Bob

Tomorrow is Father's Day. I wish I had some super great, profound post planned out but I don't. I do want to say that my husband is truly one of the most caring fathers I have ever known, and he works so hard for us sometimes I can't understand how he manages it. 4 kids 7 and under is not a task for the faint-hearted and he has always been up to the challenge. Kid, Boy, Pixie and Sunshine light up like a sun rise whenever they see him and it makes my soul lighter every time I get to see it happen. My mother always told me you can (and should) forgive many many things if a man loves his children well. She was right. She still is. My children never have to wonder if their Daddy loves them because he is here every day, doing it and telling them so. That is a priceless gift to all of us. Aside from his general awesome-ness as Daddy to our little tribe, I'd like to point out a few other great things about Bob. He is a forgiving, gentle man who can still be formidable when necessary. He is the best tickling-wrestle monster in the universe (title bestowed by Kid and Boy). He can make me laugh till I cry. He sees me, even when I feel invisible. He's not afraid of diapers, or crying toddlers or kissing boo-boos or being silly in front of people. He makes sure I know he thinks I'm gorgeous. He gets that we're really different and sometimes we approach parenting from opposite poles and doesn't generally let that drive him crazy--unlike me who gets nutty over it. He can do Pixie's hair. On the days when I feel drowned in a sea of dirty laundry and tantrums and toy typhoons he brings home take out and does the dishes just because he loves me. He dreams big, and lets our kids dream with him. He has a heart for Jesus. He's mostly just an all around super star in the Daddy/Husband/Life Partner arena. Thanks Bob, it means a lot to me. I love you.

What does it say about Me . . .

Tonight we had dinner with some friends who are moving to West Africa in a few months to do some really really great work. I realized as we were talking about the preparations they're making that I envy them. I'm even a little jealous. Of a family moving to a developing nation where they won't even be able to receive most of their mail, and they have to get a guard dog to keep people from breaking into their house and clean water isn't guaranteed and internet will be a precious and rare commodity. I don't know what that says about me and my life but I should probably examine it a bit because I'm fairly certain that's a little odd. Even for me. Mostly I'm jealous of how they'll have such great excuses to focus on truly important things, like God and raising their kids and their work for a worthy cause and just those 3 things will pretty much fill their time. Not aimless web surfing, or unnecessary shopping or wasting time watching tv or doing any number of other leisurely pursuits I do fairly regularly. I envy them because they will be in a place so far removed from the more ridiculous pieces of American culture; a place where sometimes your computer won't work and the world won't end. And your phone isn't stuck to your ear 14 hours a day and nobody expects your kids to be in 12 activities every week. Where the things you do each day will more often truly matter. It just sounds really nice. Which, I realize is probably not how most people see what they're doing. And is probably not a fully accurate picture of how their life will be once they get there. So that's my thoughts for today.