Father's Day

We had a great Father's Day. Jerrod said it felt like Christmas in June for him. He has been working so hard with Boeing and APX that I felt like he deserved a little bit of a reward.

Jerrod is such an amazing Father. I am so thankful to have him as my husband and father of our children. He adores Kennedi and she adores her Daddy.

We had been talking for a long time about getting a grill and after months of looking and trying to decide exactly what we wanted we still hadn't found one. (If you know us, you know that this happens quite often) Jerrod kept hinting to me that he just wanted me to get one for Fathers Day. I was nervous to make that big of a decision all by myself, but decided that I just had to do it. So, Saturday while Jerrod was working, Kennedi and I went shopping. We had looked everywhere in the months previous and thought that there was one at Sears that we liked. So, I went straight to Sears, saw the "one" and told the lady that we would take it. It was kind of fun to just walk in there and buy it. Thankfully they had one in stock. They loaded it up in my car and I proudly drove home excited to have it all put together before Jerrod got home that night. As reality sunk in, I realized a couple of things...#1 I am pregnant and in my third tri-mester. #2 The box that the grill was in took two very strong guys to lift it into my car and how was I going to get that into the back of my house. #3 How would I devote the next 2 + hours to put this thing together with a toddler running around???!!!

Well, as solutions flooded my mind Kennedi fell asleep, so that solved problem #3. I realized that there would be no way of getting that whole box out of my car and into the back, so I would have to open it in the car and take out piece by piece. (I was actually pretty happy with myself that I figured that one out!!)

That is just what I did. There were still some pretty heavy pieces, but I was determined to get it done! The heaviest piece was the top thing with the lid. I carefully lowered that onto a large piece of cardboard and then just pushed it to the back door. At about this time I felt that I was starting to do a little too much for my body and was thankful that it was just time to sit down and put it together.

Yeah right...sit down! This thing was kind of difficult!! But at least I wasn't doing anything too dangerous. I did well and put the base together in about an hour (which probably should not have taken that long!!) The next step was to put on the top. I realized that going into pre-term labor was not worth having this stupid grill all put together before Jerrod got home. (I only say "stupid grill" because at about that point, that is how I was feeling about it!) So, I had to stop.

Jerrod came home later that night and was excited about his new grill and finished the job for me.

Sunday morning, Kennedi gave her daddy a card that she had picked out and a personalized stepping stone that we had made for the back yard. It was so cute. It has a couple of pictures of her and her handprint. Jerrod loved it. She also gave him some dress socks. Along with the grill I had bought a cover and some BBQ utensils. I hope that we made him feel special that day because he is always working so hard to make us feel special.

That afternoon we had our first meal on our new grill. We made baby back ribs and ate outside. It was a beautiful day!









Kennedi sitting on her Turtle sand box.



MY DADDY



Now is where I get to say a bit about my own "Daddy". I was never a Daddy's girl, but as I get older the place in my heart only gets bigger and bigger for my Daddy. I love and appreciate him more and more everyday. I sometimes wish that we were closer while I was growing up, but I don't think that I would love and appreciate him as much as I do today if we had always had that relationship there. I beleive that it was mostly my doing as to why we weren't that close. I was kind of a brat growing up. :) Thank goodness I grew out of that...huh dad?!

I am sitting here trying not to get too choked up while I think of all of the wonderful things about my dad. It is impossible to put my thoughts into words. I love my dad so much and I just can't ever thank him enough for the amazing father that he was and continues to be for me. Even at 25, living on my own with my own family, he hasn't stopped giving me advice. And that is okay with me. I think the day my dad stops giving me advice will be the day I start to worry if he still loves me.

I have always been very close to my mom, and for that I am thankful. I do get very excited to come home to spend time with her, but it is strange to me how things have changed and I get even more excited to see and spend time with my dad. I think that it is because I can see in his eyes that I am making him proud. That is funny too. I am still striving to make my Daddy proud. I think that that is okay. We live our lives to make our Heavenly Father happy, so why not strive to make our earthly Fathers happy too? I guess that is really my only way to pay back my father for everything that he has taught me and done for me. Sure, I am not perfect, and neither is he, but he has done a dang good job raising me and my siblings.

Watching him as a grandpa has also been a delight. I love watching him be with Kennedi. I do believe that they will definately have a special relationship.

My dad doesn't really see the point of getting cards for holidays if there isn't any money in them :) So, I don't waste my money on them anymore. Maybe this will be a good substitute for a card. I just hope that I didn't end any sentences with a preposition!! (He has issues with that)
Daddy, I love you and am so so grateful that you are my father. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do for me and the family.
I would like to think that there is still time for me to be a "Daddy's Girl".