Daddy v. the Bee-ah

I have to show a picture I unearthed during my big picture organizing project.  This digitally-captured image of my son and his wife was taken at an awesome little museum called the Woodman Institute--the pride of our downtown area--way back in the spring of 2010, when these kids were newlyweds who had no idea that within a year or so they would become the parents of twin baby girls.

The Woodman Institute looks like nothing more than a quaint old brick house from the outside, but don't judge this book by its cover.  There is no end to the treasures--of both the scientific and the historical variety--you will find in this little gem of a place.  It has the most amazing things jumbled together within its walls: stuffed creatures of every kind, from smaller ones like fish, birds, and rodents to larger mammals such as a buffalo, a moose, and a polar bear (to name just a few); uniforms and weapons from every war in which the U.S. has been involved; a saddle upon which Abe Lincoln himself once sat; old coins and letters; Indian artifacts; collections of rocks, shells, and fossils; even oddities like two-headed snakes pickled in jars...and as I said before, a polar bear.

I love this picture--and I think the twins would as well, because it features their two very favorite people on earth, along with one of their better-loved furry friends.  ("Bee-ah!" "Growl!")

Here's another one I love, too, because it illustrates what a great protector they have in their dad.

He was getting prepared, even back then, to do battle for his girls.  Bonny and Cutie, you're safe with Daddy.