Father's Day

I could go so many directions with this.  I could be very thoughtful and mushy-gushy about Brad.  I really could.  And it would all be deserved. 

I could be introspective about fathers and my experience with a physical father, the confusion, hurt and difficulties that has come with that relationship. 

And I could then talk about how only through my relationship with my heavenly Father have I been able to come to peace with all that.

But, in a nutshell, I just did all that.  That, in all its conciseness, is where my thoughts are on Father's Day.  I am so in love with the father of my children.  And I am so blessed that my children have him.  And I will leave it all at that.

And I will take a hard right with the steering wheel and share pictures of our fun weekend!

My niece and her family were in town this weekend, and we had a fun time Saturday night playing with Hunter, Connor, and Kaylee.  I got some great baby-snuggling time, which I looooovvvveeeed.  And at some point shortly after this picture was taken, a giant fingerprint smear appeared on the lens of our camera.  We did not know it was there until we looked at all the pictures.  So, from here on out, the pictures have a funny haze on them.  Bummer.

The boys were quite smitten with Brenna!

Here you go, Connor!  I promised you a picture of Pooh Bear!

Ben, Stephanie, Hunter, Connor and Kaylee

Thanks for the company...it was so great to see each of you!

And then it was Father's Day...

Brad and his girls

This is when we were still dry and warm.

We got cheap bleacher seats for this game, thinking we would spend much of the game wandering around Safeco and checking things out.  We were the top row of our section...beautiful view, I think.  But I forgot my glasses so my "view" was even hazier than this picture.

This was the power strip right behind our seats.  We told the kids that the red button was what controlled the opening and closing of the roof.  Only one bought that story, though.

This was the scene in the bullpen minutes before the game started.  Pep-talk?  Prayer?  It's working, boys...keep it up! (And, for the record, I think it was prayer.  They talked for a bit, took their hats off, put their heads down...good men.)

Then, we struck gold!  Our too-close-to-just-be-friends friends made a last-minute trip up to the game this morning, texted us that they were there with empty seats all around them, and we got to advance up to some sweet seats, with a clear view of the jumbo-tron for my replay-viewing pleasure!

So our kids got to sit with their friends, and we got to sit with our friends, and it was just an extra fun time because of it!  Great to be with you for a little appetizer of some great times just ahead!

And then we headed back to the train...I didn't mention that we got soaked walking from the train to Safeco.  Drenched.  It's the middle of June, and my 3 layers, including a turtleneck, were not quite enough.  It's the middle of June.  53 degrees when we arrived at Safeco.  Crazy.  So the warm train after the game felt great.  So great that Brad let his exhaustion take over.  (Despite the lady with a loud voice telling her friend her magic formula for teaching her dog not to bark.  And the cheap rate she found for his...surgery.)

Anyway, then out to dinner and home...exhausted and happy.  So glad to have this amazing man to honor on this day!