father's day

yesterday was father's day. usually my dad is in NC this time of year so i don't get to spend that day with him much. he and mom just happen to be home right now, so this year was different. i'm really glad for that! my dad and mom came over to have lunch with us after church, as well as greg's dad and christina. i decided a cookout would be fun and pretty easy, even though that meant that greg would have to work on father's day. (he'd already worked preaching, so why not?) just regular cookout food, burgers and brats. mom brought potato salad (my request - she's the BEST at it) and christina brought fruit. she makes pretty fruit trays. i still haven't learned to do that pineapple thing she does but one of these days i will. there was korean melon on there too, and it was really good. looked like pears but tasted like melon. but that has nothing to do with father's day...

my boys have a great dad. i should probably have them blog this part, but i don't think that's gonna happen. here's what they say about greg right this minute..."he's nice..he'll do anything for us and he's always there when we need him..he can be funny at times..a godly person..he cares for us..a great pastor..a really good daddy." i second all those things. i'm grateful to him because i wouldn't have been able to be mom to these boys i have without him.

i love love love my dad. and the longer i know him the more i love him. there's that little girl love for her daddy in me still. in many ways i still feel as though he is my protector, that he would fight for me. realistically i know he's not as young as he used to be, but just as realistically, i know he'd give it his best shot. i know i'd do it for him! he can still fix things for me. and i don't just mean plumbing or light switches or things like that. he has a way of saying things, a way of voicing his opinion (usually accompanied by a sideways glance over the top of his glasses and with his eyebrow raised) that always makes sense to me. not that we always agree, but i always see his point. he doesn't really beat around the bush. and he listens to me when i talk to him, too. he has a dry sense of humor and he's quick-witted, qualities i really appreciate.. we've had our moments that weren't so good, and honestly they were my doing. but they have been so few and far between that they almost don't count. but even those times have value because i've been able to look back and see why he reacted to me the way he did and i've learned from how he handled things with me. now, in addition to the little girl love for him i still have, i'm blessed to have a grown-up girl love and friendship with him. i love him so much.

on the father-in-law side of things...i couldn't have a better one. and i've yet to meet anyone who knows him who doesn't share that opinion. i have never heard anyone say a negative word about keith. not once. he is such a good man. and with virginia, he raised my husband, so how could i not be grateful?

we ate and talked and ate and talked. the napiers (minus jason) dropped by for awhile. kate and sarah beth had just come back from visiting mark and jan and wanted to wish keith a happy father's day. they stayed for awhile and visited. always good.

i really do realize how very blessed we are to have the family we have. both "sides". and our two families get along so well that it just feels like one giant family. none of that in-law/out-law bickering. just genuine love. i am so grateful to God for these people He's given. and i see more and more how important it is to place value on every moment we're given with them.

here are some more pictures from the day..