Daddy

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

Andrew's day care had a "Donuts for Dad" on Friday to celebrate Father's Day.

Andrew was so happy to take his daddy to his school for breakfast.

The best part was, he got to spend the whole day with daddy and go back home!  Ha!  It is kind of fun to bring him to day care, have breakfast and bring him back home with us!

Andrew just adores his daddy.  Every day it seems like he just loves him more and more.  Daddy is the one he asks for if he wakes up in the middle of the night (although Craig thinks it is because he knows I won't get up!  Ha!)  He always wants to hold daddy's hand or have daddy carry him when we go somewhere.

He gives daddy giant sized hugs!

Like the choke hold!  Ha!

His shirt says "Daddy makes me LOL."  Of course I couldn't resist that one! Ha!

The truth is, I couldn't have picked a better daddy for Andrew.  While no marriage is "perfect" and everyone has their ups and downs, at the end of the day, daddy always comes home to us and makes us feel important.  He has a very demanding job, and is gone a lot of nights during the week and lots of weekends too.  Andrew and I both miss him, but we never doubt how much he loves us.

He'll make a special effort to come home in between games and events at school, just to see us.  Or he'll take time to go to lunch with us, even when he's in the middle of something at school.  Andrew loves it when I take him to daddy's school to see daddy.  He never wants to leave.  Daddy plays basketball with him in the gym and Andrew thinks that is just the coolest thing ever.

Andrew made a present for daddy at school.  (His teachers informed me that the little girl next to him in the picture above is his girlfriend, Hannah.  Ha!  I asked Andrew if Hannah was his girlfriend and he nodded and smiled.  Oh boy, it's starting early!)

Andrew was so proud to give daddy the present he made!

Craig, thank you for being the most wonderful husband and father anyone could ask for.

Thank you for making time for us and making us feel special.

Thank you for everything you do for me, like letting me sleep late on weekends and taking care of Andrew all morning!

Thanks for pitching in around the house and always doing the dishes, even when you've been at work all day.

Thanks for the times you spend with Andrew, offering to take him to the park or to Menards with you so I can have a moment to myself. :)  You are making memories for your son that he will always treasure.

Thank you for being such a fun daddy.

Thanks for all the laughs we've shared and the special times we've had as a family.

Andrew and I treasure you, and love you with all our hearts.

Happy Father's Day also to Craig's dad, George.  Andrew loves his "Gwampa" so much!  

He loves it when Grandpa and Grandma visit and he gets special attention from them!  George, you are a wonderful grandpa to Andrew and we love you!

Happy Father's Day to Papa!  Andrew adores his Papa and we are so lucky to have him in our lives.

Thanks, Jim, for everything you do for us and Andrew. We love you!

To my own "daddy", who is in heaven... I miss you every single day.  I miss that you never got to meet Andrew on this Earth, and watch him grow and see how much he would have loved you.  I love that Andrew now knows who you are and when he sees a picture of you, instead of mistaking you for Papa Jim, he now says "Gwampa Bill."  I will never miss an opportunity to tell him all about you, and what a wonderful man you were.  I miss that you never got to see me be a mother.  I know you were proud of me because you always told me.  Every day I try to live by your example and be a good mommy to Andrew.  You truly were the best father any girl could have asked for.  You made me feel like I was the most important thing in your life and when I talked to you, you gave me your undivided attention.  I'll never forget that.

You were so fun.  I loved dancing with you and the way you kicked up your heels to try to keep up with mom or me.  You gave me the world, dad.  And I will love you for the rest of my life...and I can't wait until we meet again.

They say that sometimes girls look for men to marry who remind them of their father.  It wasn't an easy job, because my dad is hard to beat.   

But I think I did a pretty good job!  And I thank God every day for sending Craig to me.  Once in a while I'll say "Okay, Bill!"  because something he does reminds me so much of my dad.

And it makes me smile.