I love Father's Day because it gives me the opportunity to celebrate the two most important men in my life.
My favorite part of the day is when Allan walks in the front door after work. Our house is the loudest that it is all day when the kids hear his keys at the lock and they either rush him at the door or run screaming through the house looking for a place to hide. It doesn't matter how exhausting or frustrating his day has been Allan always matches their enthusiasm and picks them up and swings them into the air or chases them through the house. He makes every effort to spend his, sometimes limited, time with them doing exactly what they want to do. I could not ask for a more devoted and attentive father for my children and there is nothing that brings me greater joy than seeing the relationship that he has with each of the kids.
Because we love him so much we wanted to make sure that he had a good Father's Day. The kids started off with breakfast in bed for their dad that they prepared all by themselves...an apricot jam sandwich, blueberries and water. He thoroughly enjoyed it! Then we gave him his cards, a little questionnaire that I did with the kids.
I found this cute idea on Pinterest and thought it was something the kids would enjoy doing. It's a backrub shirt. I traced it and then the kids colored it. The idea is that Allan puts the shirt on and then the kids can "play" on his back with their cars and at the same time Allan gets a nice back rub, or a backache if Walker is the one "playing".
For dinner I made butter chicken from scratch, a curry dish that Allan loves and then we headed to my parents' place to celebrate with my Dad. My mom made a beautiful scrapbook for him with pictures and something written by each of us. I was so grateful to have the time to reflect on all the ways that my life has been blessed because of the kind of man my father is. I am especially grateful for the father that he has become to my husband and the grandfather that he has become to my children. We are so blessed to have such a great man as a constant fixture in our lives. I could go on and on but instead I will just share what I included in his scrapbook.
I Remember…
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How exciting it was to go grocery shopping with you
because you bought nothing but goodies.
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Listening to you read bedtime stories and squealing
and giggling with delight when you replaced the real words with silly ones.
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How devastatingly sad I felt whenever you lost at card
games or board games or any games for that matter.
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How mom looked so forward to your homecoming each night.
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The confusion on your face as you rocked me and I cried
inconsolably because one day I would grow up.
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Being held and rocked in your arms many years later
after some foolish teenage heart break.
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Spending early mornings with you in our seminary
classroom and the pride in my heart as I listened to you teach.
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The peace and comfort I felt each time you laid your
hands on my head for a healing or father’s blessing.
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The incredulous look you gave me as our flight took off
for Hawaii
and I started displaying signs of a full blown panic attack.
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The look on your face after Allan asked for my hand and
your tearful question; “Can you live here?”
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The joy I felt as you gave my husband his first
father’s blessing.
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The way you fell on your knees from your computer chair
when we told you we were expecting our first baby.
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The tears in your eyes when you met your first
grandbaby and learned that she was named after your beautiful mother.
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Listening to you read stories to my little ones and
hearing Grandma Lyn in your voice.
We love you Dad!!
