Daddy's Day

Happy Father's Day, Robert! Abby came into our bedroom around 7:00 this morning with a pile of stuffed animals. She hid Dora the cat under her shirt and said she was having a "kitty baby" and then insisted that Robert open his gifts. I had a past, present and future theme this year. For the past, I bought him the newest Mumford & Sons album. Robert and I have been fans of this band for awhile and I think we will forever associate the song "I Will Wait" with Abby's birth. We listened to the Babel album throughout most of my pregnancy and that particular song felt even more fitting once my due date came and went. Then lo and behold, it popped on the radio as we drove home from the hospital.

For the present, I made a card with pictures of Robert with Abby throughout this past year and included a note that we're going to have a picnic today.

For the future, I bought a Lodge cast iron pizza pan for years of Friday family fun nights. Robert has been requesting cast iron cookware for awhile now. 

We decided to have brunch at Datz this morning but since there was an 65 minute wait we stopped at the park on our way. 

She loves him so much.

Abby is becoming quite the capable climber.

I am thankful that Robert is such a hands on dad. You can clearly see that in these pictures. It's so important for daughters to have a good relationship with their dads and Robert is doing an amazing job. Yesterday he played with Abby in the pool at the Y while I ran a few miles on the treadmill inside and I watched her jump into the water over and over again, stretching her arms out to him. She has complete trust in her daddy and that's due to the way he is raising her with such care and tenderness. Robert and I were together about 10 years before we had Abby but I always knew he would be an incredible dad. Seeing it and watching them together now is the best. Thank you, Robert, for working so hard to provide for your family and then coming home and playing with an energetic toddler -- even though I know you could use a little break! I love seeing Abby light up when you walk into the house each day. I love hearing your nightly readings of Good Night, Gorilla and Goodnight Moon followed by Abby's requests for "ugga muggas." I love seeing how see looks up to you and learns from you. 

Strong muscles!

This one makes me smile.

It was HOT and Abby needed a snack break.

The pesky park squirrels wanted a snack, too.

The squirrel took the cheese bunny and ran away!

 

Squirrel feeding is great fun.

Check out the bottom of this picture. I caught the squirrel mid-leap!

Datz finally had a table for us and Robert ordered the most ridiculous sandwich today. This new burger is sandwiched between -- wait for it -- fried mac and cheese "buns." We love their freshly made chips with blue cheese drizzle but Robert ended up taking all of them home today since the sandwich was so filling.

Both Abby and Robert are currently napping so I'd say we can call this day a success. My phone now says it's 93 with a "real feel" of 116 so we may not be going out for a picnic after all. I think we'll hideout inside with the air conditioning and maybe put down a blanket on the floor in our living room.

Before ending this post I also want to wish my own dad a Happy Father's Day. I'm about 2 and 1/2 years old in this photo so it's fun to compare little me to the way Abby looks now. (Too bad I'm so grumpy...!) Is it wishful thinking on my part or does anyone else see a little resemblance? Go ahead and pretend like you do.

I've always loved this photo because I feel like it depicts a few important qualities of my dad. His strength. Discipline. Dedication. Undeterred by having two daughters, my dad set up a small gym in our garage and had me doing bench presses in middle school. He challenged me to foul out of basketball games so that I would play a little more aggressively. (I never did.) He must have thrown hundreds of fly balls into the air for me to catch. My dad taught me self-sufficiency. He showed me how to change the oil and change the tires on my car. He had me mow the grass when I lived at home. He taught me how to balance my checkbook, set a budget, and be wise with money. My dad is a devoted Christian who loves the Lord. He reads his Bible and prays with my mom every morning. He played goofy games (veggie baseball, anyone?) and went on "work camp" trips with our church youth group. Many of my friends and my sister's friends consider him to be an important role model and mentor in their lives. 

How fortunate am I? I get to call him Dad.