Father's Day

Only a bit late posting on Father's Day :-)...but too important not to post. The girls were super excited to make Tim breakfast - the breakfast of champions for any daddy: Monkey Bread! He requests it anytime he can and he has three little monkeys behind him begging for it too. We got a kick out of this Father's Day because as Carter gets older he is getting more and more into ANY holiday/celebration - Father's Day being no exception. Except what we realized is he thinks it is to celebrate himself! I let the kids go to the dollar store (Brooklyn's idea because she had made some money doing her own entreprenuership, another post soon because it's so smart and stinkin cute) to pick out a few gifts for Tim. Anything they thought he would like. Well the girls were picky and thoughtful and well Carter was hysterical. He kept picking anything out he would like which was totally predictable but what wasn't is that when the morning came and the presents were wrapped he tore into his faster than he could because he thought they were his presents no matter how many times we told him they were for daddy. So what did he get...

Carter - new cars

Brooklyn - a puzzle and a coloring book because they love to color together

Kennedy - a Whoopee Cushion oh so appropriate!

Another thing Carter did all day was wish EVERYONE a Happy Father's Day. When he talked to my mom later in the day he said, "Happy Father's Day Nonie." He even told our babysitter a week later Happy Father's Day. You can't blame the kid for getting into holidays that's for sure!

opening the cards the girls had picked out long ago and hid until the day

brooklyn found a blank canvas in our art closet and decided it would be the perfect piece to paint and present to daddy for Father's Day. I was SUPER impressed with her black truck painting. I asked her before she started painting if she wanted to "practice" on another piece of paper because I didn't have anymore canvases and I had learned that lesson with Kennedy in the early years. Her answer, nope mommy, I don't need it! And no she didn't...that's one of the many things I love about her is that she just goes for it and for her it works!

a special morning for a special daddy!

After church we headed to look at Tim's new boat that was almost done...we packed a picnic lunch and took it with us to check out the boat since we hadn't seen it since the very beginning and we wanted Tim to be able to show it off to us!

He always has the kids backs and this was no different walking up the

stairs from the engine room

Carter in the wheel house - he loves when he gets the chance to drive.

my two guys - Carter ADORES his daddy and loves when they play cars together!

I am so thankful for such a great husband and father everyday! It isn't a surprise to see him up early on the weekend sitting in the art room coloring with B, or playing race track with Carter, or taking Kennedy outside to shoot some hoops. He is the hardest worker and his drive and motivation is inspiring. He is so giving and I love that about him.  He definitely teaches me what it looks like to not be afraid of new things and challenges and to dream. I am thankful that our kids get to see how hard he works, how humble he is and how he dreams big. I love how he doens't take himself too seriously and is always trying to get a few extra minutes to play or rough house with the kids because they eat that up! They are three of the luckiest kids and I am one lucky wife and mama! And it isn't for just anybody that I would move a floating barge and rope and actually tie it to an anchor in my wedges and dress, just saying!

Tim is a big fan of cowboy boots and will put those on whenever we go out on a date or somewhere that requires something other than tennis shoes. So because he is so great these kids know they have some BIG BOOTS to fill so we took these fun pictures and I threw it into a collage frame with one of the frames saying: We have some big boots to fill in the future. We love you always and forever. Happy Father's Day 2012.

Now something funny about my ideas - they always go better in my head than what actually plays out, of course I think that's the case for most moms. But when Carter refused to get pants on and I couldn't get the right shot with his height and not getting the floor and being in a hurry to just get it done we had to settle for this one...with the promise we would do a redo with pants and a better lens next time! I even had two sweet girls behind me doing everything to get his attention and get him to smile. Funny thing is I think this captures him at his age just perfectly with crazy hair, no pants, a half smile and the material behind him falling from him pulling it down :-)!

And this idea - great and fun to make into cards for Tim and my dad. Found it HERE at a fun site I love but the problem is it took us so long to get to the point of being able to take the picture the sun was moving and it shaded Carter man. Maybe when I manage to get his pants on for the other picture we can do a take 2 of the chalk art on the driveway too.

And speaking of my dad...To a super dad who always listens, (and I realize now how hard that is as a parent) who always showed us the joy out of the little and simple things, who was never too serious and could find the fun in anything, especially baking chocolate chip cookies when I was younger and taught us what to really do when the batter was done. Who was always glass half full and an optimist. Dad I always was able to be so honest with you because I always knew no matter what I said or what I was honest about you would love me anyways. That's one amazing gift to give a child and it's one I am working on with my own kids. I also remember my dad was AT everything. Every cheer competition from beginning to end, driving us up to cheer camp and back, at every birthday party joining in on the fun and silliness. I was one lucky little girl to have such amazing parents and I hope my kids can say the same thing when they are parents themselves. Thanks dad! Love T.L.