Somewhere Between Now and the Beginning

I'm not going to start from the beginning. That's more information then you need and I can't really remember the first few years, so, we'll start with what I consider the beginning of my adult life...

....We met, we dated, I think, and we got married all in the span from September 1999 to May 2, 2007. I remember clearly, it was fittingly a dark and stormy day. Summer storm in Calgary. It was beautiful days before and after the wedding date, but not that day. A large branch and by large I mean it took 3 men to drag it away, came crashing out of a big tree out front of the church. Ah hindsight...... 20/20. Anyway, married August 6, 2000 (known from here on out as Black Sunday).

A couple of years later on December 24, 2002, another day that I'll never forget, my oldest daughter was born. Grace Nicole Conklin. My blond little princess, big blue eyes and the cutest blond curls. She loves to dance and sing.
When I used to lead the music at the church I used to attend she would sit on the top step with a huge smile and slowly work her way up to me and hold my hand, all the while unsure of herself and whether she was aloud to be on the stage. So cute and innocent. It was my favorite part of Sunday's. I'm sure she will be passionate about the arts as she goes through life.

Grace just started grade one this month... in Calgary, a thousand kilometers from the town where I live, which is also the town she and her sister Isabel lived in with their mother until the end of August 2008.

Oh Isabel..... Born November 16, 2004 in at the same hospital as Grace was in Calgary, Alberta. I call Isabel my 'Monkey'. This little brunette with huge eyes can climb anything, I swear! She also quite often gets called 'BusyBee'. This name should give you a bit of insight into who this precocious 3 year old is.

When Kristi, my ex-wife, and I split the it was especially hard on 'Busy'. She was only 2 and just starting to retain memories and one of the first she'll have, I fear, is of her daddy leaving home. Breaks my heart just thinking about it. I find when she's around we always seem to spend some time just the two of us sitting and snuggling. She's a million miles and hour the whole time She's at my house except those couple of minutes when she catches me watching her and Grace playing and then she comes over and sits next to me or on my lap with an adorable little smile and looks up at me and snuggles in. I so cherish those moments with my Monkey.

So after Black Sunday Kristi and I moved from the Vancouver area to Calgary. I really was not into it, but let her and her father (I have many names for him and have yet to choose the appropriate one for his title in this blog, and yes I am open to suggestions for a nickname.) pressure me into moving to Calgary. I never should have given in. Huge mistake. After we moved to work in her parents church we never could make a decision without Kristi wanting to discuss it with her father. Don't matter anymore, she's an ex-wife now. Moving forward....

So Kristi and I separate and I move into this shitty little hotel a block away. I live there for 3 weeks and then rent a place with some friends. A month later from the day I moved away from what had been my family for 6 1/2 years, we have a house warming party. We had 2 acres and a pool, a party was in order. We had a bunch of friends and co-workers over and had some fun. I was really enjoying myself visiting with friends and meeting new people. I was just enjoying freedom and not wanting to be involved with or even meet a woman. Guess what happened next.... That's right, I see this redhead sitting over by the pool all by herself and I'm a few beers stronger by now, so I'm being the good host making everyone's entertained and there she is all by herself and with no one to keep her entertained. I took it upon myself to rectify that situation.
16 months, 24 days, 4 hours, several tequilas and one daughter later I'm still working on entertaining her. Well that's not exactly true. I can entertain her no problem, it's keeping her happy that's the hard part. It's a full time job keeping her happy, but then that could just make her a woman.

Yeah yeah I know I know. I can here all you all you women yelling at your monitors right now. I've already introduced you to my ex-wife, my two oldest daughters, and my girlfriend aka Lee-Anne aka LA aka T.W. (The Wife) aka TDub, and I mentioned another daughter. I didn't, however, mention my mom, sister, my ex-mother in law aka 'The Drone', my aunt, my 2 cousins and an Australian exchange student. All of whom I lived with at one point or another. The one thing I can tell you is that they are all little bit irrational. WHOA! There's that yelling again. I'm sorry, but it's my blog so get over it. Getting back on topic now.

Lee-Anne and I had a beautiful little redheaded girl that we named Olivia on May 20, 2008. She's quite often referred to as 'Bean', 'Livvy Bean', and 'Liv'. We both, obviously, adore her.

So, here I am 8 years, 1 month and 1 day after Black Sunday.

My name is Colin and these are my ladies......