Wishing a very Happy Father's Day to these special men in our lives...
* To my Dad/Granddad to the kids...
I could fill a book with wonderful things about my Dad, happy memories, things we've laughed about over the years, fun things we've done, hilarious things he's said, talents he has, things I appreciate about him, etc.. But if someone asked me to write even one sentence about a time he has disappointed me or let me down in any way, I would have nothing to show but a blank sheet of paper.
When I went overseas for a semester study in college, Dad came to spend my Spring Break with me, and that's still one of my favorite experiences ever. When I was home one Christmas Break he and I went to Springfield, MO, (when it was predicted to snow) to pick up a motorcycle, and we had so much fun riding it together. My favorite day of last summer was when
Dad took us trout fishing on White River--it was a great day. While most of the time I spend with my Dad is filled with laughter, he's a rock that I know I can go to when storms come. In June 2005 I found out that I'd had a miscarriage, so Mom drove Rhett and me to their house to be with them for a few days. I remember sitting on the bench in their back yard, crying, and Dad sitting beside me saying, "Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning." (Ps. 30:5) And he was right. After a season of sadness, joy came when we welcomed sweet Alexee to our family in 2007.
I've been richly blessed by the earthly father that God gave me, and now I have the honor of seeing my own children love and be loved by him, too. Thank you, Lord!
* To my Granddad/the kids' Great-Granddad Forrest...
I'm so thankful for my Granddad and the influence he's had on my life. You won't find a harder-working, more genuine individual anywhere. He's passionate and knowledgable about many many things, yet he's always eager to learn something new. I love that he carries a little notebook in his front shirt pocket that he writes notes in when he hears an interesting fact, a new Spanish word, etc. I was lucky to grow up in the same town as my grandparents. I was able to spend a lot of time with them, and I have many fond memories of those childhood years. But one of my favorite memories is the time Granddad gave me a ride back home to Flippin during a big winter storm. He was here in town for a meeting (in a 4WD truck). It was my first year living here after college, and I was homesick. It was snowing hard when we left town and dark before we made it to our destination, but it was such a memorable trip. Again, it's a blessing for me to watch Rhett, Alexee and Crosby get to know him too.
* To my Father-in-Law, Bob/"Bobba" to his grandchildren.
Lane's Dad is such a kind, generous, easy-going and trustworthy person, and I'm grateful for him. I think everyone loves Bob--you'd be crazy not to! If you ask him to help you with something, you never have to doubt that he will do it and do it perfectly. Several years ago Lane and I took his parents to Flippin with us for a weekend at the river. It was a really fun time (and now that I think about it, we should do that again), but the thing I remember about that trip is Bob bringing boxes and boxes of tomatoes with him from their hometown of Warren, (home of the
Bradley County Pink Tomato). We delivered tomatoes all over town that weekend to my family members and even to one of Bob's friends in the area that he had not seen in years. Just one example of the kind, thoughtful person my father-in-law is! Bob is very proud of his two sons, and he has always treated me as a daughter. And of course the kids love their Bobba and are always excited to go visit him and Grammy. They have kept the kids for us many times, and Bob is always up for taking the kids to the park, library, zoo, Purple Cow, etc. I'm lucky to have married into such a great family!
* And finally to Lane/Daddy.
In just a few days Lane and I will celebrate a decade of marriage! I'm thankful that God's plan for me included meeting this wonderful person to share life with. We laugh a lot, and I think we'd both agree that our favorite place to be is just hanging out at home together. He's my best friend, and I love experiencing the role of parenting with him.
By seeking God's direction and going back to school, Lane has shown the kids (and me) that purpose and contentment comes from submitting to God and His plans, even when it requires trust and sacrifice. While I'm extremely proud of his accomplishments, I most value and respect his faithful example as a loving, Christian husband, father and family leader. He is wise and responsible, and I know I can trust his decisions for our family.
*****
A few weeks ago we were out on the deck and Rhett said, "Momma, I bet I know what three of your happiest days ever were: the day I was born, the day Alexee was born, and the day Crosby was born." Of course he was exactly right!
Boy were we overwhelmed though when we brought this bundle of joy home from the hospital! Poor Rhett had bad reflux and cried and cried for the first few weeks (or maybe it wasn't even reflux...maybe he was just stressed because we were!?!). We drove him around the neighborhood, strolled him in the dark garage, sat his car seat on top of the dryer and sang to him while the dryer rumbled...we tried everything we could think of. As I guess all new parents are, we were sleep-deprived and scared at the thought of caring for our newborn. I clearly remember us sitting on our bed holding Rhett--all three of us crying--thinking what do we do now!? We made it though...and our relationship grew! :)
Proud new Dad!
First son, 2004.
What a HAPPY, special day that was for us!
Then along came a baby girl, and she won her Daddy's heart in a big way the first second he saw her. We were a lot more comfortable with a baby this time around. We considered stopping at Chili's for dinner on our way home from the hospital with her. We didn't because of germs, but welcoming her into our family seemed so simple...she just fit right in and things were fine. Busy, but fine. No melt-downs or panic attacks, no driving her around in the car to get her to fall asleep...we had the crazy idea to just put her in her crib, and it worked! :) Our relationship continued to grow.
Lane holding his daughter, 2007.
And then we became a family of five! Precious Crosby Grant perfectly completed our family, and it seemed like that's when things around here really got lively! Crosby is constant sunshine in this house, and he makes us all laugh. But now the number of kids exceeds the number of adults, and we've had lots to learn about time management (still learning)! Even just getting everyone across a parking lot safely requires some strategic planning and good communication. :) ha!
Lane holding his second son, 2009.
There's such happiness in seeing all three kids grow and learn, and we love seeing their personalities develop. It's a wonderful journey--Happy Father's Day, Lane, we love you!
Father's Day 2011
Tonight Lane and I had the neat opportunity to have dinner at the Governor's Mansion! The banquet was to honor those who just completed the three year residency program at UAMS. It was nice to get to meet some of the people Lane will be working with during his residency (which begins July 1).
All the houses on the street were really pretty and unique. I loved the big magnolia trees in the yards!
Wouldn't it be fun to have a "Grand Hall" in your home!? It was a beautiful place, and the windows looked out over the garden. The Governor greeted guests as they entered this room.
When we arrived for dinner, I was wishing that someone was around to take our picture in front of the building (someone other than the security guard--I didn't think we should ask him). I was glad that we left at the same time as Lane's friend Nathan and his wife so we were able to take pictures for each other by the fountain.
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