Celebrating Father's Day 2020

Happy Father's Day to all the amazing dads! Our celebration today was a bit different from previous years due to continued social distancing. The world is in chaos, but we took a break to spend the day celebrating the awesome dads in our lives!

Grant is my co-ringmaster, and I couldn't run this circus without him! Parenting five kids, including a child with extra needs and a clingy baby is not easy. He always said he wanted one, maybe two, kids, but he wrangles the chaos quite well!

My own father has always been, and will always be, my rock! I always thought he was the best, but when I see him interact with my kids, I realize that he's an even better Papa. My kids adore him, and the feeling is mutual. All I could think about today was how blessed we are to have him in our lives! 

The Weekly Mom Life Recap

Happy Monday! We're starting the new week after having our first relaxing weekend of the Summer. It was LOVELY! The past two weeks have been really busy, so the break was much needed!

We finally have a fairly quiet week ahead of us. Other than my work (and there's plenty of that) and the usual everyday chores, the only thing we HAVE to do is go grocery shopping today, run a few errands, visit my parents on Friday, and go to a graduation party. I still can't run thanks to my broken toe, but I have big plans to start yoga again this week!

Here's a recap of what we've done over the past two weeks (Spoiler Alert: We've been busy!):  

Celebrating Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the amazing dads out there!

I want to give a special Father's Day shoutout to Grant. He is such a wonderful daddy to our four children!

He's the man who wanted just one-maybe two-kids, but ended up with 4.

He's the man who actually SMILED just seconds after receiving a suspected Down syndrome birth diagnosis and assured me that everything would be okay and that we could rock anything. (He was right.)

He's the man who helps me wrangle the chaos every single day.

He's the man who teaches his oldest son about music, good movies and the right sports teams to follow.

He's the man who teaches his oldest daughter about art and carves out time just for her so she doesn't feel lost in the shuffle.

He's the man who can't leave the house without saying goodbye to his youngest daughter, who is the child he spent the most time with.

He's the man who wears his Down syndrome attire with pride and chokes up while discussing his baby.

He's the man who doesn't think he could handle another child, but could easily rock 4 more. (Still. Not happening!)

He's the man who would do anything to protect his children and give them a good life.

He's the man who laughed with me at 11 PM on Father's Day, when we discovered our diaper-less kid sitting in his crib, painted in poo.

I am so thankful for my sidekick and our kids are so thankful for their awesome dad!

We had a great Father's Day weekend!

We kicked it off by spending it with MY dad for a mini family reunion with my Godparents and cousin who were in town from Texas, and some of my extended family.

 

My aunt, uncle and cousin were in town from Texas for a visit (and to go to the U.S. Open). They were renting a cute cabin in the middle of nowhere and invited us all down for the day.  My parents crowded into our SUV and we made the (very noisy)  hour drive past Pittsburgh and down toward the bottom of the state. We joined our family in the middle of the woods for a day of fun!

 

 

It was so nice to spend the day with some of our most favorite relatives!  It was a day full of fun, food, laughter, family and memories. The hours flew by and before long it was time to say goodbye. Just before midnight, I loaded my filthy, exhausted kids AND a water bottle full of tadpoles into the SUV, and we drove back into civilization. The only bad part about the day was saying goodbye to my relatives from Texas.  I love them so much and it's always so impossible to say goodbye.

The rest of our weekend included an Orange is the New Black marathon, sleepovers and lots of shopping!  Dylan spent the entire weekend in Maryland. He joined my sister and his cousins on a road trip for a Lacrosse tournament. He had so much fun, but we did miss him!  Liam was thrilled to be reunited with him!

After Dylan got home, we had fun celebrating Father's Day with Grant!

It was such a wonderful weekend!  We were able to see all of our favorite dads over the past few days! 

How was your weekend?

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Celebrating Fatherhood

Grant was always the kind of guy who said he only wanted one kid or MAYBE two kids.  I was the one who came from a big family and wanted a big family of our own.  

We had Dylan and Lexie two years apart, and we figured we were set with a boy and a girl.  Four years passed after having Lexie, and we settled into our family of four lifestyle. However, our feelings changed, and we made the decision to try for a third child.  That third turned into a third AND a fourth!

Grant loves his kids SO much!  He believes family is everything, and he's working so hard to make great memories with them.

Grant and Dylan are best buddies.  They have similar interests, and Dylan is at the age where he thinks his dad is the coolest.  They talk about movies, music, and sports, and they spend hours in the backyard playing baseball.  I pray they always remain this close!



Grant does an amazing job at making Lexie feel special.  He goes out of his way to spend time with her, and they love to look through art books and talk about paintings.  Although he doesn't have as much in common with her as he does with Dylan, he makes sure he spends just as much time with her, and really works hard to build her confidence. In return, she really looks up to him and admires him! He always makes sure she knows just how much she's loved and just how important she is to us!



Out of all of our kids, Grant was able to spend the most time with Lily when she was a baby/toddler.  Because of this, they have a really strong bond.   Even though she's growing up, their bond remains as strong as ever!  She has him wrapped around her little finger!



When Liam was born and the doctor delivered the suspected diagnosis, I had a meltdown in the delivery room.  Even though Grant's world was turned upside down, he held my hand, smiled, and said, "We got this!  Everything is going to be okay!" He was right. Everyone told us that having a child with special needs changes you.  They told us we would be stronger, better people.  I can honestly say that's true for Grant.  He immediately took on the role of protector and cheerleader for Liam. He loves his son so fiercely! Liam is beyond lucky to have him for a dad. 



Grant settled seamlessly into being a dad of four.  He does everything for our family, and the kids absolutely adore him! He truly is an incredible dad!

Happy Father's Day, Grant.  You are one of the BEST.

I'm lucky enough to have an incredible dad, too!  My dad was always there for me.  He's the strongest person I know, even at 75 years old.  He took me on so many wonderful adventures, and because of him, I have an abundance of amazing memories.  Not only is he an incredible dad, but he's also an incredible Papa!  I'm so thankful my kids are getting the chance to love him as much as I do!



My dad's a wonderful dad, but I'm certain he's an even better Papa. 



Happy Father's Day, Dad!  We love you beyond measure!



There is one man we are all missing very much.  It's so hard to believe that the last time we celebrated Father's Day with Grant's dad was 3 years ago.  He is missed so much, and I know this day is a difficult one for my husband.  I don't have the words to make it any easier.



Grant's dad passed away just before we found out we were expecting our fourth baby.  We always joke that he would have laughed hysterically when he found out and made a "better you than me" comment. It is really hard knowing that Dick never got the chance to meet Liam and knowing that Liam will never know Dick.  We often wonder what impact Liam would have had on him. 

Those are all the unknowns, but I do know one thing for certain:  Dick would be incredibly proud of his son. 

 

Celebrating Dads

Last Sunday, the kids had a great time celebrating their daddy.



Grant has always been a great dad, but I was the one who got to watch him grow into the dad he is today.

I grew up in a huge family and became an aunt at the age of 5.  Grant grew up with just one brother, close in age, and didn't have any experience with babies. 

When I told him I wanted four kids, he laughed and told me he was thinking one. We weren't planning on anything until we were 30, but life has a way of going in unexpected directions.  When we found out Dylan was on the way, we panicked, because it was so much sooner than we planned and we needed a bigger house. 

The night we found out, we were stunned. Within a few hours, Grant assured me that everything would work out.  It did.  At age 24 and 25, we became parents and homeowners.

I watched Grant's confidence build with each child.  By the time we had Lily, he was a pro.  He and Lily were best buddies.

Then came Liam, our sweet surprise baby who had an even bigger surprise for us.  Within minutes of hearing his suspected birth diagnosis, Grant smiled and said, "It's okay.  Everything will be okay. We got this."

Even though he was dealing with the same punch to the gut feeling, he knew everything would be okay.  He was 100% right.  I married a smart, supportive man.

Grant was a great dad prior to Liam's birth, but Liam's birth really made him grow as a father.  I am so proud of him and the kids are so lucky to have him for a dad.



Dylan and Lexie couldn't wait to present him with the gifts they made at school.  Dylan made him a plaque and Lexie made him a pencil jar.  All the kids made him a special card.  All 3 gifts are proudly displayed on his desk at work.  We also cooked him a special breakfast and gave him candy and new work shirts.  He had a wonderful day!






Although I didn't get to see him on Father's Day (we spent time with him the day before), I have to mention my amazing dad. He is the reason I'm so calm and positive about everything in life. He took me to so many fun places when I was a child, and I have so many wonderful memories of the time I spent with him.  Now, he's an amazing grandfather to my children. We are so thankful we get to spend time with him once or twice a week!



Of course, the day didn't pass without us thinking about Grant's dad. I'm certain he would be so proud of Grant right now.  We miss him so much!



It was a great Father's Day spent with the most important man in our lives!

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my awesome husband!  He went from never holding a baby to being a dad of (almost!) four in an 8 1/2 year span.  He is a wonderful dad, and it shows by how much they adore him! I am so lucky to be in this adventure with him.  I treasure the family we have created together!



Happy Father's Day to the first man I loved!  My dad is amazing, and I'm so happy that my kids get to spend so much time with their Papa.




Happy Father's Day to Grant's dad.  This was the first Father's Day without him, but he will always be in our hearts.



We did our best to keep Grant's mind off of missing his own father.  After we all slept in, the kids gave Grant a homemade card filled with candy, a variety pack of baseball cards, and a gaming chair. I made a big brunch of scrambled eggs and bacon. He got to relax at home. Grant's mom came to visit and brought him cake.  We visited my dad that evening, and on the way home, I picked up Grant's favorite Chinese food for dinner.  After the kids were tucked into bed, Grant and I got to relax for a few hours before our own bedtime.  He thanked us for giving him a great day, so I think we succeeded!

Happy Father's Day to all the amazing fathers out there!

To All The Dads...

Happy Father's Day to my dad, to Grant's dad, and to my  husband!  We are so blessed to have them in our lives!

My sweet kids adore their daddy!  I don't think Grant ever imagined he would be a dad of 3, but he is smitten with his little bunch!




I wish I could write about how amazing this day was for Grant.  I wish I could write about how nice it was to spend time with my wonderful dad.  Today, unfortunately, was nothing we expected it to be.    Grant's dad ended up in the ICU today.  He is very, very sick.  Any thoughts and/or prayers would be appreciated!