This is Sam and his dad, Daniel, our single parent winner.  I was supposed to meet them Saturday, but today was so beautiful I couldn’t pass up on the weather and light.  🙂  Sam is a pretty easy going baby…at least, he was for me.  😉  He smiled at his blue doggie,  danced at his daddy’s music, giggled when we threw him into the air and occasionally stopped to eat some grass.  He even let us change him a couple of times.  Sam has the bluest eyes and the rosiest cheeks!  This little boy is going to break a lot of hearts one day.

Daniel, it was great to finally meet you.  I enjoyed photographing you both and look forward to chatting soon.

Every year it’s hard to pick a winner, and this year proved no different.  Thank you to everyone who sent in their stories, their lives, their struggles.  This year Daniel and his baby boy are our single parent winners.  Daniel has given me permission to post the email he sent in to share with you.  He even gave it a title.  😉

Congratulations!  I’ll be in touch very soon.

his email below

How I rebuilt my truck engine while rocking my baby to sleep.

My name is Daniel I am the father and single parent of 7 month old boy. who at the time of this story was 3 months I lived in Siloam Springs and got a job in Fayetteville, about a 40 minute drive. I had to get up at 5am every morning, get ready, drive to the sitter, and then to work at 7am. At the time Samuel would wake up about three times each night and need to be feed, so sleep was precious.
One morning I was driving my truck to work on highway 412 and all the sudden it quit on me. I called the towing man and he towed it back to the house. I borrowed a vehicle from a friend for the day and got to work. that night I came home and checked the flue. It was good. I got Samuel a bottle and hung him on my hip and check the fire and it was good. I sang a song to Samuel, then went to Autozone to get a compression tester tool. I came back and changed his diaper and drug his swing outside by the truck and started swinging him to sleep while I checked the compression. The number 3 and 4 cylinder read about 60 psi but on 1 and 2 I had nothing. I called my friend and ask to barrow his van another day because I need to change a head gasket. The next day I went and got a gasket kit. Samuel was pretty fussy and I finally got him to sleep. I hooked up my air ratchet to pull off the head but when I use it on the first bolt the noise scared Samuel and he started crying. I dropped what I was doing and took him from the swing into my arms and started singing “Everything is gonna be okaaaaa” after a minute he calmed down i gave him a bottle and he went back to sleep. I held off on the impact wrench and just used a socket and ratchet. After I got the head off I noticed that the top of the pistons were cracked. I went inside and called it a night. The next day at work I saw on craigslist a guy who had a Ford Ranger engine for sale. I’m just a regular guy and I have never changed a motor. The motor was $200 and the cheapest car was $800. I only had $600 in my savings account so I went and got the motor. I ask the guy I bought it from if I could borrow his engine hoist and he rented it to me for $20 but I had to have it back by Wednesday. I unhooked the drive shaft, change Samuel’s diaper, and pull out my engine while singing “row row row your boat” Samuel was having fun I gave him the 3/8ths ratchet to play with. When I got the motor out I realized the one I bought was a different style and all the wiring harnesses did not line up to my truck. It was a mess. The next day I took Samuel to church and he really liked the music. after church I started brainstorming about how to solve the problem and desided to take the pistons out of the good engine and put them in the one that fits. I took the day off. Monday I borrowed a honer and honed out the calender walls and exchanged the pistons rings and inserts. Tuesday was my last night to use the hoist so I had to set the engine back into the truck and Samuel was fussy. I had Samuel in one arm with a bottle and I was working the hoist and equalizer with the other and by the grace of God returned the hoist Wednesday. Thursday I wired it all back in and hooked up hoses and belts, and Friday I put the fluids in. I had Samuel in the swing and I was singing to him checking his diaper, wipping up enfamil bottels, and pirioticly thaking him on walks around the block . It is a good feeling when you fall in love, it is a good feeling when you ride a jet ski or go to theme park. It is a good feeling when you drive a brand new car. But I wouldn’t trade any of those for the one I had on Saturday morning when I started that engine and the truck ran smother than it ever has. Now my son can put this on his resume that helped his dad change an engine when he was 3 months.

I don’t remember the dentist being this fun when I was growing up.  He was such a good boy!

Reminder:  Keep sending in those single parent entries!  Just 12 days left.  I’m enjoying reading them and can tell it will be a hard decision!  You all amaze me.  Click HERE to read the details and nominate the single parent in your life.

(courtesy of my iPhone)

Just when the roads and driveways are thawing out they hit us with more snow in the forecast.  At this rate school will be in through July.  I vote we give up spring break so we can get out of school in May.  Who’s with me?  🙂

Don’t forget to email me your single parent story for a chance to win a free session along with a $500 print credit!  Not only that, but complimentary haircuts and massage.  Click HERE to read all about it.

The snow week has come to it’s end and tomorrow I get to send my kids back to school.  All in all it wasn’t too bad.  My kids did really well all here for a week together.  We played in the snow, beat each other in card games, made smores and jumped on the beds.  🙂  I’m not gonna lie, it’s going to put a smile on my face to send them off to school in the morning.

I’m working down my list so if your expecting to hear back from me you should have something in your inbox by morning.  Also don’t forget to send in those single parent entries.  I’m excepting stories all this month.

GO STEELERS!