happy father's day!

last month i told you how much i adore the mothers in my life, and now i want to tell you about the fabulous fathers i've had in my life. 

let me tell you about my husband michael, the father of our four children.  he is a fun, hands-on kind of dad.  he takes every opportunity he can to create learning experiences for our kids, whether it be to teach them about the many plants growing in and around our house, or pulling a chair up to the counter so they can cook alongside him.  he is ever watchful, striving to keep them out of harms way.  he encourages them to be independent & creative problem solvers.  i can't tell you how much i appreciate how hard he works to provide for us so that i can stay home and be with them instead of working.  when he comes home at the end of a long hard day i can tell just by looking at him sometimes that he is exhausted.  yet somehow he always manages to muster up the energy to have fun with the kids.  and in the evening when it is time for bed, he will drop what he is doing to spend a few quiet minutes reading with them.  he doesn't have a t-shirt or tie yet that says this, but he really is a #1 Dad!

then there is my daddio...a girl couldn't have asked for a better dad.  he is a great listener, a great dancer, and a great friend.  he is brilliant, patient, kind and loving.  he believes in me, and encourages me to live life to the fullest.  he is generous in every sense of the word...not just generous financially or in terms of physical objects, but he is also generous with his love, his friendship, his support, his time, and his energy.  he will do anything for his family, and also for his friends & his community.  and whenever he is around, you know you are going to have a good time, because he is so fun-loving and adventurous.  because of my dad i will always enjoy dancing in the kitchen, driving on old country roads, listening to opera, travelling to new places, trying new foods, and learning obscure facts about kentucky history.  i love you dad, and i am proud to be your daughter.

and i also think that he is a fantastic papa, and if you don't believe me, just ask henry.

then there is the other dad in my life, michael's father charlie.  he is so wise, kind and always happy.  he was such an awesome dad to michael and his brother as they were growing up...he taught them so many things over the years, and because of it they are all insanely smart men.  i didn't mean to use past tense in my last sentance, he's still an awesome dad, and even though the boys have grown and moved away from home, he is still a constant support for them, helping them with projects and helping them figure out any kind of problem they encounter.  i married into the greatest family, they can fix anything, and they can figure out any kind of problem imaginable.  not to mention the fact that charlie is a fun guy, a cool grandpa & the best father-in-law around.

and last, but not least, i want to take a minute just to tell you about my grandfathers. 

i didn't really get a chance to know my grandpa sam.  he died when i was a babe.  but from the stories i have heard he sounded like he could be a fun-loving guy, and i think that this trait was passed on to my father.  and it was from grandpa sam that my children have inherited their musical inclinations.  i wish i had been able to spend more time with him.

this here is my bop-bop, he passed away in 1998.  i loved him dearly, and still miss him so very much.  he spoiled me and my cousins rotten over the years...taking us to fancy restaurants (and to chuck-e-cheese), introducing us to costly seafood dishes & shirley temples, letting us go wild in johnny's at christmas-time and then "delivering" the toys we picked out to santa.  he also took me on some very exciting vacations.  the best of which was my first trip overseas at the age of 12.  he & nana took me to england and ireland, i learned so much, saw so many things, and spent time with our lovely cousins...it is a trip i will never forget. 
my best bop memories took place on saturdays though.  every saturday from the time that i was very small i would spend the day with my bop-bop.  he would take me to his office to "work"  ie: sharpen pencils, or he would take me to the farm to visit the cows.  we would also go to lunch, and then back to the house to visit with nana.  i treasured this time with him, and when i was old enough, i began working in his office "for real".  it was my first real job, and i had so much fun there.  i loved being around him, and i could tell that he loved having me around.  i was his "deedle dee", and there will never be a bop-bop quite like him.