Fathers Day...

Well, this Fathers day seemed to come and go, as our "daddy" was out of town. That seems to be the case with most holidays...
However come and go as it may, I should have posted this that day... because I was here, and so was my computer. I didn't though, so here goes...
I feel like I owe tribute to the man who has made all my dreams come true (of course with the help of our heavenly Father)... So, what better place to do that than the Internet for all (who are interested) to read!
Thank you honey for being such a wonderful and attentive father. Our children would be sooo lost without you (actually so would I, and I mean that figuratively, and literally because we both know that I am NO GOOD with directions:). We are so lucky and grateful that your desire is for our well-being. You provide everything we need and even want and we are so blessed that you even provide that quality time that we sooo desire with you. With your job I know that you have to be out of town so often (lately at least)... but you could totally take the easy route when you get home and just relax or do whatever. I am so grateful that instead you choose to throw your boys around and remind me how much you missed me. You take care of everything that needs to be done around here, and hardly complain:)
We love you sooo much, and I hope that even though we weren't able to show it much on Father's day that we will show you as often as possible how much you mean to us. I can't wait to see you be the father to our little girl that our precious boys have been able to experience. I know you will be tender wtih her and so loving, and I am just so excited to see what the Lord has in store for our little family. I love you.
Darin however is not the only dad in our lives. I also want to give a shout out to my own dad and Darin's dad.
We are not lucky enough to see my father but once a year (if that)... But even though we don't see him very often we are so grateful for who he is to us. Any bbqing, woodworking, tool, really any "handyman" type questions we have we can ALWAYS pick up the phone and have them promptly answered... and for the rough and tough Marine that he is... He is certainly tender and loving to our children, and that we adore. Thank you dad for who you are and how much you mean to me! I love you. We love you!
Daryl... I could not have asked for a better father in law. In so many ways I am blessed by you. First off, my husband would not be the man that he is without growing up with a father like you... and one that pointed him to his heavenly Father. For that I am sooo eternally grateful as are my boys and our daughter will be as well! Second you have treated me with so much love and grace as your daughter in law and I have never felt as though you thought Darin could do better, or wished he would have made a different choice. Not that I expect that from you at all... but I do know that so many daughter in laws feel this way from their in-laws and I am so lucky to never have felt like I don't belong in this family. I am so grateful for you and Wanda... Even if I don't always show it (one reason I don't deserve all the grace I've been shown). There are so many other reasons we are grateful for you but one that really stands out to me is that you are so generous. Not just with gifts (which we all know that is true) but with your time without Wanda. Although we wish we saw you as often as we get to see her, we are so grateful that our boys get to see their grandma as often as they do. It seems that anytime we need her she is willing to come and you are willing for her to come, and I know how hard it is for your spouse to be away for even just a few days... so we really appreciate your willingness to "share" her with us as often as you do! Love you so much! Can't wait to see you in September!
Thank you to all of the dads in my life... but thank you most of all to my Father, God who has so richly blessed my life beyond belief. I could say that even if I only had Jesus and every other avenue of my life had gone "wrong." But aside from His best gift the Lord has given me blessing after blessing with my husband, children, family, home, friends, church... and the list could go on and on.
Thank you dads!

just an update on our happenings...

Conner enjoying roasting his marshmallow...

Parker doesn't really roast the marshmallows... he just puts them on the hanger and then eats them. Which Darin thinks is hysterical. It is pretty funny!

I have been meaning to update the blog with some recent pictures of what we have been up to, but I can't find the time and energy (I know that is lame since it only takes a couple of minutes... but lame or not its true) to upload from my camera. Today Darin did take some pictures on his phone though, and I sent them to myself... so here they are!

We have been enjoying Darin's birthday gift from us... which was an outdoor fire pit. Tonight we grilled yummy hamburgers, and ate dinner outside (even though it was somewhere around 100 degrees and humid as can be)... and then roasted marshmallows around the even toastier fire. I know crazy... but we had lots of fun as a family.

We are getting ready for "baby Brooke" to come.... She should be here in about 7 weeks! YAY! We still have so much to do, but the third time around and I am not so obsessed with having every little nursery detail taken care of. Thank goodness... although I am thinking it crucial to have the crib set up at least?! Darin keeps reminding me that we have "plenty" of time. Although to him for most things hours are plenty of time!LOL So, we will see. The pack-n-play is pretty easy to set up, so if it comes to that...:) It won't. I'm way to stubborn for it to get that far!LOL
Today Parker sang to his little sister, and proceeded to poke her with a piece of Styrofoam to "see if she would kick him." The boys are simply too cute with their little sister!

Not too cute right this moment as they are refusing to go to sleep and it is 10 minutes to 10 right now... but really very cute otherwise:)

Another update... we are definitly in the country (even if we are in a neighborhood in the country no matter...) we found another huge snake in our backyard. We assume it was the same kind... it turned out to be a "blotched water snake." I had e-mailed a guy at animal control some pictures of it and that was what he told me it was (the first one)... This one looked the same. Notice I said "looked." Like I said before, the only good snake is a dead one...

Another clue that we live in the country (and we were behind on our dogs medication) is that today I had to pull a tick out of Harley's back. Eww... So gross. At one point it looked like it was going to burst, and I just KNOW that I would have thrown up everywhere if that nasty tick burst on me! In fact, I am feeling a little quesy remembering. Thankfully it did not:) So, we put her medicine on her for flea and tick prevention and are hoping for no more repeats of that.

Anyway, not too many pictures, but at least an update of what we have been up to.

tidbit...

I am very tired, and just wasted a half an hour on the computer doing pretty much nothing... so this will not be a long post... but i just wanted to document this little quirky tidbit about our sweet Parker, so I won't forget it later...
Every night and nap time I have to rub his pillow because his pillow is cold. He has to have it warmed up before he will sleep on it. What a "silly guy." funny, he uses that term often.
Also... while I am writing quirky things about the boys I have been remembering lately (a lot actually)... that when Conner was a baby... really until shortly after Parker came along, he used to rub, pinch, squeeze, mutilate (sad-but true) our ears when we'd hold him. I actually REALLY miss this... Especially when he won't let me hug him or hold him.
Also... tonight we discovered that since Parker can't marry mommy, because Mommy's already married to Daddy... He should, according to Conner... Marry Auntie Dawn.LOL. Since she is not yet married this seemed to be a perfect solution to Conner. Don't worry I did explain that he'd have to find someone else. At least we know that the love runs deep for Auntie Dawn.
We just had to say goodbye to Auntie Faith and Uncle Bob as they came to visit us... and boy were we sad. We had such a fabulous visit... only to hear "sorry if we don't move to Texas..." apparently some can't handle the heat. LOL... literally, i think they were afraid their insides might have gotten cooked a little too much! We did so enjoy their company though! LOVED having them here!
Ok, so that was more than my one little tidbit about Parker...
Oh, and one more thing... drumroll please.... The playset is DONE!!! The boys have been out there having a GRAND time getting filthy dirty and playing! The pea gravel is not yet in... once it is I think the filth will reside a bit... and at that time when it is REALLY done, I will post a picture. Please don't hold your breath for the picture though, because i think getting the actual playset up was such an undertaking that the pea gravel may not be on the top of the priority list at this time... and because of all of my husbands hard work this is something I will not nag about. Although he may get tired of the 10 showers a day the boys have to take from getting so dirty.
For now, the boys are TOTALLY enjoying it and I am LOVING watching them play on it. I think Darin is really happy that they love it so much too, since he worked so hard on it!
Ok, that was much longer than I expected, so now I will go!