Fathers Day and Gifts

I finally experienced my first Father's Day-in abstentia. So what did the new daddy get? For starters-Pizza Hut carryout. My favorite is Thin Crust, with Mushrooms, Hamburger and Jalapeno's. Quite a delicacy in the Cope household. Gifts were right up my alley. Geri had just flown back from regional meetings in Texas-so the Father's Day schwag was a Super Ball that lights up when bounced (compliments of Goldman Sachs).

If you haven't figured it out, gift giving for me is very easy. It can be categorized into 3 areas:
1. WWII Stuff
2. Gift Certificates to B&N, or a sporting goods store.
3. Silly and meaningless fun stuff (ie: anything that makes a noise or bounces. For example: harmonica, super balls, Nerf balls, whoopee cushion, pens that light up, shiny coins, a rock, a jar...or, basically anything from a mutual fund company.

I am still pumped about Bennie, and find myself constantly looking at his pictures. I am such a girlie-man. For example I was telling Geri that I feel like my emotions are like the soft magma underneath a very thin crust of lava rock. Once we are able to hold Ben, that crust is gonna break into a million pieces, and burn pure love into the core of my soul. That is a great feeling to know we will be responsible for someone else other than each other.

For the past few weeks I have been internalizing a lot of these emotions. If you have ever been through the adoption process, it is quite frustrating to know you have a child that is growing little by little every day-without you. I had quite a few days and nights of heart palpitations, got it checked out, but am still waiting on the EKG and bloodwork results. I ultimately think it is "Anxious Bennyitis". I think our good friend Jules had the same affliction a few years ago in dealing with Guatemala (Anxious Ianitis).

So now you know a bit more about me. I internalize alot of emotions, am a girlie-man on the emotional scale, prefer thin crust Pizza Hut with select toppings, and like silly little gifts over big ones. Don't let that stop you from giving me big gifts if the spirit moves you, though.

Oh...I love to collect Starbucks mugs from cities we have visited. So far: Denver, STL, Berlin, Wash DC. This is a great idea from our dear friends, the Shaffers. It sure beats bringing home all that touristy crap (although a Berlin Super Ball or Washington DC political Whoopee Cushion would be cool). One touristy gift I liked growing up was the obligitory "Rocky Mtn Gold" from Colorado. For $10 you could buy a tiny vial of "gold" that was magnified 29x, to make it look like you really had the mother lode. It was probably tin-foil that was spray painted.

All in all.....my cup runneth over.

If you want a good heartwarming story-check this out (along with slideshow):
http://www.newsok.com/more/adoption