Waiting for Rainbows: Happy First Father's Day Jason!

June 17, 2012 marked Jason’s first Father’s Day and it sure was a special celebration. In fact, we had to celebrate Father’s Day over two different days to make sure we could fit it all in! We had quite a few “firsts” this Father’s day and of course we have many pictures to share so you can share in our celebration too!

Our first way to celebrate was to have our first trip to the neighborhood pool together. Getting the girls lubed up with sunscreen, swimmer diapers on, and little bathing suits was just the beginning of the fun. We took the girls to the pool in the stroller and wasted no time getting them wet! While it might be some time until they splash around and play in the pool, they sure were very cooperative about being in the water and were really taking in all the sights and sounds. Unfortunately, there was something on the camera lens that made most of our pictures very foggy/hazy so we got very few good snapshots of our pool time. I guess that just means we will have to have more pool days to get more pictures! In the evening to cool off, we celebrated by going to Marble Slab for ice cream sundaes. The girls got their first taste test of vanilla ice cream. Aubrey was thrilled by the taste of this delicious treat, while Avery was slightly more skeptical. I have no doubt that daddy will have many more ice cream treats with the girls.

On our second day to celebrate Father’s day, Jay enjoyed the first part of it with his dad, as his parents were in for a visit. It was a special treat to have two generations of father’s in the house on Father’s Day. Jay also opened his first Father’s Day gift, which was a homemade project, specially made from the girls and I. Together we made coasters. For some of the coasters, I included some cute photos that you will recognize. In order to make even more special ones for daddy on Father’s Day, the girls got to finger paint for the first time and also make footprints from the finger paint as well. Trust me, managing two girls on my own with finger paint (I made the finger paint from scratch to make it non-toxic) was quite a handful…Paint on 20 fingers, 20 toes, four active hands, four wriggly feet…and would you believe that I had it all under control until the dog decided she wanted to join in and ate the finger paint?! Good times, good times!!! Unfortunately, the epoxy used to seal the coasters was a little bit much to manage, but all in all, if nothing else, the project was a special keepsake made from the heart. For dinner, I made Jay a recipe that he handpicked—Ham, polenta, and leek croquets and fudgy brownie cookies. I supplemented his picks with leek and goat cheese mashed potatoes and a side salad. The meal was quite tasty. We also went to the playground where the girls enjoyed their first time in the swing together. After the girls went to bed, we enjoyed snuggle time on the couch watching a movie. We really enjoyed our two days of family time together and look forward to many more Father’s Day celebrations to come.

Before I close, I want to send a special shout out to my dad who has had a very important role in my life. Thank you dad for bring a provider, caretaker, encourager, helper, and listener. Some of my best memories are when my dad would play sports with me in the back yard, throw me in the pool on vacation, or hold me on his lap (Do you know I still fit on his lap at age 30!?!). When I think of Jay being a dad, I envision him doing many of the things my dad did with me—Thanks dad for all you have done for our family.

First time in a swing: