Dadeeeee

Just eleven weeks ago, this little treasure met her daddy for the first time.
She didn't know the meaning of the word before then.
She didn't understand the love behind it or all that having a Daddy means.

These days, just eleven short weeks later, she begs to talk to her daddy on the phone all day long.

She loves to hear his voice and report about her day.

She loves to call out Dadeeee in the loudest voice possible while running to him when he comes through the door at lunch time.  She watches him from the window while he mows the lawn blowing kisses and screaming Dadeeee the entire time he works.

It has been so natural for her to accept her Daddy's love because God created us to be in families.  God set our very hearts to respond to the love of a mother and father.  Particularly a father who mirrors a love like His own.  I hope I never get over the gut wrenching tears that I cried the first time I heard Anna Mei call for her Daddy.  I hope I never forget that while Anna is home with a Godly man to love her like Christ and call her daughter there are millions more least of these waiting..waiting for just one momma and one daddy to say yes to bringing them home.

Celebrating Our Daddy

I could never come up with any words to type that could really express how very grateful to God I am for giving me this Godly man to lead my family.  The fact that my girls get to call this man "Daddy" is more than I could have ever imagined to have prayed for.  We had a simple day, but enjoyed lots of time together.

 Daddy was busy with the girls today.  Anna wanted to be read books in the kitchen so Daddy obliged.  Then he spent some time shooting bball with Em at the local park.  Jillian just wanted Daddy to turn on the water hose and so they were in the backyard together a bit today.  He did get time for a nap too, but with three girls Daddy always stays busy and today was not different.  He loves spending time with each and every one of them and I love watching it.

 Anna helped me make pizza for Daddy.

 She executed every single step flawlessly.

 She loves cooking for anyone and spends most of her time in the kitchen while I prepare meals.

 I love having her help and it was special that she was able to help make Daddy's favorite, Calzones, for Father's Day!

Of Course, she needed a bit of a snack too.

She worked up an appetite making those pizzas.

Happy Father's Day to our Daddy.

Thank you for following hard after God and leading our family in the ways of Jesus!

Daddy's Girl

Another sweet reminder that God has got our back..

 because you see, after almost two years home,

there are still things that Jillian has never let her Daddy do.

She LOVES him.

He is the fun and games man to her.

She loves his play, his rough housing, and much more

BUT

she has never let Daddy hold her like this.

She has never let Daddy soothe her much

and

never has she crawled up on Daddy to go to sleep.

In the last few weeks, she has..

come out of a deep sleep, looked over at me, and signed for her daddy.

(for real)

She has insisted that he be the one to carry her up to bed each night.

(never has she ever let him do this only me)

Last night, she signed "Daddy rock-a-bye baby".

(because she wanted Daddy to rock her to sleep-never)

Then she looked at me and signed "light off".

(you turn the light off momma-daddy's got this)

MIRACULOUS!

Daddy is of course loving this and eating it up!
Momma is breathing a sigh of relief knowing that God again is stretching this baby girl's heart so that sharing her momma with her Mei Mei will not be quite so hard for her.  Truly, this is so the hand of God at work in her and I am a little less worried about leaving this sweet treasure for 17 days.

Every Girl Deserves A Daddy Who Will..

do anything for her.

Our Daddy is just that kind of man

even if it means sitting in a baby pool full of feathers

wearing plastic purple glasses

while your daughter shoves pink feathers near your nose.

Seriously, this man is the BEST!

I LOVE how he loves our girls.

Just last week, we had to take Jillian to the doctor.

She HATES the doctor.

The doctor sends her into a panic.

Daddy sat on the doctor's stool

spinning our sweet treasure around and around on his lap

while I sang "The Wheels on the Bus"

at the top of my lungs.

It kept her calm

and

even made her laugh.

(It made Daddy feel sick to his stomach.)

Who would do that, but our Daddy?

We are blessed to have him for sure.

Daddy Is Under Her Control

Don't ever let our strong willed, in control daddy ever convince you that he is in charge where one three foot Chinese toddler is concerned. He is total smitten with her and she knows he will do whatever she wishes.

This is how she looks when she gets a glimpse of him coming in for lunch.

See that sparkle in her eye that says..Let my control of Daddy begin!

Really, how could he resist that smile?

Lately she has decided to..

 help herself to anything Daddy is eating even if she has already had her own,

 make daddy kneel next to her on the floor holding her hand while she is eating,

 and she even made Daddy take a bite of her vanilla yogurt.

This is daddy after said bite gagging and running to spit it out.

Never a dull moment around our table.

The Way He Looks At Us

(I started this post several weeks ago, because the way Daddy looked at us struck me so.  I didn't publish it then, but today is our 16th anniversary.  I am grateful to have had 16 years of marriage to a man who loves me so much so I thought today would be a great day to share this post.)

Jillian and I slipped into the back of the auditorium last Friday as Em's awards ceremony was going on.  I sat there in the farthest back seat holding Jillian in my lap and trying my best to keep her occupied.  Daddy was sitting about half way up on the right side and he didn't notice us come in.  I was watching him, watching with pride, as Em was called up to get her year's worth of acknowledgments.  I could see the look in his eye-the intense love that he has for us all.  It's there-right there-in his eyes each time he looks at at one of his girls.

Then he glanced back and caught sight of this momma with our smallest treasure and I saw it again-clear as day.  Words to describe the way my man loves us don't come easy to this momma.  I have to tell you though as I saw him look deeply into Jillian and smile..it nearly took my breath away. 

The love of their father is such a picture of Christ's love to my girls and me.  It is something that I never forget to give thanks for because I know from experience that the absence of a father is something that so many young girls have to bare in their hearts.  We are blessed to have Him.  Blessed to know the presence of a Godly man in our home whose leadership, love, and service is a picture of Christ to us!

I pray that our marriage continues to be one that flourishes, radiates Christ to all those around us, and deepens as we grow old together.

Daddy Love..

Our daddy..
Well-he is the best, Godliest daddy in the world.
He loves our girls so much and is a picture of Christ to them.
Jillian is nuts about him.
She thinks he is the funniest man around.
She laughs hysterically if he just looks at her.
She can be found most days sitting on the couch with her daddy
or running with her daddy.
She loves her daddy for sure..

I am grateful to have this daddy to raise up these beautiful girls with me and can't wait to see him loving on our newest treasure.  We are truly blessed to be able to call this guy Daddy.

38?

For twenty-one years, I have been putting candles on the cake for this man. I can't believe that I have been lucky enough to call him mine since I was fourteen, but here we are..celebrating his 38th birthday. By God's grace, we are still together and I love him more today then I did then. I am not sure how it all passed by so quickly..seems to sneak up on you.
Here he is with his girls. Jillian really liked the candles, fire, and smoke. Thirty-eight candles create a lot of smoke. She "chased" that smoke right over the table trying to catch it. Precious. We are blessed to call this man ours and even more blessed that he leads our family in such a Godly manner. (Notice a store bought cake. Momma with a two year old doesn't have time to make a homemade cake..sad, but true. Daddy still ate it up though.)

Celebrating My Man

Just over six years ago driving in the car to a concert just the two of us, my guy said that he felt like God was calling him into full time ministry. We were both teachers, had it good, were comfortable, and served the Lord as volunteers in youth ministry. I was shocked and resistant for awhile. (I hate to admit this, but alas my poor guy is usually met with skepticism from me when he leads us in the Lord.) Then just about four years ago after two years of searching and waiting on God-He led us to take this ministry position: full time. We sold our house. DH left his cushy job and took a $20,000 pay cut. I never imagined I would be a pastor's wife and there I was-exactly that.

Honestly, I never dreamed I would have such a Godly husband either. Never knew to hope for it. Given my background, I never knew this could be. What a blessing to have this man as mine. I am so blessed by him for a million reasons.

But today...He is now officially a seminary grad! He got his diploma in the mail from Liberty University's Seminary where he has been taking classes for the last three years. Way to go baby! He is just an amazing man of the Lord who leads our family with grace and serves us endlessly. Can't even describe what it is like to be loved the way Christ loved the church by my dear husband. So, here he is holding his diploma which is large and going to cost a mint to frame.



Oh Well, an important enough piece of paper to frame regardless. Just going to wait until Hobby Lobby has custom frames on sale..What an adventure this last 15 years have been. Honestly, I sit on the edge of my seat in anticipation at what is to come next as my man leads us as the Lord directs Him. It is certainly never dull here as we look to Christ to guide us. Who knows where He will take us next?

Two Peas in a Pod

Look at these two together... Exactly alike and two peas in a pod. always together. the same. Same face, same way they eat sandwiches, same anxiety about change, same reserved emotional responses, same laugh, same interests, same competitive nature-the same. They are the same.
(and I love them doubly because of it!)

What an amazing man God has given me to father my two darling girls. DH has shown me what a father daughter relationship should be as I watch him with his girls each day. I am overcome with emotion as I see him coaching darling kiddo, playing with her, or just watching tv.

I can't help but cry when I see him hoist Jill in the air and swing her around calling "Daddy's Home!" as he enters from work. Oh How Daddy Loves Us. All of us. How he is such an amazing picture of the Heavenly Father to our girls each and every day. I am blessed beyond measure to walk this life with such an incredible man. Happy Father's Day to the best Daddy around! We love you!