Happy Birf-Day Muh-vers Day!

Bet ya didn't know it wasn't Father's Day after all huh? Nope, according to Emma, it's "Happy birf-day muh-vers day!" I think we're confusing the daylights out of her with all of these happy days, so they blended a bit......now when you tell her to say "Happy Father's Day" that funny little statement comes out. No father in there whatsoever! Ah well, she's cute!
Emma got to help daddy open his present today (which she helped decorate earlier with all kinds of stickers!). She was begging me to open them from the time she woke up at 6:30 to the time her daddy woke up at 7:30 (we let him sleep in on his special day!), so she was thrilled to peel the green paper off. Although she was with me when we picked out the present, she got a surprised look and shouted "Wow! Fishies!" when she saw that it was an aquarium. So it was a little more for Emma than daddy :) but that's what Father's Day is all about!
We got to spend a little time with Grandma and Grandpa on the web cam today, and Emma was all fired up! She was running around and dancing, sticking her little foofoo in the air. She always loves this time and wants to bring every favorite toy to the t.v. to "show gwampa". It's nice to know she's not missing anything! Can't wait to see them in a couple of weeks- we're counting down! And you guys better bring light clothes and a bathing suit- it's HOT HOT HOT!
Dads never think they spend enough time with their kids no matter how much they really do......I'm just lucky- no, blessed that I was born with the best one in the world, who spent countless hours slaving away at multiple jobs he hated just to make sure we had everything this world could ever give us......and when he could have dragged himself home and laid on the couch, he didn't. Instead, my memories are of him taking me to the batting cages, cheering us on at every sports game or meet (no kidding- my parents never missed a single one- that's darn impressive!), family vacations, and flipping us in the pool (over and over again!). I still don't know how he did it without falling asleep at the wheel while driving my sister and I as well as our cousins to school every morning, but he did it. And because of him, I am the person and the parent that I am today. And as a grandfather, he rules, doing "milk and rock" with Emma and giving her so many pony rides that his operated-on knees no longer work! There's nothing in the world he wouldn't do for his girls- all five of us (hmm.....six if you include Pockets....but she's on his not-so-nice list, and I can tell you from experience, you don't want to be on that!) So, for all that you did and continue to do (believe me, I know you are still sacrificing so much to make sure that I and my family feel your love hundreds of miles away), I thank you and wish you a very "Happy Birf-day Muh-vers Day!" dad/ yellow grandpa!!!

And Braden, our girls are soooo blessed to have such an involved, hands-on "superdaddy" (as Emma says) who does everything from dirty diapers to really dirty bathtubs (from a certain pigpen daughter of ours) and bug killing and gentle rocking to sleep. There's nothing in the world you can't do, and the look in your eyes tells me that you love every minute of it. I don't know many dads who would give up their home, their job, their friends, and financial security and move across the country just to spend a few extra hours a week with the family and give us a better life. But there's nothing you wouldn't do for us.......and that absolutely amazes me. We have fun (how could we not, having given birth to a court jester instead of a baby?!), and with you there to lighten every mood, something tells me we always will! We love you superdaddy!