happy father’s day to my witty, well-adjusted husband!!! he is the daddy of four crazies and the husband of one completely insane, frequently incoherent, sleep-deprived woman…he puts up with a lot!!! thank you darling. you keep us on the path. even when you are the only one who knows exactly where we are going, we keep following because we are your biggest fans! just watch simon sprint (creep…slap slap slap on the wooden floor) for the door when it opens and it is daddy. we’re always so glad you’re home. and we’ll go with you anywhere in the world.

and happy father’s day to my sweet daddy, who is now more often known as “grandpapa” of nine super crazies!! i am thankful for all the adventures…we always knew you would find our way back, get the car fixed/towed and find another way in the mean time, show up with a surprise treat (m&ms, hot tamales) and teach us about jesus in the middle of it all. (i learned trust and obey sitting on ice chests in the garage when we didn’t have keys and were locked out of our house.) thank you for loving me unconditionally, always. for believing the best about all of us and about lots of people who didn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt. for keeping on learning and growing and changing, even at 57. for leading our family, for answering the call of God on your life…then, now and always. for leading our church. for taking us to new heights.

thanks to both of you for going together on many new adventures with my children. i love to watch them grow up outside, piling up rich memories around the campfire, in the arms of men who love them. you are lights in a dark world, where so many men have taken a pass on the great journey of fatherhood, of faithfulness. keep on carrying those torches. we’re behind you all the way.