Happy Daddy Day & Saturday Summary!

Happy Father's Day to my favorite daddies! 

What great truth is in this quote-

"I never knew how much I loved you until I saw how much you loved her." My husband is a great daddy. He never hesitates to change diapers, give baths, spend 1-on-1 time, and do whatever necessary to make sure Ellie Claire's needs are met. He loves playing with her, wrestling with her, and always letting her win. He tickles her until she belly laughs and plays peekaboo like a champ. There is no doubt that he loves her and she loves him. He has set the bar quite high in 17 months of daddy-hood!  I made James a photo book of he and Ellie Claire from the past year. This is the second year I've done this because I always want to make sure Father's Day is a super happy and memorable day for him to look back on. We had Father's Day a little early on Saturday-complete with decorations, presents, chicken alfredo, salad, his favorite rolls (Sister Schubert) , and homemade frosty ice cream. Most importantly, we spend time together outside as a family on the porch and then cuddled and played with Ellie Claire before bed. Hearing Ellie Claire laugh with (or at!) her daddy is my most favorite thing! Sunday morning, we enjoyed breakfast at Dairy Queen (had planned to make pancakes at home for him but he likes our traditional breakfast on mornings when we are busy), sang a duet at church ("Your Love Never Fails" by Jesus Culture), and enjoyed lunch with my parents before he had to head work (work because he has next weekend off for the men's conference with church). What a great time together!

 

Click here to view this photo book larger

Not only am I thankful to parent beside my best friend, I am SO very thankful for my own dad. When I try to put into words how special that he is to me, I can't! He has always been a solid rock, a super hard working provider for our family, and a gentle spirit to quietly show me how to live like Jesus. He's always there to help me with anything I ask (over the years there have been some pretty crazy/extreme requests), listen, or provide advice when I need it-and he's never been wrong! I am so very blessed to have the dad that that I do & I don't dare take him for granted!  He's also a super good Poppy ("Bopah" according to her) these days & I just love seeing Ellie Claire interact with my dad. Their smiles when they are together are contagious! He is certainly head over heels for her! These pictures capture just a tiny bit of that!

Finally, most importantly, I am thankful for my Heavenly Father-how lost I would be without Him! I am so appreciative for how God created families, especially fathers for us to love and respect. This video is called "The Ultimate Love Letter from Our Heavenly Father."  I love this!

Mother's Day Weekend

This weekend was a super fun and very busy weekend for us! Friday night, we enjoyed El Patron before James headed to Lowes and then Baby Girl and I finally got around to planting our garden. Since she isn't taking more than a few steps unassisted yet, I had to strap her into her red wagon to "draw" while I planted our seedlings. She enjoyed helping me water it when it was complete. Sadly, my Iphone had died and I didn't want to risk my nice camera getting soaked, so I don't have a picture of my little helper!

After Ellie Claire went to bed, I finished up the garden and got started cleaning the house. It had been on the back burner for a good two weeks and when James starts to notice, you know it is way out of hand. So, I was up until 1:30 but I felt very proud to have a clean house again! It was a super good feeling waking up to no clutter also.

Saturday morning, we helped move the children's department at church into its newly renovated basement. The de-cluttering and organizing part of the morning was right up my alley. Purging is a beautiful thing. If only I could heed my own advice at home.  We worked for a few hours and headed to lunch (back to El Patron!) with mama, Summer, and Barbara. (Insert forgotten picture here.)

Saturday afternoon, I came home to a pleasant surprise. Our awesome neighbors helped us out with some pine straw for our work-in-progress embankment. (I'll blog more about this later.) They knew we had been super busy and landscaping had not been our priority! What a blessing! After working outside with them for a few minutes, it was time to get ready for the Mother-Daughter banquet at Tom's Creek.

I had a wonderful time with Tammy and Mama and enjoyed being served by my dad. I also loved hearing my BFF Noel speak words of His Truth about the influence of a mom!

Sunday, I greeted the day by my handsome husband and sweet baby yelling "MaaaaaaaaaMaaaaa"! We had our normal Sunday morning ritual of cuddling, playing, getting ready for church, and eating breakfast at Dairy Queen. I was super excited to receive a Mother's Day massage gift certificate and a new purse. Just what this mama likes!

After a wonderful message by Pastor Paul "The Secrets of a Happy Home", we came home and enjoyed a little time with Daddy before he headed to work. (James had already taken me on a Mother's Day extravaganza  last weekend and I felt it was important to celebrate my mom today.) We enjoy our front porch so much. If Ellie Claire could, she would say it's her favorite place in our home. My parents came by to pick EC & I up and we headed off to the Dillard House to treat my mama for the day! We had a delicious lunch, followed by a tour of the property and of course, lots of pictures of Baby Girl enjoying the Farm-Zoo. It was a little chilly in the mountains, which explains EC's mis-matched heart jacket in a few of the pictures. My mom loved her Origami Owl necklace and flowers that we got her. Sadly, another picture forgotten.  We had the best day together celebrating my mom!

My heart is overwhelmed with thankfulness for my own mom's unconditional love for me and for the gift I have been given in becoming a mother. My heart explodes with love for our precious girl every day. Every time someone says "time goes by way too fast so enjoy it", I know how right they are. I'm doing my best to enjoy every day, even in the midst of the struggles, and soak up this time in my life! Today, I'm thanking God for the blessing of my mom and of being given the privilege of being one. Motherhood is a true gift, honor, and LEARNING PROCESS (for sure!) but by God's grace He will help me become the mama He desires me to be.