Happy Father's Day

Well, I can't let the day go by without acknowledging the man in my life-or should I say "men"... First of all, I must send a shout out to my dad who is a great dad. He is a hard-working man with strength of character and strong integrity. He prioritized his family and sacrificed much to provide for us and to make many special memories for us during our growing up years. We spent summers on the lake with my dad teaching us to water ski, patiently driving the boat in circles MANY times as we learned, giving us kind and patient instruction. He took us all to Hawaii with his hard earned money, spent FIVE weeks driving us (my two brothers, my mom and I) all around the country to see thirty-something states (while we kids bickered and pulled each others' hair in the back seat). He allowed us to have WAY TOO MANY animals living in our house. We had rats, snakes (not in the same cage), a crow, cats, dogs, hamsters, more snakes, lizards, rabbits, and more. He supported me through sports, drove to many college tournaments and even drove five hours (each way!) to come to an important volleyball game (maybe even a couple of times??) Anyway, thanks, dad, for all that you did for me to raise me up into who I am today! Thank you for the sacrifices you made. I love you!
Second of all, I am married to an amazing man, and one of the primary reasons for his "amazingness" is his love for his kids and the way that he finds ways to express that with each of them. Besides our house being filled with his physical affection for all of us, he selflessly finds a way to connect with even the littlest of the crew. Baby Dax now raises his hands in (ready for this strange description?) {"hitler" style salute/"hold me!!" zeal} whenever he hears his poppa enter the room..probably because when his poppa sees him, he throws his head back and shouts chants to his little man. Dax responds with great excitement to his baby cheers from poppa, and settles for nothing less than being held. From the smallest to the biggest...Kurt throws the ball around with Reilly every day (now that his back is cleared by the doc for "normal activity") which is what Reilly loves the most. Kurt spends nearly an hour each night tucking in the kids, spending loads of time with the girls talking, praying, listening, and loving on them. I need to snap a picture of this procedure sometime. Anyway, I do have to conclude that I am married to a GREAT man who is more of a dad than I could have ever imagined for my kids. They love him with all their little hearts!! I love you, Kurt!

Sweet Sugar Shea

It's hard to believe that our Sugar Shea is turning 9!! We love our "big sissy" so much and are so thankful that she is a part of our family! God has richly blessed us in giving her to us. We are thankful for her teachable spirit, her love for her sisters and brothers, her sense of humor, her care for others, her growing love for God, her creativity, and her sweet smile. We love you Sugar Shea!

One (plus a few days...)