Dad

Happy Father's Day, to the father of my boys.

Here are the recorded words of your three sons:

Ben: I love dad because he loves me and he rough-houses me.  He's just so cool.  He lets me go to work with him sometimes, which is really cool.  I love the Ferrari game and racing with him outside.  That's what I really I like about him.  I love it when he tells me stories at night and sometimes we make up silly stories!

Mitchell: I love that my dad is a business man and he works.  That's what I like about him.  He gives me special treats.  He sprays whip cream in my mouth!  I love it when he tickles me and plays with me.  He's pretty good at rough-housing.  He's not very good at brushing my teeth though.  He lets me play in his car.  I like it when we sit out there and have dude time.

Jack: He picks me up! He reads stories with me! And last morning one time I wiped my boogies on him! *cue the crazy laughter*

I Love You, Dad!

Seems like once you have your own kids, Mothers' Day and Fathers' Day becomes more about one's spouse than their actual mother or father.  I know little ones need help planning special things for their mommies and daddies, so that is understandable, but I wanted to take a moment to let my own dad know how much I love and appreciate him.  After all, that is what Fathers' Day is about!

Here are some of my favorite memories of you as a dad when I was a little one myself:

- stories long into the night about your own childhood.  You told the best stories and they were worth being tickled to death and squished down the crack between my bed and the wall for!

- teaching me to waterski.  you must have been drug around in the water for miles until I finally got it

- sitting on your lap while driving the motor-home on vacations

- waking up to your crazy choices of Sunday morning wake-up music (ZZ Top and Bohemian Rhapsody were among your favorites)

- being "quizzed" after both church and after-dinner devotions to make sure we were paying attention

-helping me with me school clothes shopping.  Who else's dad loved to shop like mine?

- making enormous fruit salads

There are so many wonderful memories that I will not mention, but I will end by saying that I think you were and are a great dad who loves his children and has always tried his hardest to do what is best for them.  You are loving, funny, creative, strong, and intelligent.  I love you, Dad!

Secret Plans for Fathers' Day

I love my dad because...

he is silly

he rough-houses with me

he is strong

he is fast

he takes care of me

he has a Porshe        - Ben's card

Ben was very excited at the idea of Fathers' Day today.  I think maybe it was all the hushity-hush, whispering in each other's ears, don't spoil the surprises for daddy that got him so into it.  The first thing he wanted to do when we woke up turn on Matt's favorite songs, but to "blast them because that is the way daddy likes it!"  He couldn't believe we had to actually wait until after church to get started on all the secret plans he had in his head!

After going to church, making a big breakfast together (it took two attempts at the scrambled eggs as the first bowl of raw eggs somehow made it all over Ben's shirt, the counter, the floor, the cupboards...), making cards, giving presents, and some father/son bonding/wrestling time, I must say, we were all pretty pooped!

I joke that every day is Fathers' Day, but in all seriousness, I am sincerely thankful for my husband, who is such a great father to our little boys.  There really should be more days to specifically celebrate how hard he works and how much he loves his family. Our boys love their dad so much and were so excited to be doing special things for him all day today.  Ben kept pulling me off to another room to whisper more of his secret plans for his dad in my ear today.  He just couldn't get enough of coming up with more and more things dad might like.  

We love you, Matt.  Thank you for being such a strong and loving father to Ben, Mitchell, and Jack.  I love to watch them become more and more like you as they grow.