Father's Day

father :

1. n. the foundation for the family, one who

originates, guards and provides.

a leader, source of strength, inspiration and will.

 This is one of my favorite pictures of Eric and the kids to date! It has been such a blessing to step back and watch Eric as a daddy to these four blessings.  Each of them has their own unique and special relationship with their dad.  I love that he makes it a priority to date each of his kids and build a relationship with them. Each of them have stretched and grown Eric in new ways as he has been on a journey as a father.

I still remember the anticipation and excitement in the hospital room as I was in labor. I remember watching Eric fall head over heals in love with his little girl the minute she was born. Alexa gave Eric the gift of being a daddy for the first time. She will always hold that special place in his heart.

  Emma came along rather quickly and Eric quickly embraced being a daddy to two little girls. He loved every minute of having these two girls wrapped around his finger. Emma came with a little spunk her her little blonde pony tails and I loved watching Eric guide her spirit with out breaking it. I loved the gentle, nurturing and protective side that his two little girls brought out in him. There are many nights he could be found on the couch cuddled with his two girls.

 

Shane then followed not long after. Building a business, being a husband and dad to 3 little ones 3 and under was no small task. Eric jumped in to being a dad to 3 with both feet. There were times it was hard and he would be the first to admit that but I love the way he would rise to the challenge and continue to strive to put into each of his little blessings even when he was at the end of himself. He made a point to graciously take the three almost nightly the first months after Shane was born and kick me out of the house for a little bit of mommy time. He because a smart daddy and knew if mommy was refreshed and happy the rest of the house seemed to follow suit! 

 I loved watching Eric grow as a daddy when he had his first son. There is something about a dad and his girls but something pretty special about a father and his son. Our house turned from night time cuddle time to night time wrestle time. I am not sure how to totally explain the difference ... it is more a physical, active love I see between these two. The way that Shane looks up to his dad is pretty special.

  

  When we journeyed to Max I saw Eric's heart change and grown one more time as a dad. It was amazing to watch Eric with Max those first few hours and days. There was an instant bond and Eric was head over heals in love with his little boy. He instantly felt that God had handpicked Max to be his son. After walking through his orphanage and his finding spot their was an emotion of protectiveness and love that I saw in Eric's eyes. Max forever changed his daddy's heart! 

  Once again I see Eric's heart opening and growing in new ways as he became a daddy for the 5th time this year. What better gift for Father's Day than new pictures of his baby girl. I can't wait to see little Ellie wrap her daddy around her fingers. I can't wait to see how God stretches and grows Eric as a daddy on our journey to our sweet girl

 The kids had so much fun filling out special questions about their dad.  I wanted to document some of their answers. 

Shane thought Eric was 100 pounds and 55 inches tall.  His favorite things to do with his dad are golfing and cuddling.  What he loves most about his dad is when he hugs and kisses him.  Emma thinks her daddy is smart because he knows 100,000 x 100,000. She loves that he tells her stories and wrestles with her.  She loves her daddy because he loves her.  Alexa said Eric's favorite food is sour worms.  She said he works hard at home and work.  Alexa is happy when Daddy comes home from a long trip. She loves her daddy because he is my dad. 

We are blessed with an amazing dad. We celebrated him on Father's Day!