Paloma Vs. Daddy - Round 25,095

Did you really think that Paloma would stop arguing with us simply because it was Christmas Eve? As her parents, we knew better.

Paloma is a strong willed, stubborn little girl. It is her way or the highway.
Now that is good for many different reasons
1) I can't imagine any little boys trying to slip one past Paloma - she will never get taken advantage of. In fact, watch out, she may be the one taking advantage of you!
2) Paloma will most likely never be the victim of bullying by a group of little girls on the playground. She will tell them their behavior is wrong and then properly recite how the "Bible says to not bully." Did you know that the Bible says to "not leave little sisters behind." Yep, it does. She told me so.
3) Paloma will be the one to speak up in class and perhaps correct a teacher on mistaught information. In fact, she already tried to do this with her preschool teacher - last year when she was 3.

But, when you are her parents and she believes that you are wrong every time you open your mouth, it can get a bit annoying. And David's face clearly showed that Christmas Eve. Boy, do we love that little girl though.

Mr. Grinch Delivers

As many of you may know, I'm not real good in the kitchen. That may be an understatement. For the first few years of my marriage, I didn't cook at all - except perhaps an occasional frozen pizza. But since Dave got his masters degree and took on the full time "worker" role, I took on full time "cook, cleaner, chauffeur, nurse, shopper, bill payer "(you get it right?) I actually kind of like cooking now and enjoy putting together meal plans for the week. I say that only if I get a free minute to myself of uninterrupted time by my children to search through cookbooks and online websites to do this kind of planning.
Well one of the websites I've fallen in love with is pinterest. I have tried to many recipes of there - desserts, dinner meals, beverages, appetizers. I decided to make "Grinch cookies" from a recipe I found on pinterest to take and share for Paloma's class party. Well, my family and I fell in love with them and I have made several batches since then.
So I thought I would pass along the recipe to you. Please let me know if you try and them and how you like them. They are amazing...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bettycrockerrecipes/4595758178/

Too Cute Tuesday

Happy Birthday Jesus

A very special thank you to all my friends who came out to join my family and I in celebrating the birth of Jesus. The girls and I decided this was the year to get all our friend together and throw a party. After all, my girls get a party to celebrate their birthday. Why shouldn't Jesus get the same?

















The kids enjoyed a plethora of food, birthday cake, Christmas crafts, fellowship and then good old fashion play downstairs in the kid zone area. It was so great to mingle with friends and watch our children gather around and blow out the candles in honor of our Lord. I am so confident there were smiles in heaven that afternoon!

The Look

Oh my goodness, can you believe that my 6 year old daughter is giving me "the look?" How dare I interrupt her study time.

Whew - there is the smile that I missed. Guess she was just kidding. What a wonderful toothless smile!

Paloma's Performance

Our sweet little Paloma also had her night to shine. Her preschool class, once again, hosted friends and family to show off skills and talents. The kids sang songs, recited scripture, and even led the crowd in a round of 'Hokey Pokey.' I bet you are all jealous of me...



Congratulations Miss Paloma. You were beautiful and amazing.



We can't call it a night without a special picture with pappa.



It is sad to think this is the last Christmas performance that Paloma and her best friend Jessie will be performing in together. They will be parting ways next year as both girls head off to Kindergarten. I'm not sure Paloma has quite gotten a grasp on that concept yet. She is pretty attached to Miss Jessie.

Paloma was given the very special role of performing sign language as the children sang Silent Night. She was so nervous and would come home rather anxious about her role. But being the stubborn little girl that she is, she refused to let me help her. But when the time came, she did absolutely fantastic. Good job Paloma. We love you and are so proud of you.

First Up - Matty Moo

Miss Mattea's 1st grade class was not putting on a Christmas program for the parents but rather a "special chapel' that we were all invited to. There would be a lot of singing and a definite celebration to honor Jesus. Mattea was so excited for her upcoming performance. She wouldn't spill any details or drop any little hint about what to expect.

Mattea's music teacher had done a fabulous job of organizing the children. We were very impressed and once again very grateful that Mattea is able to attend this Christian School. The children sang Christmas songs and closed the program with a loud and excited 'Happy Birthday Jesus.' I absolutely love that my daughter can wish Jesus a happy birthday openly in school. Praise God.

And of course, I couldn't leave without a photo op with the star performer. Good job Mattea. We are so proud of you.

Back In Business

Hello blog friends,

I can't believe it has been so long since I have posted. Our lives have been so busy and chaotic lately that posting has been the farthest thing from my mind. I have so much to catch up on though because despite the chaos, our lives have been pretty darn fun - I will admit.

To begin, Dave and I became "temporary" parents through Nov. and beginning of Dec. We were given the opportunity to foster two beautiful little babies. The first placement was a 4 day old baby boy and the second was a 2 week old baby girl. We were honored and had a blast taking care of newborns again - despite the sleep deprivation. Of course, that seemed to dominate our days/nights/ and every waking minute in between.

And then of course came the holidays. Thanksgiving, my birthday, Christmas parties and programs for both girls and then the wonderful celebration of our Saviors birth. Whew. That seems to be the last few months in a nutshell. So forgive me for being a bit behind but I do hope to catch back up rather quickly.

Sooooooo, let's go!

How Is Your Love Tank?

Have you ever asked that question of your spouse? Silly as it may sound - the idea presented itself to me while Dave and I read through the 5 Love Languages Book back when we were dating. The point of the question is to tap into your spouse and find out if you are meeting THEIR needs. Not satisfying your own desires but filling their love tank in the way in which they feel loved. This book was amazing for us because we were able to learn that both Dave and I feel loved in totally different ways. And I realized I was trying to fill his love tank the way that I wanted mine filled. Kind of confusing but if you are intrigued - I encourage you to read the book. There is also a website you can access and take an online test to discover your personal love language.





Anyway, about a year or so ago, I decided to read the 5 Love Languages of Children in an attempt to learn what love language Mattea was speaking. Quickly I realized she is a quality time kind of girl. She loves spending one on one time with both Dave and I. It isn't that she doesn't like hanging out with her sister. I just happen to think that she is feeling deprived of that special time now that her days are spent at school. Because of this lack of quality time, I have seen behaviors emerge from Mattea that I had never experienced before. We were looking at some serious discipline problems. So I decided I would try and use the one week off of school that she had to really meet her needs and fill her emotional love tank.








We celebrated her school break at the salon with a wonderful pedicure. I was hoping this would satisfy that desire for one on one time and also boost her mood. Attending first grade has meant that she has had to make adjustments to her prior lifestyle - and she hasn't exactly been thrilled about it. Life ain't like it was in kindergarten baby! As the year progresses, things are improving but in those first few weeks, I would hear a lot of whining and complaining about how she no longer gets to play because we "make her go to school." Or sometimes I would hear, "I never even get to see you mom, I'm ALWAYS at school." My heart broke 2/3 of the time. My poor baby was missing me and the time we had together. The other 1/3 of the time I was annoyed and told her to "buck up, this is your new life. Get used to it." Yep, not the most compassionate mom.


So seeing and recognizing opportunities to meet and fill Mattea's love tank has been on my priority list. She is a much more pleasant child when her emotional needs are met. And who can blame her, so am I? I know when my love tank is filled and my emotional needs are met, I'm a much happier person. Funny how that works. So, the salon trip was a success. We both had fun and we both left with pretty toes. Now, to try and tackle the overwhelming task of interpreting Miss Paloma's love language. Wish me luck....

A Whole New Me

For those of you who may not know my background, let me fill you in. I grew up going to a Lutheran Church when I was younger but was deficient in all things God. I learned the Lord's Prayer, I learned about Noah and the Ark, and I learned about sin, but during that time, someone failed to tell me about Jesus.

Nobody really told me about the remarkable sacrifice that was made for me nor how incredibly special I was. They forgot to tell me that Jesus was my friend or perhaps how I need to call upon Him during times of trial.

It wasn't until high school that a friend of mine took me aside and explained the "big" picture to me. Aha! I felt like the light had been turned on. I was 16 at the time. I made a commitment at that time to live my life in a whole new way. I would live it for Christ. I would follow the 10 commandments, speak wholesome words, and deny all things bad for me. Yep, I was going to do it and I did - for about 6 months. Then the fleshly "fun" life I had had before seemed much more appealing. I started college and lived with a group of wonderful Christian girls that provided me with good examples but still I was having much more fun sinning day in and day out. Whether it was my thoughts, my words, or my actions, I was not representing Christ in a good way. Many knew I had made my commitment to Christ yet my lifestyle didn't reflect it.

Skip ahead a few years to a situation in which brought me to my knees. Not really wanting to elaborate on it now, I decided at that very moment, my life would change. It had to. I had no other choice. I could no longer continue on the path that I was currently walking. I once again surrendered my life to Christ and the rest is history.

Fast forward 17 years, there was a life changing event that happened in my life and that of my husband. At that moment it hit us - life is unpredictable. Life is short. Life is not promised tomorrow morning. We decided it was time to get our act together, set an example for our children, and become baptized as commanded by God. It was an amazing and life changing weekend for me and I know it hit Dave hard as well. Dave's testimony is a bit different than mine but simply his story to tell. I hope that one day he will become more open about it - but for now, this is my side of things. My children have inquired about baptism, bragged to their friends about it, and practiced baptizing their baby dolls in the bathtub. God is working miracles - and the work He started will continue. Oh happy day!

Wondeful Words to Ponder

I looked at the older woman and wondered what it meant.
Do we tell with our body about the life we have spent?

The wrinkles on her face, the posture of her back.
The fingers softly bent, the joy in her laugh.

I'd seen other faces marked with a frown and scorn.
Their presence seemed quite harsh, their spirit very worn.

But in this woman was a beauty, despite the evidence of time.
Peace in her cloudy eyes and laughter behind her laugh lines.

She had a grace about her, though her body was now slow.
For she had learned the joy of being, and in her heart she knows.

She spent her life in celebration, choosing joy to be found
In whatever life gave her she stood on His solid ground.

Lord, may the markings on my body be like hers in some way
That I loved and laughed and gave and celebrated every single day.

Lisa TerKeurst
Am I Messing Up My Kids?

Meet My Little Miss

Hi - my name is Paloma. I am a very sweet, silly, sassy little 4 year old. There are some days that my momma thinks I'm going on 14 - but rest assured, I'm only 4. I am very excited to be turning 5 though. When I turn 5, my whole life will be different. Did you know I'm a New Years Baby? I am. I make sure to tell everybody who doesn't know. People sometimes ask me when my birthday is. I just simply say that I'm a New Years baby. It is much easier to remember than saying Dec. 31.

I am in my second year at preschool and learning so much these days. I'm lucky enough to once again be in the same class as my best friend Jessie. I have a wonderful teacher who is very patient with me. I can write my name, count to 100 (although sometimes I tell my mom I don't know how because it takes a lot longer to count to 100 than it does to count to 10.) I am starting to read and really working on improving my coloring. In fact, just the other day I told my sister that I color much better than her. She told me that was the truth and I wasn't lying.

I just finished another round of swimming lessons where I was the only girl and swam so much better than those other boys. I even passed into the next group. Today I can say that I'm an official 'Ray.' I'd like to stop swimming now and take up ballet. I'm dying to dance like a princess but my mommy just can't seem to get her act together and get me started. Speaking of princesses - did you know that I'm going to visit Princess Cate someday. I keep asking if we can go to the castle and my mommy keeps telling me 'someday when I get a job.' I take that to mean that it might be awhile yet. I really like Princess Cate, I dress like her and try to do my hair like her. I even wore high heels to the gym the other day so I could practice walking like a princess. I can't wait until I can be a princess.

These days I spend my time between school and home. I miss my sister dearly - who went off to 1st grade this year. But it isn't all bad - in fact, I told my friend the other day that 'it isn't all bad having sissy in school.' I get to spend all day with mommy. We have hung out and had donut day (a lot), spend some time together at Roaring Springs, worked out together, taken several bike rides, did crafts, and colored a whole lot of pictures. I have to admit that I kind of like having mommy to myself. I like it so much that I get very moody and naughty when we pick up Mattea. Only being honest!

So I hope I have given you a glimpse into my life. I am a fun little girl - sometimes a little bossy - but fun, nonetheless. I love to snuggle and get hugs so if you want to be my friend then "text me." Cause I'm getting pretty good at texting. Yep, even learned to call my daddy's business associates the other day. Pretty stunning for a 4 year old huh?

And the baby is launched....

The day finally came. After waiting 3 weeks after her sister started school, Paloma's big day finally came.
She was so excited to be starting preschool this year. She missed her friends, she missed learning, and most of all she missed not being like her big sister. After watching Mattea head off to school each morning, Paloma wanted the very same thing.

Paloma picked out her entire outfit and even did her own hair that morning. My sweet baby is growing up - snuffle. But the independence is kind of nice (I will admit.)
Daddy was there for the big even on Sept 7th (which happened to also be our 9th wedding anniversary - Love you babe~)






She practically ran into her classroom to sit down begin her big day. She was gracious enough to pose for a couple of pictures and then it was time for me to leave - because she was obviously done with her dad and I. She has an amazing teacher and a godly staff who will watch over her and teach her God's word. We are grateful and look forward to another amazing year at the Children's Academy.
Love you Honey!!!

ME!

H - happy (but I can be kind of moody), healthy (except those times when I eat ice cream for dinner, hardworking (it is a trait I learned from my father), hot dog roaster (Yes, after giving up the disgusting food for quite some time, with my children around, I have been known to roast a hot dog a time or two during a family camping trip. I may add that I only eat turkey hot dogs though....)

E -enthusiastic (if there is a cause that I am passionate about, I jump in with both feet), energetic (I am an "on the go" kind of gal. I love staying busy. I have been known to do chores well into the wee hours of the morning), empathetic (I would definitely say that I am an empathetic person - I'm sure my kids would not always agree with that comment though....), Eggo Waffles (one of my all time favorite foods. I eat them daily and could literally survive on a deserted island if I had plenty of Eggo waffles with me)

A -anxious (though I am working on turning my anxieties over to Christ, I am still a high strung, anxiety prone person), ambitious (I have never been satisfied with the status quo. I strive to be the best that I can be. For many years, my ambition was centered around my career and becoming the best nurse I could possibly be. Now my roles have changed, and my ambition lies in becoming the best wife and mother God will allow me to be), auburn (No not really. By nature, I have a rather thick brown head of hair. But before shaving it in March of 2010, I couldn't for the life of me remember what my natural hair color was. I had relied on the bottle for far too long)

T -talkative (but I am really striving to become a better listener), tall(I am not. In fact, I am only 5 feet 2), terrible cook (I want so badly to become Betty Crocker but this trait I do not possess), tired(although I may report being an energetic person, I live my life in a state of "tiredness"), thankful (I have an amazing husband and two beautiful little girls. I truly try and thank God daily for those blessings in my life), thoughtful (I do my best to try and remember every birthday and anniversary from friends and family. I have a systematic way of doing this - but of course it fails every once and awhile. I love being able to send out birthday cards to the children of my friends - some whom have never met me. They receive a birthday card yearly from a crazy lady in Idaho whom they have never met in their life. Kind of like receiving a letter from Santa Clause)

H - Heart healthy (I am so passionate about remaining fit and keeping this one and only body in the best shape possible. I have very good cholesterol numbers may I add), H (the name in which David now calls me. Not Heather, lovey, or wifey. Just H),

E -exercise aholic(I love working out - I am a better mother and wife when I get my endorphin rush for the day), excited (I have always been a Christmas present snooper. I hate having to "wait" until Christmas morning. I love opening presents and I'm much to excited to have to wait so I end up finding my presents before they even make it under the tree), elaborate (over the top might be a better phrase. It is all about the details. Whether you are throwing a lovely party for adult friends or a tea party for all the best dolls, the fun is in the details. Sometimes it is Ok to go over the top), evolutionist (That I am not. I believe in God the Father. I believe in Jesus, and I believe He died on a cross so that I would be forgiven for my sins. I, under no circumstances, believe I evolved from monkeys)

R -runner(I took up running to impress my husband - crazy huh? I don't really like it but I have now found myself addicted. It's as if I can't stop), rewinder (I have a tendency to "rewind" life over and over again. I play out conversations over and over again. Although I tend to live life without regrets, I do find myself replaying life), remote relative (Both Dave and I live rather far from our families which poses a problem sometimes. When we graduated college 10 years ago, we packed a U haul and headed south to New Mexico - not knowing a single soul. After having two children, we realized Idaho would be a better fit for us - so here we are. Our family remains thousands of miles away), rambler (I found myself annoyed with my oldest daughter when she would come home from school and give me a play by play account of everything that had happened that day. Ummm, the reason I'm so annoyed is because I do the same darn thing. I love providing details and making stories that were meant to last 2 min last 22 minutes. For some reason, I'm obsessed with details)

And this is me in a nutshell - an overview - if you must - for all of my new readers. I'm sure I could sit here for another 2 hours coming up with descriptions of me and who I have evolved in over the years - but I won't bore you with all those DETAILS. I'll let you read through my blog and fill in the blanks.

Paloma's Plug

As I see Paloma's little curls come toddling around the corner this AM (rather early I made add):

"Mom, I was so tired, I just haaaad to wake up."

Thinking to myself, hmmmm this kid is weird. Love her to bunches.

We Are All Still Standing

Well, the day has come. My little Mattea grew up before my eyes (I promise, I only blinked for a minute) and on August 18th, we found ourselves getting her ready for the first day of 1st grade. We are blessed enough to have gotten her into a private Christian school and although I felt confident she was going to be in a safe and loving environment, I was beyond nervous about dropping her off in the care of others for more hours in a day than I would be with her.

She was more than excited to go, but of course as her mother, I was not. Selfish huh? Well, as much as I tried to deny it, the day had arrived. Mattea and I had done some school shopping, got a new haircut, received a manicure/pedicure, and packed a lunch and so at approximately 8 am on that Thursday morning, the entire family walked Miss Mattea into school. Because she had not gone to school there for Kindergarten, she didn't know a single soul but was warmly welcomed by a very loving and affectionate teacher - whom Matty took to right away.

Mattea found her desk and began unpacking her "goods." Of course her sister wasn't that far behind, intrigued at everything that was happening. All the children and their parents seemed so nice - making sure to include introductions early. I do hope to get to know some of these great ladies better as the school year progresses.

And as the 1st week came to a close, we had feelings of happiness, frustration, exhaustion, and overwhelmingness. Not just from Mattea - but from me as well. It has definitely been an adjustment sending one child off to school all day. Although I was nervous about it at first, I will totally admit that I'm having a blast hanging out with Paloma 1 on 1. She is such a fun and zany little girl - I have a lot to learn from her. So here is a toast to the new school year. May God use my little girl to how He sees fit and may I remain standing by the time the year is complete.

Way To Go Daddy

We are so proud of our daddy. Look at "Sally Salmon." Isn't she beautiful?

During our trip to McCall, David went salmon fishing and caught a 19lb, 39 inch salmon. Our family got over 10 lbs of fish out of the deal. He said it was a struggle to bring it in, but so worth it.

The kids were delighted at daddy's big catch and couldn't wait to get their picture taken with her. Yahoo. Dinner to be served at our house at a later date.....

Wordless Wednesday

Fun???

Fun?

Really.....

Our family?

No way......

What would be your first clue.

I can't wait to get home and update my blog. We are having an amazing time. The kids are exhausted, the adults are exhausted but we are enjoying every minute of our impromptu trip to McCall. We are eating well, taking in a lot of sunshine, overall - simply enjoying being in each other's company. We are blessed to have been able to run away for a few days. It will be back to reality soon. Stay tuned......

A Summer Snack

I am so excited to report that my fruits and vegetables are starting to grow.....This is only a small sampling of what I have harvested so far. The radishes are picked and cut and the strawberries are growing like crazy. The girls and I go out about every other day and pick about a colander full. They are small but super sweet. I have a pleuthra of apples on the the three trees and plenty of blueberries that will need picking in the upcoming weeks.

I love summer and I especially love fresh food - especially when it the result of our hard work. Here's to a hearty, healthy summer.

If Your Anything Like Me.....

This post came to my inbox back in April. I was so excited to read it and then pass along to you guys through my blog. It came at an absolutely perfect time. I was frustrated and anxious about my to do list that day. It seemed as if my children were moving in slow motion, the piles of laundry were growing by leaps and bounds, and my floors had little dust bunnies flying all over them. For some reason I could not get my act together. Now if you know me at all, you may know that I am a perfectionist. I always have been and am convinced that I will be until the day that I die. I don't always think it is the best quality to have but it is certainly the way that God designed me. I am passionate about my job, I am passionate about my marriage, I am passionate about my children, and I am passionate about my house - cleaning that is. I thrive when my house is clean, organized and smells like bleach and pine sol. After reading this great devotion though, I am once again reminded what is important. I will not stand at the gates of heaven and be let in solely because my carpets were vacuumed and my toilets scrubbed with a toothbrush. I will not sit at the feet of Jesus because I polished my counters several times a day or dusted until my fingers were raw. Take a moment to read this devotion and reorganize your day. In the long run, you'll be happier that you did. I was.

The Sweet Smell of PineSol™

22 Apr 2011

T. Suzanne Eller

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” Matthew 19:14 (NIV)

I admit it. I’m the world’s worst when it comes to preserving photos. I have boxes of photos stacked in various cubbyholes. I tried to organize the pictures once. I divided them and placed them in large envelopes. My next step was to put them in albums. They are still in the envelopes — stacked in a box.

My children Melissa, Ryan, and Leslie are now in their 20′s and newly married. The chances of me ever getting these precious memories organized are slim to none, but I’m realizing something powerful. Memories aren’t limited to pictures.

Remember when, Mom? is a common phrase in my house now. We have become the hub, a privilege once reserved for my husband’s parents. At holidays and special weekends, they drive up and unload luggage and pile into the guest rooms. We laugh and reminisce a lot around the table. Remember when we went on treasure hunts in the pasture? Remember when you jumped on the bed and popped Ryan up in the air so high it scared you? Remember that yellow Slip-n-Slide™?

I do remember. But I also remember a young mom with three little ones who worried that her house wasn’t spotless when an unexpected guest showed up. I remember the angst of trying to do everything and the fatigue when my day ended before my chores did.

I also remember days that I threw caution to the wind and jumped on the bed, even though it might make others frown. I grabbed a shovel and gave the kids plastic buckets and we looked for old bottles and trinkets at the abandoned homestead nearby. We mixed dishwashing liquid and water and I laughed out loud as the kids flew like greased lightening across the yellow slippery slide.

Some of those memories were captured in that pre-digital age, but most were not. However, they are etched on the heart of my young adult children.

What they don’t reminisce about is the sweet, sweet smell of PineSol™. Whether my house was perfect or how it compared to others’ is not even on their radar.

Why did I worry so?

Is it good to have order and structure? Sure. But don’t allow the pressure to be the perfect mom keep you from the simplicity of playing with your children. The unmade bed will still be there when you are through, but I promise that a child will grow quickly.

Take a moment today and look past the clutter and the to-do list and be a child again. It might not be a picture-perfect moment, but it will be a memory.

Dear Lord, time passes so fast. Slow me down. Let me enjoy the smallest pleasures. Let me play with my child instead of only knocking down a to-do list. Let me laugh with my teen instead of fussing at him. Thank You for sweet memories, Amen.

Yee Haw!

Who can resist a little down home fun? Nothing like putting on your black leather boots, your busting with bling cowgirl hat, and heading out to the local rodeo. Since grandma and grandpa were in town and have never experienced a rodeo, our family decided to show them a heel kicking, bull snorting good time.

My little Paloma put on her pink cowgirl boots and thought she was all that. And since Mattea doesn't own a pair of boots but wanted to dress just like her sister, she donned her black "hooker" boots and decided she was just as cool. How in the world could I possibly resist.

It was a beautiful evening. The girls love watching the action and I love watching their faces. After a little cotton candy, a whole lot of hootin and hollerin, and several trips to the port a potty, we closed the evening after the big bull riding event. We sure hope grandma and grandpa had fun. Although we are not a buckle wearing, cow riding, square dancing family, we absolutely love the rodeo and can't wait to take in another event. Yee Haw!!

Meet My Husband

I was so excited to log on today and find that I have a few new followers. I love being able to share my thoughts, ideas, and photos with all my friends and family. But I must say, I love knowing there are others out there who log on and read as well. So, for those of you "new" readers, I wanted to use this post to introduce you to a very special man on this very special day.

Today is Fathers Day. It is truly an honor that I am able to blog about one of the most special daddies I know - my husband David.

David and I have been married for almost 9 years. We have two amazing little girls - Mattea & Paloma. I will be honest, when we were expecting our first daughter Mattea, I was nervous about how David would handle the new addition. He was such a caring and compassionate man towards me but how in the world would he be toward a crying, screaming, pooping newborn at 3 am. I'm not going to lie - I had visions of a grown man packing his bags after having to endure watching a very long delivery process.

But to my surprise, David embraced fatherhood from day 1. He jumped right in and loved on our little daughter from the moment she arrived. He snuggled her, changed her diaper, comforted her, and catered to her every need. In fact, I remember one night putting her to bed and just watching her breathe when Dave came up behind me and said, "You know Heather, we may not be able to give this little girl a new car when she grows up or all the toys in the world, but we will love her like no other." It melted my heart.

I also remember talking to David very early on (within weeks of Mattea's birth) about how important it is to read to our kids. Not even a day later, I walked in to find Mattea snuggled up on Dave's chest listening to her daddy read biological journals that he was reading for his Master's class.

These are just a couple of examples of precious memories I have of David and our children. Even now as they are growing and changing from babies, to little girls, to emotional young ladies, David continues to do an incredible job of meeting their needs and being the fleshly father they can rely on. Happy Fathers Day to the love of my life -you are a living example of what being a father really means! We are all blessed to have you in our lives.

Here is a photo of David opening the gift that Paloma made him at school last night. It was a copy of her foot prints with a very touching little poem on it.

How cute are those little feet? To treasure these memories forever....

The girls and I decided to do a recordable book for daddy this year. It was fun. One afternoon or should I say several afternoons, we would sit down and I would interview them and then I would record their answers in this very special book. I hope David enjoys listening to some of those ridiculous answers for years to come.

So as I'm writing this post, the girls and I are at an indoor play place passing time until our very special daddy comes home. We pondered what to do that would be special enough for such a special individual and came to the conclusion we would give him a day to himself. So he is currently salmon fishing in northern Idaho with one of his friends. We sincerely hope he is having a wonderful time. We love you Babe!