Max is a happy boy, growing every minute! Sometimes I swear his cheeks grow over night! I am a little late with this post but that's a theme with some things in my life right now, better late than never! We actually caught him sleeping for this one.
1. I have a new dryer after two weeks! I have to thank my friend and neighbor, Steph, and my mother-in-law for the usage of their dryers to keep us going! We got a good deal on a brand new dryer but had to wait for delivery...I keep telling myself it's all good - if I was Amish I would have to wash it by hand and hang it out to dry! I am a fan of modern appliances :)
2. My hubs is the best, he's letting me go get a much needed pedicure tonight once kids go to bed!
3. I am glad to be back to work, so to speak. I never really felt "off" but I am back in the mostly full swing of things with photography. This week I will start posting photo sessions again!
4. I know I am behind on Max's weekly - working on that!
5. I am reading a very convicting book about being a mother with little ones called, Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic. It comes from a biblical perspective but I believe it yields wisdom for everyone. So much about being a mother is our perspective and our own attitudes! We definitely don't want to hear that but it's very true.
6. My 2 yr old daughter locked me out today while I already had one kid in the car while it was running. She locked the glass storm door which we rarely lock. She was looking up at me with her big blue eyes somewhere between laughter and tears once she realized I was stuck on the outside looking in. Thankfully I had a way back in after unsucessfully trying to coach her how to unlock the door! SO I had to refer to the book I talked about in confession number 5...perspective and humility....I couldn't freak out but had to gently explain to her the error of her ways!
Ok friends..that's all for tonight!
We all say it all the time (unless of course you are 5), "time is passing so quickly" or other comments like "where did this year go" or "when did the kids get so big?" I say things like this a lot and think that I hear my mom or Grandma's voice coming out of me! Well what better motivation do you need to take some time to do some family portraits? Here's a session from earlier this summer that I love because it's multi-generational. I LOVED it for that very reason and many others (because these do happen to be dear friends)! What a treasure it is for not only parents to capture their family in time but to include the grandparents as well makes it extra special. I know all these boys love their "Nana and Poppy" and someday they will look back at these photos to see this little slice of time. It's so precious to see families grow and change!
The whole gang!
We did individual family groupings and I heart this idea with the name sign!
Giving love to the grandparents...
And I love this shot because Z is definitely a fun 4 year-old to know! I am pretty sure every time I have seen this kid he has had on these Toy Story boots. It's adorable and I am sure he will someday cringe when his mom shows him this picture and talks about how she couldn't get him to wear anything else...like I said people, lets not miss out on these moments!
**As as not of business, Max is now 6 weeks old and I am "back to work" booking sessions again for all portraits and weddings. Please email me if you need more information or would like to book something soon, summer is filling up fast! emily@emilytroutmanphoto.com**
Hope everyone had a wonderful fourth of July celebrating our United States of America! I am treating today like Monday because it feels like it to me!
Here's Max's week 5 photo from last week...time is passing quickly and his is growing so fast! He is much bigger at his age than the twins were. Max is blowing right through Dean's old wardrobe :)
A few confessions for this week...
1. I really need to get on the "get in shape plan" because I am now about to reach the 6 week post-baby mark. I realized I better start dropping some pounds or I will be stuck in maternity clothes forever...not cool! I am working through my envy of all you ladies out there that wear you own pre baby jeans after like 4 weeks and dont even look like you had a baby!
2. I decided I need to do some summer reading here and there for pleasure to keep my mind sharp. I am in the sleep deprived mama stage and reading is a good easy way to keep from feeling like my mind is total mush. I am still working through some parenting books but just finished up a novel, The Island by Elin Hildebrand . It was a good, quintessential summer read about a family and their relationships, set in beautiful Nantucket. If you are going on a trip or need something to read by the pool, it's perfect!
3. The next pleasure read is The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I am only a few pages in and I am totally enjoying the southern vernacular! Nothing like "puttin' it like it is!" I know that they are making this into a movie that will be released shortly so this might be a 'read with your girlfriends and then go to the movie together' type read.
4. I am eating a leftover hot dog for lunch...so much for the dropping the pounds for now.
Enjoy your week everyone, that's all I have for the moment! And remember...it's Tuesday already :)
Hey blog friends, hope your holiday weekend is off to a great start! Just thought I would share a digital version of Max's birth announcement. My designer hubby pulled it together but we have to give credit where credit is due on this one - I saw an announcement that I fell in love with by designer Jody Worthington on Minted.com & I couldn't get it out of my head. Using a close inspiration is touchy in the design/photo world - "copy cat syndrome" its called - but usually it's cool as long as you point back to the source of the inspiration. MY hubs is my favorite designer but I asked him to use her idea for inspiration for the announcement and add some touches to make it personal to Max. SO YES I JUST PUT IT ALL OUT THERE, the icons were not our original idea but we loved it and wanted to use it!! It is an original Emily Troutman photo when Max was one week old.
Are you tired of the personal posts yet?! Sorry if you are...it's just the world I am living in right now with 3 kids under the age of two! I am lining up some fun sessions starting in July so will be back to business with some photo posting but for today I will share another personal post.
Max is already a month old! In a way it has gone very fast but in another way it feels like little Maxwell has always been here. He fits right into our crazy with his sweet, easy going self. It was (and sometimes is still) hard for me to imagine how I will effectively mother these 3 little people but each day I am given God's grace to do so. Max is such a great addition to our crazy bunch ;) Here's to being one month old and a little bit cuter (& larger) every week! As of last Friday Max was already weighing in at 11 lbs!
Happy Wednesday Friends!
So I have to be honest, can't wait for the intentional smiles from baby boy as opposed to the random stares I get right now at the camera :) Max is growing so fast, he was actually weighed today and he's already over 10lbs! Go Max! Here's his picture from week three! (He's reminding me a little of Austin Powers in this one :) Hope you are all enjoying your first day of summer!
1. My hubby got an ipad yesterday, which was a combination Father's day gift but mostly a "job well done" gift from his Father (who also happens to be one of his bosses). No, I am not jealous because he's great at sharing :) Anyone have ipad apps they love or hate? Tell us what to get! Any really cool kids books or games we should know about?
2. If you don't already know this, my husband and I have completely opposite musical tastes which used to be considered cool on both our parts but now it pretty much drives us nuts around the house, in the car, etc. Do others of you struggle with this? Do you compromise or just not listen to anything in each other's presence? We do have a little overlap but you can only listen to so much Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville on XM :)
3. As we were taking an after dinner walk in our 'hood - a sweet neighbor commented "my how your gang is growing" and I repiled "we look like a stinking parade!" I laughed at myself but we really did! Matt walking Dozer on the leash while pulling the twins in the wagon (they were eating the firecracker popsicles dripping red, white & blue all over one another). I was on the other side pushing Max in the snap n go. My how life has changed in the last 5 years...our poor dog :)
4. My husband is dancing right now with our 3 week old to try to get rid of his hiccups..it's hilarious and endearing! Lets just say hubby isn't known for his rhythm!
5. Wanna' know what I got Matt for Father's Day? These Toms Shoes! If you aren't familiar with Toms, it's a really neat company who gives a pair of shoes away to a child in need in for every pair of shoes purchased. So Matt got a pair and a kid some where in the world got a new pair too!
6. Ladies, this is no joke if you ever need a fast & cheap pedicure check these out...SERIOUSLY don't be freaked out...they really work and look like perfection! Ask me how I know next time I have a perfectly french manicured foot!
7. I confess...I have the Bachelorette on right now. Every season after constantly rolling my eyes at all the shenanigans I swear the show off...but summer Mondays are dead otherwise on the tube so I return...only to eye roll some more! I mean Bentley...REALLY?! I give Ames two thumbs up right now & hope the rest of those turkeys run! **The fact that they are literally fighting on this episode has even drawn my husbands attention**
8. Summer to me is warm days, windows down, lemonade and good country music with some splashes of classic rock thrown in (Matt would completely disagree on the country part of that statement).
I came to the realization today that maybe the reason I can relate is that my life is a combination of country song's at the moment..so indulge me and check out the similarities!
Lets start with Phil Vassar's "Just Another Day in Paradise"
The kids screaming, phone ringing
Dog barking at the mailman bringing
That stack of bills - overdue
Good morning baby, how are you?
Got a half hour, quick shower
Take a drink of milk but the milk's gone sour
My funny face makes you laugh
Twist the top on and I put it back
There goes the washing machine
Baby, don't kick it.
I promise I'll fix it
Long about a million other things
Well, it's ok. It's so nice
It's just another day in paradise
Well, there's no place that
I'd rather be
Well, it's two hearts
And one dream
I wouldn't trade it for anything
And I ask the Lord every night
For just another day in paradise
Which leads into "You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins
'Cause You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this
Which leads into "Alright" by Darius Rucker
Cause I've got a roof over my head,
the (man) I love laying in my bed
And it's alright, alright
I've got shoes under my feet
Forever in (his) eyes staring back at me
And it's alright, alright
And I've got all I need
Which can all be summed up by "Blessed" by Martina McBride
At the end of every day
I have been blessed
With so much more than I deserve
To be here with the ones
That love me
To love them so much it hurts
I have been blessed
Be blessed friends! Hope your Monday was a good one!
Dear Matt,
Seriously how do I thank you for almost 5 years of marriage and 3 wonderful children?!! You are a great, fun-loving dad who tries to make memories with our kids every day.. which I love. Even if you're running in between jobs (which speaks volumes about you already) - you make time for a tickle fight. I love when I hear the kids laughing because you are in the room.
When we first became parents I always noticed that you weren't doing something the same way I would..but I slowly learned that you were doing it your own way & that it was just as good :) Yes, it might mean that our kids think that poundcake is a breakfast food or that it's ok to watch a movie at the dinner table or that popcorn is totally a good snack for 9am on a Saturday! I love that you see our 3 little people and want them to love life. That was something about my dad's character that I treasured and I see it in you. Even just yesterday you let Dean fly a kite for the first time because a couple weeks ago you just wanted "to do something fun for the twins" & ordered them a beautiful kite! These are things that they will not soon forget either.
Here's to you on Father's Day Matt! You are my favorite teammate, partner, and friend!
Love you!
Em
I really don't want to have to confess because what I have learned about myself today is that I am not really a nice person so I will keep it short.
1. I am running on little sleep which translates into very little patience...recipe for disaster when combined with a newborn and two toddlers. I have already raised my voice and cried today...it's only lunchtime!
2. I drove through McDonalds for a $1 sweet tea which equals small sips of bliss for Mommy even while people are fussing.
3. I keep having dreams of me running - not sure what that means for me metaphorically but I know that I can't wait to exercise again and attempt to get back in shape. Not looking forward to those first runs though, they are so difficult especially when you feel the extra baby weight flapping along as you run. The first time I ran after the twins I swore I was wearing someone else's butt...no joke.
4. I need to stop eating junk food or I really will be wearing someone else's butt...
5. My 2yr old son is apparently cutting his molars..explanation for lots of testy behavior and some other issues he was having. Sorry Deano...
6. I am now addicted to watching Paula Deen on the Food Network - love that woman mostly because as if Mac n cheese isn't good enough alone - she wrapped in bacon and DEEP FRIED it in an episode I watched last week! Amazing! But about all that healthy stuff...
I think I will keep all the rest of my personal uglies to myself today but just putting it out there that we all have good and bad days. It's naptime right now so I will attempt a little rest myself and hopefully be a nicer mommy to all later today :) Happy Monday friends!
Hey blog reading friends! I am a little late to post Max's week two photo but better late than never right?! I have 3 good little excuses...Macy, Dean and Max! Max's hair is looking a little red in this photo but it's not so red in person as far as I can tell... he was mesmerized by the ceiling fan at this point in the photo! I don't have to much to say on this fine Sunday eve so just enjoy the quick pic of my little man and his quasi-mohawk :)
And another quick pick of Macy holding Max yesterday morning...
1. I just ordered stuff for my twins SECOND birthday! Is that even possible?! Two Years old already...I guess by the steady stream of "no" and defiance at our house I should realize this...but Macy & Dean started out even smaller than Max, which is even hard for me to remember. And who knew that in just two short years of the twins birth God would've added another sweet boy to our family?!
2. Yes, I allowed the hospital photographer to take pictures of Max (I didn't with the twins, I was too crazy and still delusional about what I could accomplish while caring for infant twins) and YES I am even purchasing a print of one image. What does this prove? There are great photographers everywhere - never be too proud to allow someone else to help capture your life moments! In fact, plan to invest at least annually on a photo shoot for your family!
3. Max is being such a good baby - part of it is that he's a laid back go-with-the flow kind of kid & the other part is that I have half a clue of how to care for a newborn. Lets hope this is really his personality for the long haul!
4. Enchiladas for dinner made for a long night last night for both Max & I, sort of forgot that what I eat he eats :) TMI? my apologies! you want me to confess these things right?!..Got him down this morning just in time for M & D to be in their cribs saying "dada, mama"
5. I am actually really looking forward to a trip to Target today! It's funny that routine errands become a fun outting when you are home nursing a newborn & your life revolves on a feeding schedule.
6. My hubby is off today and I am sad that he goes back to work again tomorrow. We love having him around more & he's been a major help rangling the twins. He's been making days fun for them because Mommy still can't even pick them up.
7. We forgot about our dog yesterday and left him outside for like 4 hours before one of us rememebered. He doesn't tolerate heat well so he usually isn't out for that long at a time. Luckily it was a beautiful day! Sorry Doz!
8. Macy just walked over to me wearing my nursing cape that I wear when nursing in front of others..had to laugh. Sorry for any male readers and the abundance of nursing references...my bad...
9. I have really been missing my Dad. Of course you always miss a family member when they are gone, but it's especially hard when there's something so big to celebrate like a new baby. I am mostly sad that Max will only know my dad through my memories and he won't get taught things by him personally. My dad was a great teacher of all sorts of things....everything from math times tables to how to properly handle and care for a firearm. I will attempt to do him proud and teach these kids everything he taught me.
10. Today is my mother in laws birthday (& she is one of my consistent blog readers :) - so I want to say Happy Birthday Christi/Grandma! I know that there are a world of "mother in law jokes" out there but I have to say that I am truly blessed by my "MIL". We are so grateful to have her as a second Mom to me and a Grandma to my kids. Christi especially is always hospitable, generous to a fault, and very patient with most things - especially my kids! She has loved me from day one and for that I am so thankful. Christi, I hope you have a wonderful day! Can't imagine our lives without you!
Ok so this is sort of a "fad idea" right now but I think it's a super one - take a picture of your baby every week of his or her first year! I am going to attempt it and even if I do miss a week here or there, Max will still have a decent record of his first year of life. I am already feeling a little worried about the "third child" issues that people joke about so I am trying my best to give Max his own little traditions. I am sure that it will be especially hard to be the third kid after a set of twins...anyway, I digress.
This idea is robbed from a design and style blog I like - Young House Love.
So here is to Max's first week of life! I keep calling him the "dream baby" and he pretty much is. Thank the Lord, who knew I needed a sweet little easy-going bundle of love :) And yes, Max is really giving Donald Trump a run for his money in the goofy hair category...
Our last pic as a family of four on our recent vacation...
And here are some of the last couple days at the hospital with baby Maxwell!
Hey blog friends! In case you didn't hear the news via facebook, twitter, or my proud husband, we welcomed a healthy baby boy into the world on Friday morning at 10:01am. He weighed in at 8lbs 2 ozs (the first scale said 7lbs 14 ozs but that was debated and later retracted) and he was 19.25 inches long.
Maxwell Owen Troutman is his full name and a few have asked how we came up with the name. Maxwell is my mother's maiden name and unfortunately there are so many girls on that side of the family that the last name gets knocked off marriage by marriage :) We love the name and were hoping to keep it alive with our sweet boy (That's for you Poppop!). Owen is my father's middle name and we have always liked it as well. In fact, when we were naming Dean we were back and forth between Mark & Owen for his middle name. I am thankful that now both my boys will now have a peice of my dad in their names.
Max has a full head of dark hair, which is entirely different than Macy & Dean who were born baldies. He has been pretty happy and easy going, which we hope is a good indication of who he will be at home. Max is sweetly sleeping by my side now....
Thanks for all the well wishes, prayers and thoughts coming our way. He truly is a blessing and through all we have been through in recent weeks, he reminds us that God is good. Oh..for those that are curious... Macy instantly loved Max giving him kisses and saying "hi baby." Dean was a lot more unsure of him but he did say "Max" and gave him a kiss before he left! Here's to our family of five!
Dear “T3”-
I am writing this late on a Wednesday night and you are supposed to be born this Friday morning if all goes according to plan. “T3” or “Troutman 3” is your nickname you’ve been given while you have been growing in my belly. We have to say that you were a bit of a surprise to us from the beginning, but always a good surprise! We decided to stay with the “surprise” theme and wait until your birthday to find out who you are. Your daddy and I have gone back and forth about all sorts of names…hopefully by the time you can read this you don’t hate us for any name choices :) YOU will most likely laugh and be thankful for the names that have been ruled out! We really can’t wait to meet you and see what you will bring to our family.
You have a great big brother and sister waiting to meet you. They have been testing out all the baby gear around the house to make sure it’s good for your arrival and they daily point to my belly and say “baby.” I don’t think that they really understand that you will be here to stay but they will get it eventually. Our life is full of lots of fun, family, love, and hard work. I am sure you will fit into it all very well and round out our clan. I admit though, I hope you are a tough cookie - you have twin siblings just two years older than you that will probably do all sorts of things to you when I am not looking!
You are coming into our lives at sort of a crazy time. I (Mommy) just lost her daddy 3 weeks ago and unfortunately you will never get to meet your Grandpa Mark but I promise to tell you many stories of the man he was. Your only cousin so far is Trevor and he is just 7 weeks older than you so he will be great company for you in life I am sure. You are coming into a big family with lots of people to love you and they all can’t wait to meet you!
This very week you were born many things have happened in the United States both history and pop culture related. Unfortunately this week there have been horrific tornadoes all through the Midwest that have been the worst in decades. We have certainly had our own mix of crazy weather here in DE lately too. Gas & milk are each close to $4 per gallon, which is pricey! Oprah Winfrey did her last show today after a 25 year run on a talk show. Scotty McCreery won season ten of American Idol (a singing show) tonight and as I write this the Phillies are tied 4-4 with the Reds… all kinds of crazy and fun things going on in the world that you are about to enter. We are really just praying for your safe and healthy arrival at the end of this week. May you know that God has had a plan for you from the beginning “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:16…we really can’t wait to meet you! I can't wait to see your sweet face, snuggle you close and of course, take your picture!
Love,
your mommy
MOnday has come again so quickly, the days are passing in blurs of taking care of kids, house, husband and myself. Our days as a family of four are truly numbered and we are not finding ourselves in the easiest of times. We are trying literally to take it one day at a time...so here goes for this week.
1. Kids and I are sick...awesome. At least the kids can get good meds, I can't because I am almost 38 wks prego!
2. I tried a Mc D's strawberry lemonade yesterday, a bit of a let down I must say. Not sure if there's a standard strawberry to lemonade ratio but mine definitely needed some more of the sweet strawberry to round out the tang of the lemon. I will give it a second shot though because I have a coupon for a free one :)
3. We bit the bullet and got a new (to us) stroller yesterday that will work for all 3 kids. We will look like a bus rolling through but if you haven't ever seen a Valco Runabout with the Joey seat..it's pretty cool!
4. I got to see Water for Elephants last week with a few girlfriends. I thought it was a great adaptation of the book, of course there were a few adjustments here and there to make it more "movie" worthy. I have to say, I liked Robert Pattinson as the lead Jacob and Reese Witherspoon as Marlena. They did a great job bringing the story to life!
5. Just for bragging rights, the nine month pregnant woman I am, snuck an entire Friendly's friend-z reeses cup ice cream into the movie theather in my purse. RPatz and reeses ice cream...what else is there?!
6. I had a few great yardsale finds this past weekend - the most exciting was a new desk chair for our home office. I had this cool old chair with "character" that was a curbside find that we have been using for years but it's getting tired. I scored a white Pottery Barn knock off office chair for $5! We put a cushion on it and no one will know the difference!
7. Speaking of curbside finds, I also got a free gently used changing table from a neighbor who was done with it. I absolutely love free! It also happened to match our cradle perfectly and fit into our room where we needed it to.
8. I am missing my dad, keep having the urge to give him a call or send him a text. I find myself reminded all the time lately of just how much he taught me. Even today, I was working on freshening up our "new to us" stroller and had to adjust the tires. The tires are like bike tires with quick releases...dad taught me all about that stuff so I was able to get the tires perfectly lined up and ready to go!
9. My husband revealed to me yesterday that there are two things he really despises - glitter and peeps. Go figure but I will be sure to avoid those around him! He also would never brag on himself but he just finished up a great website design project for an international missions group - New Harvest Missions International. You should not only check out his great design work but check out what Christian churches are up to in West Africa.
10. I am pretty much running on fumes these days...just taking it one thing at a time. Can't believe T3 (the baby) will be here so soon. In the midst of loss and chaos, we still have much to celebrate and be thankful for! Thanks again to all of you who have been supporting us through these trials!
So it has taken me all week to be brave enough to post again about my father's passing. In preparation for sharing at his memorial service I wrote out what I wanted to say so that in case I could not do it on my own - someone else could read it for me. Thankfully between Dad & Jesus, I had the courage to make it through, even speaking off the page at times. I am proud of my brother as well for being able to speak & share so beautifully about my dad!
For those who were not there here is what I said...
I think a lot of times when someone passes away we are encouraged to think about the “big” moments of life and those memories and while I do have many of those that I am thankful for with my dad, the “small” moments are sticking with me now. Lets face it, our lives are full of a lot more “small” moments than big ones. What we do everyday shapes our families and lives. I have been thinking a lot about what it meant to have Mark as my dad. What it meant most of the time was that my brother and I were lucky enough to have a very present father, who was always around and part of our everyday lives. Just as much as I will remember him walking me down the aisle and dancing with me at my wedding – I will remember him walking through his vegetable garden with a cup of coffee in his hand or seeing him after school at the hardware store. He taught us strong values of work ethic and responsibility. He was even ingenious when teaching us the value of money with our allowance – we got charged for our irresponsibilities like forgetting something we needed or not doing a job right.
We were joking that as much of a hot-head as dad could be at times, it seemed he had an extra “dad patience” when teaching my brother and I things, like using tools or riding bikes. He didn’t just want you to learn stuff either, he wanted you to inherit his passion for the subject…whatever it might be. He was definitely a work hard, play hard type guy. I was a little bit of a family let down when I informed him that I would be the first Frey not to drive a manual transmission vehicle, I claimed that we needed diversity. He laughed and thought I was lame but honored my wishes. He was very proud later when I started dating Matt because thank goodness he drove a Jeep and it was manual – the mark of a man. Driving and cars were always a big deal with dad. His driving was usually fast but he had two specific driving rules that we were to abide by that I still try to stick to - 1. Don’t scratch your truck and 2. Aim for Daylight - these are still good rules to live by :)
That was something great about him, certainly no one could deny his passion for life. He was definitely always willing to try something at least once. I think of a time after a snowstorm that we were with my uncle & cousins and decided that my uncles little fishing boat would be the perfect “sled” to ride down a hill and into the frozen lake…we coined that adventure “snow boating” – why not?! I remember him turning an old non-working riding mower into more of a little tractor to pull a trailer and taking all the kids in the neighborhood on a hayride. Or him stashing fireworks on the way home from a business trip in order to give the neighborhood a good show on fourth of July. Or the annual trek to choose the family Christmas tree out on a tree farm somewhere.. I think of him in his fleece lined jean jacket with his cowboy hat and orange saw….cigarette hanging out of his mouth and potentially a swear word or two was heard before the final cut of the tree.
Many great memories were made when we had mountain land in PA where we would regularly sit around a fire and camp….he taught us there to be entertained by simple things & to always enjoy nature. That was a place where we learned to mountain bike, canoe, hunt for things and he would even do things like whip up a sweet berry sauce for pancakes if we picked the berries. I have a huge love for the outdoors and “fresh air” as they say and I know it comes from spending so much time with dad – most of my memories of him are outside! Our yard was like an extension of his living room because he was always working on something. If not a wood working or house project or a car or something with my brother…he always had something going.
I don’t know how others spent their 21st birthday but mine was a snow day – I spent it going to the DMV for that new license then heading to the shooting range to burn up some ammo with Dad – then we got lunch at stanley’s tavern where I had my obligatory alcoholic beverage. Some might find this odd but it stands out to me as a perfect way to celebrate with Dad. He was very proud of the natural shot I was and loved to take me – I even took the target home to my college roommates & hung it on the fridge – they needed to know I had accuracy :)
I also think of a day when I was in college, it was 7am and I was driving to my job at a local gym in Newark. I hit a bumpy patch in the road and then all of a sudden it sounded like I had a flowmaster on my truck…. I got to work & called dad to tell him what happened. His response was “girl, I raised you, get under that truck and see, your muffler probably just needs reattaching” – he was right - it had split right at the catalytic converter. I walked next door to the gym where there was a dry cleaner, politely asked for wire hanger – then proceeded to go back outside in the parking lot and magiver my muffler back together with the wire hanger – Dad stayed on the cell with me and I got it temporarily fixed enough to drive around and not sound like an indy car. And yes for the record, I do know what a lot of car terms are because of him.
I think the character traits that stand out is an honesty and loyalty – he was about as unpretentious as a man can get. He was always willing to help, was extremely loyal and sometimes brutally honest but you never had to question where he stood on a subject - Even if it was just through his bumper stickers :)
My brother and I were recently talking with Dad about a picture of him sitting on a donkey from when he was a kid …he then remarked “yeah, I have been dealing with Jackasses ever since”…he never lost his sense of humor even though life had gotten increasingly tough on him struggling with illness. Even just the other day at his house I saw & was reminded – he had an orange tag that looked like a hunting license that was made out to be an “official osama bin laden” hunting license. I am glad he was here long enough to see Osama gone!
Even in the more recent tough times, he still made efforts to be with family. He couldn’t get up and run with the grandkids but he would put them on his lap when he could and definitely would slip them things from his oreo stash (Dean knew where it was :) The last time I really got to spend with dad was a couple weeks ago celebrating his birthday – he was at the head of the table at Grandma’s house – I knew it took him such strength to even get there but I saw him giggling at the kids when Dean would fake burp and other such fine things we are teaching them. I am thankful to have had him for a father and thankful that he breathed his last few breaths with all of us by his side.
Here are some things that come when thinking about my dad… pretty quintessential american:
This picture is from the summer of 2007 when Dad was still well & very much himself, great memory!
Well today is a day that is hard to wrap my brain around. I am going to attempt to speak tonight at my father's funeral. It mostly still seems surreal and I am a bit on auto-pilot, but I am determined to honor the man that has been such a big part of my life. It's been probably like a lot of greif, such a mixed bag of emotions. And it's also strange because there's so many moments I just want to go hide in a corner and be upset alone...but life as a mommy and wife doesn't work that way. I have found my daily duties in life a good distraction but am also trying to find time just to greive. It's an interesting process of letting go and celebrating a life all at the same time. If you are the praying sort...feel free to pray for me this evening around 7pm Eastern time, I will be speaking around then. I will attempt a tribute to my dad another day this week on the blog after I collect my thoughts!
And I cannot say enough how THANKFUL I am for every single one of you who has already helped us in some way or is offering to do so! We have felt so loved, supported, and encouraged. Those of you that have been praying, we feel it. Baby number 3 seems to be staying put for now, which we are greatful for...although at 37 weeks...I am ready to meet this child! From the bottom of our hearts, thank you all for everything!