On Father's Day weekend

I am so blessed to be married to a wonderful man. He is a way better husband than I deserve. This weekend, though, I am focusing on what an awesome father he is. I cannot imagine anyone better to raise children with. He comes home every evening after a long day working looking for Helen. The second he walks in the door he greets me and then scoops Helen up and takes her outside or upstairs or where-ever. This gives them a little bit of special daddy/daughter time and also helps get her out of my hair while I'm preparing dinner. She really looks forward to it. I know he will someday include Patrick in this special time as well.

Helen gets to ride the four wheeler with her daddy. She helps him paint and spackle and dry-wall when he's working on projects around the house. They do all the gardening and yard work together. Helen experiences a lot of things with Daddy that she would never get to experience with me...they just aren't things I do and they play together in ways I don't play.

Except during harvest or spring work season when he has to work late, daddy puts Helen to bed. They have a special time talking as she's going to sleep and he always prays with her. I hope that the secure relationship Helen has with her daddy will help her develop a deeper relationship with her heavenly father.

Chris is also fantastic with Patrick. When he was first born, Chris would get up with Patrick in the middle of the night...just bringing him to me for feedings. This helped me recover but was also a special time of bonding for father and son. Now Patrick only gets up once or twice and I take care of him but if he has an especially rough night, Chris is happy to take his turn walking the floors with him. Chris loves our babies, even when it seems like all they want is mommy (as is often the case with infants).

Happy father's day to the father of my children. I am so grateful for you!