father's day {melancholy and sweet}
to be fair, i am realizing as i get older that holidays are a bit melancholy when my mind remembers the big picture, when i remember the full gamut of loved ones in my life and the mix of lose and sweetness that accompanies each personal story. this father's day is the same.
yet, through the quiet aches remembering loved ones loses and our own, there is much to be thankful for.
i am thankful, for one, for this dad of my children that i get to walk along side in this life. each day together is precious and more precious than i know, i'm sure. i love watching him care for and love these 3 little people. his heart blesses me. when H was a baby, i remember his words about her as we three all drove home from "the daily grind" one day, "did you ever think you could love someone so much? it is a different kind of love than the love i have for you." i love those moments when his loving words or actions touch me to the core. he is a good man, husband, father.
today, we weren't sure how our plans would play out. 2 of our 3 woke up with sniffles and coughs. so we canceled our morning, but by early lunchtime we decided to give the rest of our plans a go (and cut it short if the kids needed a break). the town carnival's last day was calling our name.
it almost made me sick to my stomach getting off our first ride, the ferris wheel, knowing it cost our family of five $25 for a few circles up into the sky! i am so out of touch with the cost of entertainment. it's a bit painful. it's worth it seeing the smiles on everyone's faces though, isn't it? so we carried on for about another hour and a half until rain clouds and lightning were in sight and stomachs were growling.
{the swings were my favorite growing up, no one rode them this day}
{we spent most of our time at the "kiddy" rides, monster trucks were a hit. my highlight of the day? seeing Espi hanging out the truck window joining AD for his first ride of the day.}
{the woman riding with the kids on the spinning elephants said AD had the best excited faces at first, then half way through sat back dizzy and asked, "when is this over?"}
{H got to try her first mini roller coaster. she said she'd ride it again, and she even took her hands off the handle bar...a few inches, as Espi showed her "how it's done."}
{i like everything about this one, particularly Espi's nice touch for the camera}
{hook'em! monster truck ride #2!}
{heading to the car to spend the little money we have left on lunch elsewhere}
tonight all 3 of our kids are blowing their noses. i hope a good night's sleep will make a big difference for each of them in the morning. as for tonight, i am guessing at bedtime when "roses and thorns" are shared, the highlights from each will involve the carnival, making the day's outing worthwhile.