There really are angels. I know cause I had the good fortune to raise one from birth. This angel was named Debra Cheryl Stanton and a more beautiful baby was never born. Where do I begin to talk about the number one woman in my life? So many fantastic memories. My memories of Deb's life are the foundation of all my good memories.

Let's see. Where should we begin? Maybe at the lady from the grocery store who "just wanted to talk to you." Nah, not that one...lol. Good thing she had amazing speed, even as a little girl.

How about the day she boxed the boy who was a head taller than her and she knocked him down six times. Even the "big boys" playing basketball stopped their game to watch. I felt so sorry for that boy. He did knock her down once though, but still....

Or the fear and anxiety I had when she caught her foot in the bicycle spokes and wouldn't walk for over three months. To go someplace, she would just scoot around on her butt. Doctor said nothing was physically wrong. He was right. One day she just stood up and started walking. I started breathing again on that day, at least mentally.

Or the time she didn't tell me about getting hit by a car while riding a bike and the bike going under the car. No damage to her though. I told you, she is an angel. A real angel.

Playing basketball in the third grade and putting all the boys to shame. She could dribble and control a basketball so well in the third grade, the boys were made fools out of if they tried to guard her. She went on to have a storied basketball career. All everything in high school. Scholarship to San Diego State for basketball. But basketball was not her only good sport. She seemed to be able to master any sport she attempted.

Played one year of soccer in the seventh grade...got selected to play on the all-star team. Played one year of little league baseball. Only girl on the team but the fastest player on the team. Hit an inside the park home run in the championship game. In softball, a terror on defense. Nothing could get past her and she had a rocket for an arm. How about starting cornerback on a women's full contact, semi-professional football team...the San Diego Sunfire? Just a natural in sports.

But basketball was by far her best sport. I can't tell you how many ooooh's and ahhhh's she would get from the people in the stands on some play she would perform. Nobody could press her cause she was too quick and dribbled the ball with such control. How proud I was of her in all her sporting endeavors. So many people coming over to me and telling me how much they enjoyed watching Deb play. Warms a father's heart.

She married her high school sweetheart and today they have two beautiful baby girls, Faith and Hope. You can look at the pictures and see for yourself. But the man she married, David Esquer, is also everything a father would want in a son-in-law. I know he loves Deb almost as much as I do and will do anything to make her happy.

She has always been a proud, strong, confident person. I remember when she was about 5 or 6 and was going to take her first airplane trip to South Carolina to visit her mom. I was worried that she would be scared on the plane. They let me board the plane and see that she got seated. I kept looking in her eyes to see if she was scared at all and she just kept looking around and telling me she was fine. I ended up teary eyed and she was just fine. What a kid.

To try to explain how proud I was watching her play sports is difficult. So many great memories. Although I don't like soccer, I have some super memories of just watching her play. I knew whenever there was a crowd going for the ball, she would be the one coming out with it. She never scored the entire season but she was so much fun to watch.

There was a lady who played for Connecticut named Diana Taurasi that, whenever anyone would ask the coach why a particular team did not beat them, he would say, "They didn't have Diana." (Deb happens to be almost a spitting image of her by the way.) Well we all have things happen in our lives that make life tough. Some people just can't get past those times. I was able to because "I had Debbie."

I love all four of my kids. Each has his or her own specific uniqueness that I love. I also know a parent is supposed to love all his kids the same. Sorry. I just couldn't do it and I appologized to my kids long ago. When they were young, I told them I loved them all but I loved Deb just a little more. Didn't know why but that's the way it was. My oldest son, John, said, "Yeah dad, like we didn't already know it. Why do you think we always asked Deb to get permission from you for something we wanted to do or get and we knew you would say no to us?" Funny, but he had a point.

If I would have only had John as my family, I know I would have been happy. But I also was given Bobby and Ken, making three super boys as far as I was concerned. But then came Deebo and my world was paradise. I am totally unable to express how much I love this girl and the depth of my feelings for her. I thought there could only be one background music for her link and that would be "I Will Always Love You". And my baby girl knows "I Will Always Love Her." Love is just one word. Say it a billion times and you might get close to how I feel for her. But I recently found this song by Red Sovine, "Daddy's Girl" and thought it might be a little bit more appropriate. I thank you so deeply Deb for sooooo many super memories and making my life complete. And you know, honey, "I Will Always Love You." AND, you will always be "Daddy's Girl." You made my life worthwhile. AND QUIT GIVING DAVID A HARD TIME!!!