Happy Daddy Day!

If you are all wondering what I have been up to this summer, I could list random things, but to be completely honest, I have no idea where the last 3 months have went.  I know it got warmer, the corn is now "way high" (according to Adams County's newest agronomy expert, Mr. Jenssen Pekas),  and Justin's R&R from Afghanistan is just around the corner.  It has involved lots and lots of bugs, weeds, bare feet, water, shorts, irrigation boots, smiles, snacks, walks, and memories.  I'll let you in on a few.

Don't worry, I haven't completely lost it (yet) with the title of this post.  I do understand that we are half way to August, but let me back up time here a bit and focus on an important day in June.  (Yes J-Lo, your birthday is important too, but first let me talk about something else).  Father's day.

We have a very special daddy in our little family.  He makes the best cookies, gives top notch piggy back rides, and introduces us to all kinds of music (including some nice head banging music for Jenssen's delight).  He lets Jenssen splash his heart out in the bathtub, and never once complains about getting wet himself.  No matter how tired or uninterested he is, he always listens to mommy when she needs him to.  He makes a random Tuesday a fun doughnut morning, or a Thursday evening ice cream night.  Our daddy is a soldier who sacrifices so much to serve our country. 

Because of that, we didn't get to hug daddy this year for Father's day.  Trying to explain what the day was about, but not having daddy there to hug, would make for a difficult talk with Jenssen.  Or so I thought.  That kid really gets it.  Although he thinks daddy is in Afghanistan, on an airplane, living in an airport, trying to find Jenssen a toy excavator, he gets that daddy has an important job to do ( a very important one in his mind!) so he has to be gone.  However, daddy loves us very much, and will come home soon!  Of course, he is missing a few, well, a lot, of key details there.  But really, it is that simple.  He has an important job to do, he loves us, misses us, and will be home soon.  So instead of focusing on having no daddy to hug on Father's day, we chose to focus on daddy.  We looked at all of our daddy books, and played with our daddy dolls.

A few weeks before Father's day, I had a grand idea (thanks to pinterest).  Do you know what to send a father, who is in Afghanistan, with little room or need for traditional father's day "gadgets" or gift cards?  Neither do I.  So instead, I figured a nice picture would work.  Some paint, and cardboard later, we had the props.  Now, to find some cute half decently dressed boys and a photographer.....

Cori and my mom played the role of director, cameraman, stunt man, and snack man.  I should tip them better.

First we tried the bridge.  Nice area for us to sit, just like they did in the pinterest picture.  The kids in that picture must have been paid models.  How else do you get a 1 year old and a 3 year old to smile at the camera, at the same time, and not have a random breeze blow your hair all over, all while trying not to squint in the June sun?

 Not too many pictures in, Rowan was done.  Throw the sign down I'm leaving done.  Maybe I should spend the rest of the summer figuring out how to bribe him....

 Jens spent a majority of this photo shoot figuring out how to get the promised fruit snacks sooner.

 I should have gave up at this point.  But it looked so nice on pinterest.  Had I been thinking, I would have painted the words and heart on both sides of the sign, so even if certain 3 year olds didn't feel like holding it the right way, we would at least have some words besides "Huggies".

 Don't my kids look thrilled?   I don't even remember it being that breezy.

 

At this point, I wondered how bad it would look if both kids were just screaming.  I mean, the words would still get the message across, right?

 Rowan, deciding that holding the sign was not going to happen, tried to make a break for it.

 The directors suggested a change of scenery, and I couldn't argue.  Of course, now Jenssen wants to hold his sign.

 

 We figured better control, and less wind, would be beneficial in the grass.  I forgot how quick Rowan is.

 Rowan, officially done, left the scene.  Never willingly returning again.

 At this point, I'm thinking "Justin knows we have two kids, so... if Rowan isn't in the picture, it would be okay right?"

 Yea, it just didn't look right.  Justin might wonder what's up.

 Once again, painting on the other side would have been a good idea.  Rowan, forcibly returned by the project manager, was on strike.  The kind of lay down, roll around, I'm not doing a **** thing strike.

 I tried to convince Rowan that holding the sign was fun.  If I couldn't convince Jenssen, did I really think my chances with Rowan were good?

I couldn't convince Rowan to stay, but it didn't take any convincing to get Izzy to stand in his place.  Do you ever wonder why the Dog Whisperer doesn't have kids?  

*Disclaimer, I don't know, maybe he has kids.  But you never see him whispering his kids around do ya?*

 Ah, she is such a good dog.  Whole post on Izzy's summer adventure to come.  Stay tuned.  At this point, Jenssen has discovered I cut up a diapers box for the signs, and that the baby on the box looks like Rowan (really, no resemblance what so ever.)  However,  Jenssen demanded to know why I "cut him up!"

 Rowan, entering stage left (or right, who knows) has realized he has been replaced.

 Rowan and Izzy have a chat about the new status of everyone in the family, while Jens continues to demand why I am cutting up babies.  I'm thinking an Amazon gift card wouldn't have been a bad gift.

 I'm laying down the law.. take a picture, or no more fruit snacks.  Rowan, is really starting to wonder if that crazy dog is really going to be allowed to take his place.  Hey bud, ya got to do what ya got to do.

I think Izzy was getting a bit too close for comfort.

 I should have stopped here.  It was the best I'd get.  Rowan is back in the picture, but only because he feared permanent replacement by that white furry thing, Izzy is licking something, Jens is still focused on the cut up baby, but hey, At least I'm smiling at the camera.

 Rowan has decided to make another exit.  

 However, Izzy sees this, and anticipates.  She goes into her stretch to block Rowan's efforts.

 It works, but does result in my baby being laid out flat in the grass. 

 A little assistance and we were back up.  Izzy..... I don't even have words for you.

 Doesn't she look vicious?

 Rowan has had enough.  That was the final straw.  And now I don't even have Izzy interested in holding a sign!

 At least we are still all in the picture.

Why didn't I think of that in the first place.  I have two arms and a mouth.... it's a one woman show.

That perfect imagine in my head of a perfect photo was soon gone, just like the first half of this summer!  I sat there, with LOTS of pictures, but none I wanted to send to Justin, in a frame, to set on his desk and remind him of how much we love him.  However, as I kept going back through the pictures, I began to smile.  Not a single one was perfect.  Which was fitting, because neither are we.  This one quick morning showed our life.  Crazy, unplanned, and a complete different copy of what we set out to do, it was perfect.

 I put these pictures into a collage, and sent Justin a 8.5x10 copy.  He loved it.

I was, and remain, so very thankful for all that Justin and I have in these boys.  It is easy to lose sight of that, in the daily tasks, fights, shouts, messes, spills, and general destruction that are two little guys.  However, as a very good friend and her little boy struggle, I am reminded to remain thankful for every fit, every tantrum, every refusal to look at the camera.  Please take a moment and say a prayer for her and her family, for strength, guidance, and answers.



Thank you to all the dads out there, for all you do for your families.  You do not get enough credit for the hard work you do, the men you are, and the differences you make.  To my own dad, thank you, for more than I could ever write.  I love you.

To Justin, every day of the last 9 months I have looked at our boys and sighed a heavy sigh, knowing you were missing another day.  Knowing that the next time you saw them, they would be that much more different than when you left.  Despite the distance, you have never failed to be there for them, and me.  You take off your Army hat and put on your daddy one with such ease, going from weeks or months away, back to at home daddy in a flash.  Thank you for loving the boys and me.

Happy Very Belated Father's Day to every daddy out there.  You mean the world to someone.