Sunday, June 19, 2011

Happy Father's Day!

Those of you who know me know that I am abundantly blessed. I have so many men in my life that have been loving and influential. This is my Father's Day tribute to 3 of my favorites:

Grandpa Ken


I may or may not have a slight reputation for being "Grandpa's girl." We might even have a song to go with that name. This gentle, genius of a quiet man has loved me through and through. He's a craftsman...building furniture with timeless style, never leaving out small details that make it priceless. I have a coffee table he once made for my great grandmother that is solely made out of levels. Seriously. It's classy, functional, and so very special to me.

We have spent countless hours on the porch swing at the Schooner house. Sometimes we swung; sometimes we were still. Sometimes we talked/sang; sometimes we were silent. Sometimes he had his arm around me; sometimes we held hands. But we always went there. We listened to "country life" out there - dogs barking, birds chirping, horses neighing...and it was divine. I miss that house. I am thankful that I do have the porch swing for the sweet day that I have a porch I can hang it on. I am positive that I will always think of him when I sit on it.

Thank you, Grandpa, for loving me so much. Thanks for the time you invested in me, and thank you for instilling in me a love for silence - which often goes against all of me. It is growing to be one of the things I crave for as an adult...silence. I miss you & wish I could see you more often. I love you always.

Daddy


I haven't always appreciated my sweet Daddy - probably not until I was 17 or 18. But this man...loves God to his core, longs to bring people to Christ, and loves his family deeply. He is Christ-like when there aren't many men out there who are. He is the prime example of a love that sacrifices for my mom. He would literally do anything for her, and is quite crazy about her.


He was tough when he needed to be, soft when he needed to be, and shared with me a love for connecting God's word to my every day life. Sometimes I still call him to see what his perspective is on a particular passage of scripture. He is my advice-giver...I rarely do much without his wisdom and prayers being involved. I am proud to say he is my friend, and I love this man to pieces!


Daddy - thank you for loving me in my most unlovable moments. Thank you for choosing me, not knowing exactly how God planned our life. Thank you for hours of conversation, be it silly or serious. {And thank you, especially, for the talking billfold...which will ALWAYS make me laugh.}

My True Love


When we first started dating, he balked when we sat near kids at a restaurant. They were too noisy, he would say. {To be quite frank, as a giant kid-lover, I wasn't sure how we were going to work out.} However, during a family trip, it was my 9 month old nephew, Isaiah, who changed the heart of my {now} big, smooshy, silly, loveable, kid-friendly teddy bear of a husband.


When there were concerns that adoption may be something that only I wanted to do, I struggled with the possibility of that. Enter in my brown-eyed boy, who has changed all of us {and really anyone that has come in contact with him}. One of the things I love about adoption is how God uses it to change us. It's not just the child that receives a blessing.


Now, he is my rock. He is the one who keeps me laughing when I feel like crying. He supports anything and everything I want to do {even my crafting obsession}. He challenges me. He encourages me. He helps me see when I'm over the top, and also when I need to push a little harder.


Little D wants to be just like him. If Daddy wears sandals, so does D. If Daddy wears an undershirt, so does D. If Daddy loves BBQ, so does D. They are pretty much inseparable when Daddy is home from work.


To my Mister - I have loved you these past 5 years, but my love grows as I watch you with Dillon. You are fair and fun; appropriate and loving. And he wants to be just like you - which is pretty much the best example of what a great Dad you are. Happy Daddy's Day, my love. I can't wait to grow our family with you!

4 comments:

  1. like..Like..LIKE!! I loved seeing some pictures and loved your testament to Godly fathers!! Some good guys you have there in your life!! :-) Love ya!

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  2. Sweet and wonderful words. Brings a tear to my eye and joy to my heart!

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  3. JoJo, love today's blog. I've known the first two men longer.... but I see and appreciate the traits in your beautiful description of Aaron also. I share the love and thoughts you have of my Dad and Gary. I should reflect more on the many things I love about those in my family. Thanks for sharing your unique perspective.

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  4. This was so sweet :) You definitely have some amazing men in your life.

    XO Lindsay

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