Happy Father's Day!!

Today I'm celebrating.  I've been given so many great gifts to be thankful for on this Father's Day.

First of all, I'm thankful for him.

My dad.  Without him, well, I wouldn't be here.  He's the one who passed on his love of teaching to me.  He's the one who stayed home from an important meeting to tell me I was worth loving when my middle school boyfriend dumped me for another girl.  He's the one who drove me to all of my choir practices and my big-time opera rehearsals.  The one who played "beauty shop" with me and let me put barrettes in his hair.  He's the one who taught me how a man should love his wife and his family and that I should find a husband who'd do the same.

Then, I'm thankful for him.

He's my Grandpa.  He's my Bubba.  He's no longer here with me but I think about him every year on this day.  After all, we spent the majority of Father's Days at his house, opening presents on the back deck with my Grandma cooking up some yummy food.  He was always gentle, patient, a man of few words but lots of love.  I miss him.

I'm also thankful for him.

He's my father-in-law.  We joke that I'm his favorite daughter-in-law and, though I'm the only one, I still like to be considered his favorite.  He's the one who is honest and full of integrity.  He's the one who is teaching my son to fish.  He's the one who taught another man I love what it means to be a man, to love his wife and his kids and to be devoted to them.

Then, there's this guy.

This guy rocks my world.  He's the guy I can't get enough of.  He's the guy who was crazy brave enough to have four children in 3 1/2 years with me.  The one who brings me coffee every morning while I'm still in bed with the covers over my head. 

 The one who is willing to hold my purse and the baby in the mall.  He's the guy I love to watch turn into a softy with his girls and still ask for kisses from his son.  He's the guy who comes home every day and plays with these kids so I can make dinner in peace. 

He's the guy I could stay up all night with talking about nothing and everything.  The one I love to dance with, to dream with, to fall asleep on his lap while he watches football.  The one who listened to his dad about what it means to be a man.  I'm happy to say I listened to mine as well.  He's the guy I'm proud to call the father of my kids and who is passing on a love for our Heavenly Father to them. 

 This guy.  My guy.  I love him.