lots of love, notes, & candy on father's day.

Chelsea's lovely artwork in the background.

This past Father's day was filled with more love than I've ever felt before. Maybe it's because my better half is still healing from his fractured elbow while continuing to work endless hours just so that I can continue to stay home, and raise our children. Or the fact that being without a car for the past three and a half months has really humbled us, and is teaching us more patience that you'll ever know!

Although I wrote a a short story about my father the other day (and not a very uplifting one I might add) I thought that today I would write something a little bit more convivial about my better half.

Like I said, my better half is a hard worker, and no matter how rough, gruff, and tough things get in the way of life such as being without a car with four kids, and having a fractured elbow, we tough it out with the help of leaving the solutions up to the Lord. My better half on the other hand is the one that has a solid outlook on life, and believes that we'll be okay. He tells me I'm the tough one...truth is I feel as if he is the tough one because for the past 18 years he has been supporting us, and we always seem to be taken care of.

The love that is expressed in our home is overwhelming. As a family we work at it every single day. I need to have that focus of thinking, living, and breathing with a positive attitude. I encourage my children to do the same without any equivocation.

And they do.

Their willingness to do so well each day is so pleasing unto us, and it rubs off on us as parents. Knowing that this year I didn't feel the need to bear my better half with extravagant gifts just to let him know how much we love him, and that is a great feeling!

Since we couldn't galavant all over town to shop for him Lexie made some homemade chalk paint, and wrote a note for him on our doorway entrance. I also printed these Father's day questionnaires for the girls to fill out, and all the kids at church made a "Happy Father's Day" handout with cute sayings with candy attached. I thought that was so thoughtful, and it was perfect.

The end result was joyful, and my better half was pleased. Like the old adage, "It's the thought that counts" is so true, it's infinitely more meaningful, and for some of us we are gratified with what we receive.

"This was a perfect Father's day."~Dad