Chuck and I started dating in May, 1996, when my daughter Kayla Jeanne was 3 months old (she was born March 8,1996). Her biological father wanted nothing to do with her, and Chuck stepped in and became her Daddy. At 20 years old, this wonderful man chose to be a father while his friends were still out partying. Fifteen months after we started dating, in August, 1997, we were married. We have since had two more children -- a boy, Nicholas Aaron (April 3, 1998) and a girl, Eloise Charlotte (November 23, 1999). On July 28, 1999, Chuck adopted our daughter, sealing the bond that began three years earlier. He is absolutely in love with our kids, and he is totally supportive of me, in marriage, and in parenthood. He does a tremendous amount of housework (laundry!), as well as working two jobs to keep the family finances running, while I am a full-time mom.

Chuck is everything a woman could ever want in a husband à and everything a child could ever want in a Daddy! There have been times when I have "called in sick," and he stays home and takes over the kids 99 percent (I still nurse our baby) while I do things that are usually put on hold. On those days, as on most weekends, Daddy is all for the kids! They play outside, go for walks, color, finger paint, do water-play at the sink, go to parks, build blanket-forts with chairs and pillows -- you name it, they do it. They are sad to see him go to work in the morning, can't wait for him to get home, and hate going to bed in the evening.

It never fails to amaze me how wonderful he is, and I am still in awe of his choice to be a Daddy. We are truly a very blessed family!