The begining...

He didn't have a dad, he didn't see that example, quite frankly he seems to have not cared that he didn't have a dad, and yet he has started a new legacy or strong fathers, the beginning of what I expects to be a rich legacy of involved dads.

Pretty much no one had any hope that we would make it as a family, or that he would stick around and be a Daddy- as opposed to a dead beat-- and yet he is, he has and he's amazing!  I know age was stacked against us, and I think my family held against him the negatives within his genetics against him too initially.

He moved his way up that minimum wage ladder into management position.  Never once for one day did he want any government handouts and he worked hard to ensure that happened.  And it has.  We've had tight and scary financial times, but have never accepted a hand out.  He immediately put Anthony first.  There was no consideration of his money or her money, it's always been our family's money.  He would of course love spending money, but he was realistic and for quite a while every dollar went towards a bill.  Luckily, we worked in fast food management at that time and could eat at work for free, since our real food budget was $3 a day for the both of us.  Luckily that only lasted about 6 months and then we found stability and pay raises, just about the time Anthony was born.


He chose to learn from his past, not repeat it.  When we began house hunting he was very strict on how far from the "bad" neighborhoods he grew up in we needed to be.  Ironically and not at the time amusing was my parents moved into that "bad" and "ghetto" neighborhood.  Fear not, he has successfully protected my little brothers within that (it's not so bad after all) neighborhood.

It's impressive how someone can be so different than the example he saw---
A "father" who chose to be a deadbeat.  He chose alcohol and women over his three children.
The fact that he was raised by a single mom who had her fair share of obstacles but didn't give up and only pushed harder, was sometimes quite creative and resourceful and had a hard time raising those boys likely was a motivator for Marko.  He saw her struggle, the struggle that overflowed into his life and his brothers life likely much at fault due to his "father's" absence emotionally, physically and financially.  Marko has only and always wanted better for our kids, and at any cost to him.

He went from being the typical nervous 1st time dad, who wasn't so hands on and involved in the hands on parenting.... well except naps ;-) ... and when his wife insisted on family photos.

Then Along came Jayna Bells--- and golly I wish I had more baby Jayna pics, but when our house was broke into amongst the missing items was my digital camera.  So we are missing a ton of infant pictures.  But I can still remember Marko would stay up all night from when he got home from work near midnight until 7am upstairs with Jayna.  The child found sleep over rated for those first two months and chose to not partake in it.  Daddy was Jayna's favorite person easily.  When they weren't together we had to use a worn white tee of Marko's as a blanket for her as the scent of Daddy kept her calm.  In every way she was certainly a daddy's girl.
Now when he doesn't come home after a day they are questioning where he is and when he'll be back.  He's more hand on for certain things than others.  He typically still prefers to be home or not around too many extra people.  But there is no question he adores our kids.

But it doesn't stop with our two kids.  He's been great to my siblings and his financially especially allowing most of them to live with us at one time or another.  And now that we have a 9 and 10 year old he's also practically become a 2nd dad to the kids best of friends as our house seems to be the preferred hang out and sleep over place.  And now he loves playing Uncle to Little Homie too!

You have become everything I dreamed of and everything we need.You are amazing.  You aren't my father and we don't do fathers and mother's day stuff within our household and our shared opinion on Hallmark holidays, but you at least deserve a blog!