Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day!!!

This week my dad came down to visit for a few days and it was a really great time. We went on little excursions, hung out and relaxed during the boys' nap times, chatted and caught up, and just enjoyed being together.

My dad's always been a determined, strong-willed, funny, talented, and physically strong man. I've admired his musical prowess since I was very young. I love this picture of him; this is him in his element. His eyes become lost in another world, the world of music. His fingers, though we tease him about them being short and stubby, dance across the keys with ease. If you were to study his handball-callused, rough from hard work, hands, you'd never believe the grace they have at the piano.

He's a man of many talents and interests. He plays handballs with his "handball buddies" twice a week. He's a music teacher, composer, and now a church children's music director. Jim raves about his grilling... he's the best griller we know. We don't think we've ever had a better pork tenderloin, ribeye steak, or chicken than when it's been grilled by my dad. Recently, he built and earth oven at their cabin in Pennsylvania and he's gotten into making breads and pizzas. These, too, are delicious and enjoyed by many.

The thing I've most enjoyed is seeing him become a grandpa. Boy, does he love our boys...

....and the feeling is mutual. Both Ian and Owen enjoyed having Grumps around for a few days. We went on walks exploring Pandapas Pond and the Huckleberry, we went to the farmer's market and dancing in Floyd. Ian loved telling Grumps all about everything under the sun, and Owen shared his smiles and giggles non-stop.

Though we aren't together today, my heart is full from your recent visit, Dad!!! 

We love you.

To the father of our boys, I also wish a happy, happy day! Unfortunately, he's pulling a long shift at the hospital today and so our celebrations will be limited on this day. Just looking at these pictures, I see the exhaustion in his face, but the love and dedication he has for our family and our life together is always first in his mind and on his heart. 

This road hasn't always been easy, we've had to spend a lot of time apart. Lots of late nights and early mornings, lots of missed events and moments. When he's here, he makes such an effort to be present for our boys. That often means waiting to get all of his notes done until after the boys go to bed, or even after I've gone to bed. 

Our boys are blessed to have a father who works so hard to build a life for all of us. A father who, though he's incredibly busy with medicine, pursues so many interests and passions outside of his profession. Ian's already benefitting by being allowed to work with you in the garden, on small woodworking projects, and in the kitchen. As the boys grow older, I cannot wait to watch your relationships grow as you explore your own passions with them as well as take an interest in theirs. 

 From wrestling, to playing ball, to bike-riding, to planting seeds, to reading books, to singing songs, to running errands, to playing animals, to running laps around the house, to taking the night-time wake-up shifts, to supporting me in every parenting decision/woe/debacle, you are one heck of a father. I knew you would be. And I'm sorry for the times I give you a hard time.

 You lay down your life for us daily and our boys and I are truly blessed.

On this day, we celebrate you, Papa/Jim. We miss you and love you. See you later tonight!

DSF & Family Reunion

Every Memorial Day Weekend, my family gathers together for the Delaplane Strawberry Festival. This year my dad switched to a different church and became their choir director, but my parents still volunteered for the festival. Most of my childhood I volunteered, too. Now, with a toddler, it's a bit harder.

This year our get-together was more like a reunion!! Our whole family hasn't been together since... well... the festival last year? Correct me if I'm wrong, everyone. Phoebe & James were living in France since September and Willem has been in shows throughout the year. Whenever we've been together it's been just a few of us, but not the whole group. In fact, the last whole-family picture we have of the whole gang was while I was still pregnant with Ian!! It was in the summer before he was born and now he's 20 months old. Crazy.

Anyway, I was bound and determined to get a picture with everyone during this visit. 

Our first morning there, Grumps spotted a deer in the front yard and shared it with Ian.

Grumps also gave Ian a very special gift!! No longer will we have to listen to the painfully out-of-tune and twangy xylophones we have here. No sir. Now we have a beautiful and authentic xylophone to call our own! Ian is mesmerized by it. He plays the notes up high and down low. He plays them fast and slow. He uses both hands or just one. Oh what fun!!

Thank you, Grumps, for such a wonderful gift.

He takes it pretty seriously. I love his expression in the photo below.

Eventually everyone was up and ready to hike over to the festival. My parents live right on the Appalachian Trail which is handy for hiking, and especially handy for hiking over to the festival!!! It's one of our favorite little traditions. The festival appears like Brigadoon, when you head down over the hill. I love it.

Here are the many family pictures we took. Unfortunately, to get the view Dad wanted, we also have some shadows to deal with. That's okay. We were all together!!

Ian was asleep at the time we all agreed to meet, so we gathered around him in the stroller! Left to right: Samanda, Willem, Mom, Ian, Dad, Me, Jim, Phoebe & James.

This one has the added face of Leif ;)

And Phoebe's friend, Bailey, was visiting that weekend, so we got a picture with her.

We're so excited for these two who each recently signed their first contracts for full-time teaching positions!!! Phoebe will be teaching upper school English at Highland School, where she went to high school and where Dad teaches. James will be teaching Spanish and coaching sports, among a few other things, at The Hill School, where we all went to school through eighth grade and where Mom teaches. They'll be living near Mom & Dad in a sweet place where we cannot wait to visit them starting in August!! Congrats, guys!

Our little sleeping beauty...

Unfortunately, the original five's (plus Ian) picture turned out a bit too dark. Oh well!!

Love those siblings of mine.

The tractor made it's grand photo-bombing presence just in time!!

And just when we thought it we were done, someone we knew walked by and took a picture of the entire gang.

Soon we all headed back to the mountain, some in vehicles. 

Well, actually all of us except for Leif & Jim ;)

Most of us passed a frisbee in the yard for a while during dinner preparations.

But then there was one who decided to keep exploring...

It was a great weekend with family. This night finished with a delicious dinner on the deck with everyone and then a bonfire with the middle generation. I'm grateful that Jim was able to come along and for the time we had to enjoy together in the car up and back. A wonderful weekend all around!

Mom & Dad, thank you for hosting the whole bunch of us!! The food, the conversations, the xylophone, the pottery... we are thankful and had a great time with you!!!

CREO

A couple years ago my parents built CREO, which stands for Clarion River Earth Oven. One summer my parents took on this project and it will be serving us amazing pizza and bread for years to come... not even the massive flood could take it down.

Every piece of the oven itself came from the one acre plot on which it stands, except for the bricks which he got for free from my cousin's home (previously my grandpa's bricks) and the glass bottles needed to retain heat within the bricks.

Dad got the clay from the river bank, swimming across by pulling the kayak to where he found the best clay, filling his bucket which sat in the seat of the kayak, and swimming/pulling it back across the river. Each rock was carried over his head and brought up to the house with our little, old red wagon.

So, here's a peek into pizza-making day...

 The fire has to be started early, so that the oven is hot enough to bake pizza.

 The wood has to be dry and fairly small to fit inside.

 Trees and a river pattern are etched in the outside walls...

 Here are the rocks he dragged and carried from the river.

 All of the mud, sand, clay and mortar came from the land or shore.

Once it gets to 700 degrees F, then it's time to start cooking. That is one HOT oven!

The dough's been tossed!

Ingredients are ready...

Let's get goin'!!!

Once the pizzas get going, it's non-stop making, eating, throwing dough, and eating some more. Everyone's always ready to partake... especially this guy...

The best pizza you'll ever have...

Time to eat.

Now we'll just have to dream and drool over these pictures until next year.

Father's Day

After a torturous day of moving, we woke up on Father's Day and took some time to relax in our new backyard. Two important fathers were there, tattered and exhausted, but they were there. We were together. And we had made it through the day before together.

Under the shade of a beautiful maple tree, we relaxed in adirondack chairs for a couple of hours.

 While doing so, we enjoyed our favorite past-time together... watching Ian.

He didn't mind the limelight one bit.

So, to the two older gentlemen in this picture,

Happy, Happy (belated) Father's Day!!!

To my father-in-law, John: Thank you for welcoming me into your fold with such open and loving arms. I'm grateful to have such a loving, warm, and generous family in you and Kim. Thank you for being a wonderful role model for Jim; it's definitely showing in how he relates to and cares for Ian!! It's been so wonderful to watch you become Ian's grandfather. Looking forward to the beach next week!!

To my own father (aka Daddio): Thank you sooooo much for spending this weekend here with us. We are SO grateful to have had your help packing the truck and moving us into our new place. It was a longgg day and we are ever so thankful for your hard, hard work.

Thank you for your love throughout the last (almost) 28 years and for sharing your amazing musical talents with us and the many children you've touched through teaching and through SCORE. It's only fitting to include a picture of Grandpa and you making music for father's day. What a legacy...

 And now, to see you a grandfather... I love to see you interacting with Ian. Your complete adoration for him is so beautiful. I look forward to watching the two of you through the years...

Happy Father's Day to Ian's incredible Papa!! He is so fortunate to have you to walk with him through life. No woodworking project will be too hard and no hill to high to climb. Your passion for learning and creating will foster a great environment for this little guy to grow up fascinated and curious about the world around him. The love that's in your eyes for this little one melts my heart. The way you wrestle, rough-house, and play with him brings complete joy into our home. Ian absolutely adores his papa.

And on this day, this first day of residency orientation, we wish you the best. We wish you peace. And we certainly cannot wait to have you back at home. The house is quiet and lonely without your games of hide & seek, races across the floor, and giggles at Ian's latest accomplishment.

Thank you for loving for and caring for us so well.

Today, one day late, I celebrate the fathers in my life and I'm humbled with thankfulness.