Hey daddy!
I have truly been so very blessed to have been invited to the lives of this family that I consider my own.
There are so many wonderful memories that we have shared over the years but here are just a few that stick out in my mind.
Walking into the house greeting Hao with "Hey Daddy!" will always be my favorite, purely based on the annoyed/humored look he would give me every time.
Hao was my first straight male friend that I made as an adult & I couldn't have asked for a better one. He immediately from day one made me feel like we'd been friends our whole lives & continued to do so.
One of the most important things I have ever learned from him was during a "very important" Cowboys game, when he introduced me to the "4th Quarter Turn Around" which I'm sure he immediately regretted as I would continue to shout "4th Quarter Turn Around!" after each play & still do anytime there is a football game playing ever. Go sports!
For one of my birthdays I had the immense pleasure of having Ana & Hao attend a drag show with me. His look of utter disbelief, seeing these queens up close, that they were not bio-women, was priceless as was seeing him get smitten with one of the queens & continue to tip her. Love is Love baby!
Driving Hao to pick up Mila from the NICU and bring her home was a very special experience. Seeing him actually be nervous was so out of character & so lovely to witness. The way he would look at her is still burned into my brain.
This past year, even as things took a turn for the worst, he never lost his spirit. I came to the house one day & he was sitting in his chair, greeted him with a "Hey Daddy", gave him a hug & asked where Ana was, he said she was in the shower so I said, Awesome - let's make out!
Without skipping a beat he gave me his same annoyed/amused look & flipped me off. I will miss that look terribly.
I look forward to sharing memories with the kids as they grow & keep his memory alive in them. Mila & Aleks were his most beloved treasures & seeing him in them is such a trip. Mila is his little clone & I can't wait to see how much she carries on just like he Papa.
