Dads of this family

Joe and I have been blessed with wonderful fathers. I just wanted to talk a little bit about my Dad and Big Joe as a father.

My Dad is an unbelievable man. He grew up in Central Texas as the oldest of three children. He entered the Army as a young man and severed our wonderful country during the Vietnam War. He was married to my mother for over 40 years before she passed. And in her last months he brought all the home health care needed to their beautiful home and put her bed in from of huge windows so she could see the river and horses from her bed even though the docotrs were suggesting a nursing home. He is a great man. Stern, rugged, cowboy like nature. Yet I was a Daddy's girl for sure. Some of my best memories as a child with my Dad are doing donuts in an elementary school parking lot on snowy days, Daddy daughter nights at Sonic where he would take me to get half price burgers, riding on his motorcycle when I was very young, spending weekends at our lake cabin fishing, tubing behind his boat...you catch my drift. He still loves to chop wood for his fireplace, still loves his horses, wears cowboy boots to work (and my wedding ;)). I will never forget him walking me down the aisle telling me to picture Gunner running though fields as I looked at him through my tears. When it came time for the question "Who gives this woman to this man?" He replied very bluntly, "I'm not giving her away to anyone. She's on loan." I LOVE him. When I hemorrhaged after Katie's birth he was there...even though he doesn't like blood. When I hit a tree on my bike when I was five he was there to patch me up. I couldn't have picked a better father for me. And they say a girl tends to marry someone like her Dad...didn't think that was really true until I met Joe.

Joe is an awesome Dad. The rough and tumble type. A big kid at heart behind that rough, muscular, officer exterior. I love to watch him with the boys and I CANNOT wait to see the relationship that develops between him and Katie. Again when I need him he is there...even if he is half way around the world. Many times he has talked me through situations at home when he has much more to worry about at work. He was on the phone for Katie's birth, cut the cord for Garrett's, and was ecstatic to receive a Red Cross message that his first born arrived with Joe. He loves to take the boys to Tractor Supply and look at "man stuff". He has coached a soccer team amazingly when he has been home. And he has made the statement that we will wear three shirts and peel them off for different sporting events saying "Joe's Dad" next shirt "Garrett's Dad" last shirt "Katie's Dad".

So guys this is for you. I hope you have an awesome and wonderful Father's Day. And to our Greatest Father, God, thank you for giving me such wonderful men. May we honor You as well.