"Best thing that ever happened to me."

I noticed in Paige's religion book a letter that she wrote to Grace. The opening line got me..."Grace, you are the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Stay cool" Dad

During Mass yesterday, Paige unzipped my jacket and said, "stay cool, Dad." When I asked why, she told me because she didn't want me to have a fever for our upcoming China trip. When we land in China, they will take our temperature. If we have a fever, we will be quarantined for swine flu prevention. Paige has such a great heart of love and service!

"I missed your face."

I was gone this past weekend, running the Boston Marathon. Tonight, Paige said, "I missed your face this weekend." Thank God for daughters!

Chem Magic Show (feedback)

I did a Chem Magic Show for Grace's class today, and Paige got to join us. Grace said her favorite parts were the hydrogen balloon fire ball and when I talked funny with helium. Paige said her favorite part was "just seeing my Dad." This was the best feedback I have ever received from a Chem Magic Show...thank you, Paige!

Birthday Squirrel

Paige bought me a stuffed animal squirrel for my birthday...with her own money (all of it)! The squirrel is significant because I call Paige and Grace my squirrels. Squirrels rhymes nicely with girls and describes some of their behaviors!

Love note for car battery

Two days ago, the battery in the Honda was dead because Grace left a light on. I drove home and switched cars with Angi. I went ahead and bought a new battery because it was getting in the zone (going on 5 yrs old). While I was at RCIA that evening, Paige wrote me a note and put it in an envelope under my pillow. The envelope was addressed to "Mr. Castle, Colrado Springs, Medford 365." The return address was "the mail wroker Paige." The stamp was a drawing of a heart with "Love" inside the heart. The note said, "Dad thank you for leting me and mom and Grace yous your car. I hop the car is wrking good for ever."

"Be like Mother Teresa."

A few months ago we all watched a movie about Mother Teresa. Afterwards, Paige prayed that she would be more like Mother Teresa. Later I gave her a picture of Mother Teresa to tape to her bedroom door next to her Disney princess poster. I recently found a note that she wrote in Dec 2007: "Be like Muther Chresa."

Paige recently received a fortune in a fortune cookie that stated, "Your happy heart brings joy and peace where there is none." That is our Paige!

"Get a big juicy elk."

I found a note today that Paige wrote me in Dec 2007: "I now you but the elke for me but I want you to havit for a memery please. Love Paige." Paige tried to give me back an elk stuffed animal that I bought her in Leadville after we saw lots of elk on the way to Leadville to go skiing. We stayed overnight at the Delaware Hotel, ate at an Italian restaurant, and had a great day of skiing with fresh powder!

On a side note, in Oct 2007 when I went elk hunting, Paige told me, "get a big juicy elk, Dad!" I was blessed to harvest a mature cow elk. I had to run and shoot through dense aspen trees. Three of my four shots were kill shots (back, lungs, neck). I laid my hand on the elk and thanked God for the provisions.