On a daily basis, he makes this family his main priority, being sure that we are well taken care of & that each one of us feel treasured. He is tender & nurturing & so very intentional with our hearts. I knew long ago that he was the one for me, that God had specifically chosen him for me-- to love me, to balance me, to accept the broken pieces of me. I love the way he loves me--that after ten years of marriage, he has never once stopped pursuing me. I love the way he loves others-- that there isn't a single person who could utter a negative word about him--because he's just a true, genuine, honest & precious person. But the one thing I love the most...the one thing I witness day in & day out, through the chaos & noise & tantrums & snuggles...it's the way he fathers. This guy was made to be a daddy.
Sometimes I lay in bed at night, or daydream in the car about the things my children will have to say about the kind of momma I was, once they're all grown up. Will they think I was a good mom? Did I take the time to sit down on the floor & play with them enough? Did I listen to the needs of their heart? Did I snuggle & cuddle enough or did I let the grocery lists & laundry & household chores take precedence more than I should have? Was my tone of voice too harsh too often? Was I fun & playful? Will they need years of therapy because I've botched the job? All of these questions & more run through my head as I focus on doing the best that I can & praying my children grow up to know that above everything, they were loved with every ounce of momma heart that I have.
But I don't question what these kids will have to say about their dad one day down the road. They will say he was the best kind of dad any kid could ever ask for. Hands down. He's the kind of dad that leaves loves notes on post-its & video messages on the ipad for us to wake up to in the mornings. He's the kind of dad who walks through the door in the evening, drops his bags, kisses their momma & scoops those babies up, spending the rest of the evening provoking giggles & shrieks & squeals of laughter from their bellies. He's the daddy that jumps in & does bath time routines & kneels by their beds every single night to lead prayer time. He says "I love you" til their little hearts flow over. He is the best example I could ever wish for my children. These kids of ours are lucky little ducks. And I know they will never doubt the love & energy their daddy put into them.
And that kind of daddy deserves a little pampering, don't you think?
Jared's a no fuss kind of guy. He doesn't spend money on himself. He doesn't take off on weekend guy trips. He doesn't have expensive hobbies. He's a simple man with simple requests--home cooked meals, quality time spent with his family, it's the little things that mean the most to him.
So Jett & I came up with a few things that would make him feel celebrated on Father's Day.
Letting him sleep in a little on Sunday morning. Jared refuses to ever sleep in. Even if he's exhausted, he will decline my every offer of letting him catch a few zzz's while I get the kiddos out of the way. He's afraid he'll miss out on something. It was no easy task to force Jared to stay in bed & to force Jett downstairs with me, but I persuaded them by talking up the surprises we needed to prepare. They both obliged.
His favorite breakfast, the one I only make at Christmastime because it is labor intensive--made from scratch cinnamon rolls. He says every time I make them, "I could eat a whole pan of these by myself." On Father's Day, he did just that. In fact, in the days following, I think he may have cleared several pans of cinnamon rolls all by himself.
We spent a quiet, lazy morning at home, just the four of us. Jett presented Jared with the new garage door opener & keypad he had insisted on getting for Jared for Father's Day. It was a gift that was completely his idea & he was proud as a peacock to finally be able to spill the beans about it.
***We weren't leaving Lulla out of all the fun. Our girl likes to sleep in & if you choose to wake her, you'll pay for it the entire day through. She's still too little to understand what the fuss of Father's Day is so we figured she wouldn't feel too slighted by missing out on the morning portion of the celebrating.***
Later that afternoon, my parents visited & we grilled out & spent the rest of the evening outdoors. We topped off the day with root beer floats--my dad's all time favorite treat.
I think the highlight of my dad's day was that little miss Lulla, who can be quite the Grandma's girl, snubbed my mom & chose to be by Papa's side for the entire afternoon.
It was a wonderful day, perfect for celebrating the men who have always given so much of themselves to this family of ours.
And not to be left out, my father in law. If you want to know how my husband came to be the wonderful father that he is, you need not look any further than his very own father. Jared has had a wonderful example & I & my children are blessed because of it.
How did you celebrate Father's Day? I loved seeing the facebook & Instagram feed of the many fathers being celebrated. What a beautiful thing to be able to shower some love back on the ones who love us so much.
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