Early Tribute to My Daddy/ Annistyn's Accomplishment

First I'll do Annistyn's accomplishment. I don't know that it is really an "accomplishment", but her new "thing" is chewing on her hands. She has always liked her "pappy" but now she likes her hands more. I really think she has just figured out how to put things in her mouth and of course- her hands are easy to get a hold of!!!! Here is what I saw ALL day today:



Okay- I can't just continue without at least letting you see the cute dress she wore last Sunday. Vicki Riley made this and gave it to me at the baby shower at school. It is so cute! So here are just a FEW pictures:





Okay, even though she's beautiful, that's all I'm going to say about my little tonight. My Daddy is going to be out of town this weekend, so I thought I'd go ahead and get everyone in the spirit of Father's Day with a tribute to him.

First- I'd like to share a letter I wrote to my Daddy before my wedding. I wrote it in the form of a book and put it in an album with pictures of us growing up. And no, I didn't give it to him ON my wedding day. I wouldn't do that to him. I know I can't scan all the pictures in, so you'll have to use your imagination. It's kind of lengthy and may not interest anyone who didn't grow up with my Daddy. But I'd like to share it anyway.

Daddy’s Whiskers
by
Britney Shae Smith

On January 28, a lot of years ago, something happened that would change one man’s life.
That man was my daddy
and on that cold night,
his first little girl was born.
That little girl was me.

I remember just as clear as day… I took one look at his fuzzy face and I smiled. And he smiled back.

My daddy was a strong man… He had big muscles and would scare off all potential boyfriends for the next thirty years. But he had his weakness. It was me and my big green eyes when I looked up at him all sad.

When I was two, I colored on the walls right in front of Daddy. He pretended not to notice…but I think he did. I was his princess so I guess he didn’t mind.

When my teeth started falling out- he made sure the tooth fairy went to the bank before she flew by our window. My friends were getting a couple quarters, maybe a dollar. I would take my tooth fairy money to Wal-Mart the next Friday night and buy a Barbie doll. If the tooth had a root- you got a little extra money. Wisdom teeth....Enough to start a small savings account.

And when he’d tuck me in at night my favorite thing was
Daddy’s whiskers, soft and tickly.
Daddy’s whiskers, black and prickly.
The one thing I always asked,
Please Daddy don’t shave your beard and mustache.
If you do I sure would miss,
Your black and prickly,
Soft and tickly
Kiss.

Daddy took me fishing and hunting. It was always fun though I wouldn’t touch the worms and I didn’t like the deer to die. I was there when Daddy killed his first deer. I was a good luck charm I guess, at least that’s what I always thought. He never told me otherwise.

With Daddy, I always had everything I needed and more. One day we were looking at bunny rabbits. Daddy told me I could only look. But as soon as he saw the look on my face as I was petting the bunnies, he changed his mind. He asked me which one I wanted and I picked out a white one and name it Fluffy. When we got home that day, Mom was surprised. She said I didn’t need a bunny. I think it was because she was 8 months pregnant with my sister. But Daddy thought I needed a bunny and that was all that mattered.

I was always a good student. Daddy made it worth my while. He gave me money when I made all A’s.
He did yell at me in 4th grade when I made an 89 in Science. It was almost an A, but he yelled anyway. Its okay, I forgive you Daddy!
He continued to pay me for my A's all through high school.
It got pretty expensive when I was taking 8 college courses at time.

One of my favorite memories is putting lawn chairs in the back of Daddy’s truck and riding around dirt roads at night and looking for fireflies. Some things are only possible in South Alabama. At one point, I never thought I’d say this, but thank you for raising me here.

Soon dance recitals were replaced
with dances and dates,
high school football games,
more beauty pageants,
and majorette try-outs.

I’m sorry for all the band concerts and beauty pageants you had to sit through, Daddy. But it meant a lot to me that you were there…and that you always brought me flowers. To you, I know I was always the winner.

Like I said, Daddy never let me do without. He told me when I turned 16 I couldn’t have a new car. He was right- I didn’t get a new car when I was 16...I got one when I was 15. I was Daddy’s princess and I knew it.

Over the years our relationship grew a little stressful at times. I wanted to grow up...but Daddy didn’t want me to. He even tried to pay me one time to dump my boyfriend. I didn’t take the money, of course, but I did end up with one less boyfriend and one more cat.

Time flew by and then came graduation...but no matter how old I got, I was never too old to be tucked in...

Daddy’s whiskers, soft and tickly.
Daddy’s whiskers, black and prickly.
The one thing I always asked,
Please Daddy don’t shave your beard and mustache.
If you do I sure would miss,
Your black and prickly,
Soft and tickly
Kiss.

I have to say I am a product of you. Bossy, a smart aleck, ambitious, and stubborn…boy am I stubborn to the core. But because of the qualities you’ve instilled in me, I know I will succeed.

Finally after years of looking, I found a guy that we could both agree on. I never thought it would happen, but it did. I want you to know how much it means to me that you accept him as a part of my life. He has big shoes to fill. It’s going to be hard for him to understand why I need a party for everything. He still hasn’t gotten used to the idea that I’m a princess. But I’m still working on him...he’ll learn one day.

So here we are on my wedding day. The perfect day I’ve always dreamed of...the day I knew would be perfect because you would make sure that it was.

Here I am in my grown up body, with my little girl all tucked inside. Sometimes I let her out and when nobody is looking, I sneak in my room and pull out my Barbie’s. It’s okay to be a little girl sometimes- you know I’ve never been too old to sit in your lap.

Just because in a few hours I’ll change my name, I want you to know some things….
I’ll always remember
Daddy’s whiskers, soft and tickly.
Daddy’s whiskers, black and prickly.
The one thing I always asked,
Please Daddy don’t shave your beard and mustache.
If you do I sure would miss,
Your black and prickly,
Soft and tickly
Kiss.

And I want you to know that the man walking me down the aisle will never be replaced by the one waiting for me at the end.
You will always be my daddy
and
I will always be your little princess.

Written in 2006


I have to tell you that as with all Daddy's and daughters, there will always be ups and downs. But I can honestly tell you that no matter how up or how down our relationship was at the time, I NEVER doubted that my Daddy loved me.
He worked two jobs so that my sister and I could have the life he wanted us to have. So that I could be in Sub Deb Club (because that was a big deal back then- funny how life changes!) So I could drive a nice car... or wear the pageant dress that I wanted.
There were times when I know we didn't say thank you enough. There were times when I know he thought we didn't really appreciate it. But he never stopped. He worked dawn til dusk to provide for us.
It was never about the money though. Or the things. They were great, don't get me wrong. But what was even better is knowing that he cared enough about us to make a few sacrifices. We were that important to him.
It didn't stop when I got married. When I didn't get the first grown-up job I interviewed for, I had a huge flower bouquet on the back porch and something special under the mat. When I got my Kindergarten job, there was a bouquet of flowers waiting on me. He loaded me up and took me to Crestview to buy a truck-load of "teacher things". I know that was probably the most BORING thing he'd ever done. But he did it anyway.
I have a biscuit delivered to my door at 9:00 every Sunday morning.
I get text messages about 3 times a week- just to let me know he loves me.

I could talk all night. But here is the rest of Daddy's "book" that I wrote recently:

In August 2008, I handed you a letter in Hilltop parking lot. It read:
“I just want to tell you one little thing-
You’re going to be a Granddad this spring”
I will never forget the look on your face.

You were already in love.

I admitted to you that if it were a girl,
I was afraid she would take my place as your princess.
You reassured me that I would never lose my place.

On the night my little girl was born,
You sent me a text message.
“You will always be my princess”

The morning we woke up with a new baby in the house,
You were there with my breakfast
And you fed Annistyn her’s.

Everyday around 11:30, I expected a phone call.
“Is she awake? I’m on my way!!!”
10 minutes later, you were pulling into my driveway.

The whole family will tell you,
if they don't get to hold Annistyn before you get there.
They better not even ask.
It doesn't matter who it is-
You will snatch her from them in a heart beat.

Thank you for loving me.
Thank you even more for loving my little girl.

You put her hand on your beard and she smiles the biggest smile I've ever seen.
I know she is thinking...

"Grandaddy’s whiskers, soft and tickly.
Grandaddy's whiskers, black and prickly.
The one thing I'll always ask,
Please Grandaddy don’t shave your beard and mustache.
If you do we both will miss,
Your black and prickly,
Soft and tickly
Kiss."

I love you Daddy!