Dad's Day!

This is all about Dad's.  Let's face it....they really don't get enough credit.  It seems good Dads and Husbands are few and far between these days. I hit the jackpot.  Let me tell you.  My husband and Halle & Elliott's Daddy is a rare find.  When Halle was small I went back to work after six weeks.  Right before that Halle started sleeping through the night.  Phew.  But, before that Aaron graciously got up for his shift.  He plays with Halle and explains lots and lots of questions she has.  Let me tell you, this is no small feat.  More importantly, he shows our daughter the love of Jesus and what it means to know Him.  These two share an incredible bond that I believe could not be any deeper even if Halle was our biological daughter.  From the moment Aaron looked in her eyes on November 10, 2008 she had him...hook, line & sinker.  She is so her Daddy's girl. Where ever he is....she wants to be.  Hence, her love for all things music and those garage related.  The other day she was using the wire cutters right along with her Daddy.  And recently she asked while listening to a classic rock station "Dad, do you hear those guitars?"  That's our girl.  She is very quick to climb up into his lap and give him the biggest hug you have ever seen....and on the days she is home with me she runs to greet him on his arrival home from work.  What a blessing it is to me to see Halle and Aaron together.  I love to see them snuggled up on the couch, playing Legos or playing guitar together.  Thank you Aaron for being an incredible Daddy to our little girl and our little boy up in Heaven.  You stood by my bedside while we welcomed our sweet boy and comforted me while I sobbed.  You are truly God's Best.

And my Dad, who is no longer here with us to celebrate this Father's Day.  I miss you.  You are and will always be my hero.  You fought such a long and hard battle with cancer and never, ever did you give up.  What a champion you are....through and through.  Let me tell you a little bit about this Godly man I call Dad.  He bbq'd the BEST chicken you would ever taste.  Incredible, I tell you.  He liked sampling it too....as you can see above.  Many times, my Grandpa tried to replicate it.  It never, ever tasted as good.  He was a strict parent.  Now I am thankful for that.  He knew the value of hard work and earning your pay and responsibility as a teen-ager.  When I turned sixteen and bought my first car he co-signed on my loan and I was made responsible to pay the payment each month.  He loved to sing and had the very best laugh.  His favorite breakfast was french toast and I swear my Mom made it for him every.single. Saturday morning.  He favored sweat pants and flannel shirts and loved his recliner and watching every sport known to man.  He would have been an incredible Grampie.  I so know it.  And he and Halle would have gotten along swimmingly.  You would never, ever beat him in a game because let's face it, we all know, he cheated.  Big time.  He stacked the deck in card games he played with me and hid his money during the "Game of Life".  He loved Altoids and never, ever drank a cup of coffee.  Coke was a dirty word and Pepsi ruled in his book....sometimes Mountain Dew.  Gold Medal Ribbon ice cream was his favorite and his pizza MUST have extra, extra mushrooms. He loved his Jesus and was not afraid to share that with everyone he knew...including those who cared for him during his illness.  He was the best.