I was 41 years old, excited and scared. I don’t remember how much I slept the night of Nov. 30, 2008. It probably wasn’t much. When the time came to head off to the hospital, I was ready. My baby girl was to arrive in just a couple of hours.

I was already blessed with a beautiful, loving step-daughter, just three and a half months shy of her seventh birthday. Now my wife and I were adding our own brew to this little family. Yeah, sometimes it’s hard for me to believe it was four years ago. Much has happened in that time, but oftentimes when I close my eyes, I see that baby girl that was distinctly me, distinctly Lynette.

For most of this little girl’s life, I’ve tried to build a start-up business while focusing my attention on Daddy Daycare. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has been damn sure worth it. God’s timing is magnificent; just as she was getting old enough for preschool, my rodeo business has improved. It’s another blessing.

Today I watch her dancing to “Call Me Maybe,” knowing full well dance lessons are right around the corner. I look forward to the years ahead, but I cherish the moments I have now, the bad and the good. I know the days of remembering these moments are not far off, so I take what I can get.

Happy birthday, Channing Dorothy Beatrice Harbin. Today is your day.