy sad adrenaline going on- that I don't even remember how the performance went.