To the Father of My Children

From the first moment he laid eyes on our son, Aaron was a natural daddy.

He knew just what to do.

No one needed to teach him, or help him, his love for his boy was all the teacher he needed.

Aaron changed James' first diaper, not me, not the nurse, Daddy did it.

And when he sat there holding him that first day, filled with more love than he had ever known, Aaron was beginning the journey of a life time. The journey of fatherhood.
Two weeks later, when I was in the operating room and Aaron and James were waiting it out in the lobby, the ER nurses wanted to take care of James for Aaron. When my parents arrived, my Dad suggested that my mom could take over baby duties.

Aaron proudly told them all, "I can take care of my son."

And he did.

Watching the 2 of them fall in love are some of my dearest memories. Aaron could get James in the middle of the night, he could comfort him, sooth him. It wasn't a one mom show.

He loved James more than anything and it showed in everything he did.

And then came William.

And once again, Aaron stepped up and loved that (not so) tiny little baby. I didn't worry that I couldn't be there with William in his first few minutes, because Daddy was. And o how Daddy loved him!
You wonder if your heart can hold more love, but God has given us an amazing capacity for love. And Aaron fell in love with his second boy just as he had the first.
We came home, and there he was, a father of 2 boys.

It was like he'd been doing it forever.

And he took them to the park and out for breakfast on Saturday mornings so I could sleep in. Just a dad and his boys. He never acted like it was too much or overwhelmed.

"I can handle it," he tell me.

And he always did. With grace, and fun and the desire to be the very best dad that he could for his boys.

And then came Lilly.

Not just a father of 3, now a father of a daughter. He said it was different. He felt more protective, and an even stronger desire to watch over her.

It was true love again. He slept with her in the hospital so I could rest. He cared for me and cared for her. Like always, he gave of himself.

And even with 2 rowdy boys running around the house, with a work load that kept him busier than he'd ever been, with the cares of life sometimes weighing heavily on his shoulders. he still made time to connect with his girl.

Like he does for all of them.

When he gets home from a long day of work, the house fills with shouts of, "Daddy's here! Daddy's home! Hide! Run! He's going to get us!"

And Aaron doesn't say, "I just got home. I've been at work all day. Let me rest. Give me a minute."

He plunges in and they roll on the floor, and yell and laugh and have a rollicking good time because their Daddy is home.

Their hero.

The most important person in our house.

And even with 3, he still manages to take them to breakfast to let me sleep in. And not just now, when they are bigger, but from the very beginning. He takes them to Disneyland, by himself. keeps them for the day, the weekend. He is more than a competent dad, he is an amazing dad.

I can walk out the door without instructions for him or reminders because he knows what to do.

He can take care of his kids.

I know that there are times when he is absolutely empty. His well is dry. Yet he keeps on giving.

After a hard day of work, he can read the fatigue and frustration on my face and he tells me to leave. "You need a break, he says.

When the kids ask for a story, or a push on the swing, or they beg, "play boogity-boogity with us, Daddy!" he always says yes. Even if he doesn't feel like it.

He puts food on our table, clothes on our backs, takes us all sorts of fun places and puts a roof over our heads. He protects, he provides, he makes us laugh. He lights up our days.

He does practically nothing for himself, because he continually puts us first.

He is the very definition of Father,

A reminder to me, to his children, of the love of our Heavenly Father.

Because that is what a father is. A picture here on earth, of the love that is showered down on us from heaven.

And we are so very blessed that they are here.

We are so very blessed that you are here, Aaron.

Happy Father's Day!

We adore you.

Love from your crew,

Greta, James, William and Lilly