Day of the Dads--Times Three

Amelia is now obsessed with the word father. She has called Ross father all day and her toys only had fathers, "NOT dads." It is hilarious.

Times One: Ross is a fabulous father. Yes, I chide him for not watching closely enough at times. Yes, I tell him to hold on to her tightly when doing silly spinning games and balancing her in the air. Yes, I ask him to help me more often with the mundane diapers and laundry. And, I will continue to do all of those things because there is and always will be a massive difference between mothers and fathers. And, that is the beauty of it. In fact, when he isn't watching her "carefully" enough, she is bravely trying new things. When he is balancing her in the air, she is feeling free of fear and knows her daddy is keeping her safe. Amelia counts down the minutes until he is home from work and that little blonde girl squealing at the window melts my heart.And I know it melts her daddy's heart too. Because no matter how little sleep he has had or how hard he has worked or how many people have demanded something of him during the day, he leaves it at the hospital and he plays and plays and plays. He rocks Elise every single night and as I get Amelia ready for bed, I hear his calm voice over her sleepy little cries and he is softly singing her to sleep.He knows the importance of bows and dresses and flip flops and I tear up just thinking about how genuine he sounds when he tells Amelia and Elise they are the prettiest girls in the world. I am so thankful for him and his presence in their lives. Happy Father's Day Ross. I love you and I am so grateful for how hard you work to provide for our family and that it allows me to stay home. Our children are truly blessed to have you as their dad.Times Two: Today in church the preacher said something that really sums my dad up. "Real dads don't stop fathering at 18 or 21 or 30. A dad is forever." I immediately started bawling because my dad lives this out. He has moved me FOUR times (not counting college dorms) since I left home. He fills my car up with gas because he knows that at 29, I still hate doing it. He makes sure I have special Crush drinks in the glass bottle because I love them, but I am too cheap to buy them at home. He gives the best silent hugs there are. I feel just as loved, encouraged, accepted, and adored as when I lived right under his roof. He is the epitome of loving your child no matter their age.
I still sit in his lap and he still tells me not to worry about the little things. I love him. I love when he calls me, "Beanhead," and when he pretends to slam his head on the cabinet. I love that Amelia worships the ground he walks on and that Elise lights up when he enters a room. Happy Father's Day to the man that has always made me laugh and feel special.


Times Three: Ross's dad is a hard worker. As in, he cannot sit still unless he is sleeping and he doesn't even do that well. I so admire the fact that he has instilled his work ethic in Ross. He will help you build/fix anything you need help with. He has loaned us money (some we have repaid and some we haven't) and given us advice and helped us make wise financial decisions. Darrell is a tough guy, a man's man, yet he is just as precious as he can be with Amelia. He is a smitten Pa and totes her around the farm like she is his prized jewel. I am very lucky to have such a great father-in-law. He is way too busy running his business or hauling hay or feeding cattle to read this, but I just wanted to wish him a Happy Father's Day. Glad we got to spend the day with you!