Happy Father's Day

I met the Woodsman at camp.  He was funny (still is), kind (even more so now), caring (ditto), and fantastic with kids (better and better with our own every day). 

Caroline Furnace Staff, 1996
The Woodsman - Standing in back row, 8th over  (with beard and long hair!)
Me - sitting front row, third over (long, long hair)

I knew that I loved him then, but I never imagined how much more I would love him after having children.  Here are our favorite memories from the past nine years of life with kids.  In no particular order...

 1)  Watching him hold both kids for the first time - such love and tenderness and awe in his face.
2)  Nightly games of giant - a game which involves both kids trying to squash their father.  It's very loud, but full of love.
3)  Playing in the waves with the kids and sitting on the beach.
4)  Watching both kids fall asleep on his chest when they snuggled with him in bed on an early weekend morning.
5)  Places we've been all together:  Rocky Mountain National Park, Chincoteague, Yellowstone, Mamoth Cave, Trout Pond and many, many more.
6)  Hikes on North and Mill Mountain
7)  River Trips on the Shenandoah and the Potomac
8) The enthusiasm he shows when cheering at a soccer game or watching a karate practice.
9)  Family games of baseball, football, basketball and soccer.
10)   Lots and lots and lots of jokes and funny moments.
11)  The kicking laughing game played with Reading Girl when she was only a few months old.
12)  He can almost always make the kids laugh - even when they're upset.
13)  Hanging Reading Girl upside down from her feet while she laughed and laughed and laughed.
14)  Blowing bubbles on Soccer Boy's belly when he was tiny.  They both belly laughed.
15)  Campfires and hanging out on the deck - just relaxing together.

Daddy's Girl

Beach Boys

On the tundra in Rocky Mountain National Park

Thanks for all you do!   We love you more than we can truly say.  We're so glad you're a part of our family.  You really make us smile.   We love you.