Father's Day

I don't always get pictures of the most important things. Sometimes we are so busy living, there's no time to worry about documenting it!

Father's Day was like that.

Jeremy is so busy nowadays with the shop. We see him a lot, 'cause we're down there, too, but he's working-working-working, usually where we're not. When we take over dad's office, he stays out in the lobby. When I can answer phones, he follows the paintline crew more closely. He's busy.

So, Father's Day was a chance for us to show him how grateful we are and how much we love him. When he gets home, he often falls asleep on the couch while dinner is being cooked pretending to watch Jeopardy. We usually give him 1/2 hr to un-tense-ify before lavishing him with loving attention. And before Father's Day, he had to prop a bunch of pillows under his head and nap all kinked up on the failing couch (it's all busted up from all the love). We decided to get him a chair.... his very own, first ever, Daddy-chair.

Trinity spilled the beans days early, but he couldn't figure out exactly what she meant. By the time we found a chair on 82nd and brought it home in the minivan, she had figured out what "secret" meant and we couldn't get her to tell him! But when she did....

He was SOOOO surprised!

Now he's just hoping he gets a turn in it, since the kids have to test it first!!

our Shad-man

"Get a picture, Mom!" Shad sees things. He looks and sees... the sky or a lady bug. Some things we can't keep forever, so we take a picture, but if Shad can, he'll save everything.

Shad turned 10 years old on June 13th, just after school got out. He had friends over for his birthday party - he designed the Invitation himelf and we sent it in the mail. For his Bakugan party he had a Bakugan cake and received tons of bakugan toys...

.....I think he has over 30 of them now!

Shad is nearly as tall as me, Mom, but he can still fit in the dryer. (How long will that be possible?!)

We went with Shad on his last big 4th grade field trip. First swimming and then the park.

Every night Shad asks God for an endless amount of hugs from everyone. He sneaks up behind me and lays his head on my shoulder when he wants one. (I try not to jump!) He doesn't talk a lot with grown-ups, but he can be the loudest in a crowd of kids. We have experienced how stubborn Shad can be once he makes up his mind. He's a perfectionist and detail-oriented. He believes the best of others and avoids getting into trouble himself. He'll take care of Trinity often (more than Aidan or Camten!) He would love his own room full of shelves to store all his treasures - it will have to be a large room with a lot of shelves. For now he resorts to asking for quiet time when he needs it and rotating treasures on his two shelves. I don't know anyone as competitive as Shad - he will be the best, the fastest, the strongest (or struggle with the shortfall.) He currently loves soccer and not baseball ('cause who can hit a ball that learning kids are throwing?!)

We are so grateful God gave us Shad. Since he was a baby, we knew he was going to make the world adjust to him and not the other way around. We pray that God shows him what is worth fighting to save and what he should stand up for and compete to win.

Our Trinity Treasure

Our Trin is a character. She loves jewelry and make-up and picking out pretty clothes to wear. She loves drawing and painting and sending letters to everyone she can think of.

On June 7th she turned 4 years old and Daddy was so happy to give her a bike.

Because she can also do everything her big brothers can. She can play with cars, throw rocks in the river and steal a ball in the swimming pool.


She demands her turn on the Xbox even though she doesn't know how to play. She declares she can mask a car for paint at the shop.

It doesn't matter how many times she's been told not to color balloons, she thinks it's fun. Her bath turned purple from all the ink that came off on her hands on her most recent project.

Trinity loves her brothers, we are certain, but she declares all kinds of emotions depending on her mood. She doesn't hesitate to say "I'm mad at you" when she gets the raw end of a deal. She has a "big hug" that drowns out all the stresses of a day and she'd have Otter pops for dinner every night if we'd let her. She loves scissors, but isn't allowed to use them often. She puts up with Mom combing out her curls daily but decides when time's up. She loves Strawberry Shortcake and Ponies and pink and purple. (So, Strawberry Shortcake riding a pink pony is the best in the whole world.....) Jean shorts are "Shad clothes".

My favorite thing about Trinity as Mom.... is how we are friends and cook together and feed the animals together. "Us Girls" run errands together where "boys aren't allowed". I love being her buddy.... but no one can touch her relationship with Daddy. She knows she has her daddy's heart and attention forever.

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