which really is my favorite part of backyard camping anyway.

chase was only invited for the movie, popcorn, and smore's.

which really, is my favorite part of backyard camping anyway.

after he dumped the bowl upside down in the tent and all over the sleeping bags,

we decided that it was time for the baby man to call it a night.

then we shoved sean and the two oldest cubs into the two man tent.

max lasted about 2 and a half minutes before she started crying.

like i literally zipped it up,

walked inside the house, and hadn't even made it around the corner to the kitchen before she was dragging sean through the back door,

which really was about 2 and a half minutes LONGER than i thought she was going to last anyway.

so i cuddled her up in her bed,

and then tucked myself into mine,

and as the report goes, somewhere around 3am the last two men standing called it a night and wandered back into their air conditioned bedrooms.

they are still talking about the night they "camped out" with their dad:)

surprises and afros {happy father's day}

to the father of my children {a.k.a. Sean}:

remember that one time i surprised you for our 10 year anniversary,

and you had the same surprise date planned for me for the next night,

{but i made my mom lie to you, and she REALLY didn't want to, 

so we could go out on our actual anniversary},

but neither of us knew that we both planned the same surprise date for each other 

one day before and after each other?

that was so cute of us:)

i'm so glad i chose you.

i love with you.

happy father's day.

our children are the luckiest ever.

love,

emily

...

"Let the bough break, let it come down crashing

Let the sun face out to a dark sky

I can't say I'd even notice it was absent

Cause I could live by the light in your eyes

I'll unfold before you

What I've strung together

The very first words

Of a lifelong love letter

Tell the world that we finally got it all right

I choose you

I will become yours and you will become mine

I choose you

I choose you

There was a time when I would have believed them

If they told me you could not come true

Just love's illusion

But then you found me and everything changed

And I believe in something again

My whole heart

Will be yours forever

This is a beautiful start

To a lifelong love letter

Tell the world that we finally got it all right

I choose you

I will become yours and you will become mine

I choose you

I choose you 

We are not perfect

We'll learn from our mistakes

And as long as it takes

I will prove my love to you

I am not scared of the elements

I am under-prepared, but I am willing

And even better

I get to be the other half of you

Tell the world that we finally got it all right

I choose you

I will become yours and you will become mine

I choose you

I choose you 

I choose you."

...

and to my daddy,

who taught me how to love a man 
{a.k.a. papa, a.k.a. silver fox, a.k.a. P.}:

{my babies have my baby face and bulldog cheeks. they come by it honorably. 

squish! i want to squish and kiss my very own baby cheeks. gimme!}

you had the coolest afro ever.

i love that you wore a suit the day i was born,
or was it the day you and mom 
brought me home from the hospital?

i love your rosy cheeks,

our hot chocolate dates,

your texts about american idol,

and your political email forwards.

i think of you every time i hear our songs 
"somewhere out there," "apple of my eye," 
and "baby beluga." raffi for life. holla back.
i remember listening to them in baby blue with the top down in the fog and the heater blaring, on the way home 
from giant's games with you. who knew candlestick was the only stadium on the entire planet with garlic fries?
also, i'm still scared of your "sigh."

let's go SKI{ing} in a snow storm again soon.

i love you pops.

happy father's day:)

pa-pi

{shopping with the kids for father's day gifts}

.....

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

to their dad

my dad

and

my grandpa's/grandfather's

a good dad is hard to come by.

i'm so glad i've come by them in "lots."

another one of those father's day posts {from yours truly}

dear dad,
you are my hero.
i adore you.
i really believe you can do no wrong.
happy father's day.
and thank you again for letting me borrow your ski mask.
and goggles.
last time we skied.
even though you were probably cold.
i love your rosy cheeks.
baby blue eyes.
and silver hair.
i love you,
your baby em

....................................

dear sean,

and i was like

BABY, BABY, BABY OH!

like

BABY, BABY, BABY OH!

like

BABY, BABY, BABY OH!

i'm so glad you'll always be mine:)

watching you with our children takes my breath away.

every

single

time.

i love to see your smile in max's face.

your eyes in brennan's eyes.

and your melow sense of humor in everything you do.

you make me want to be a better mother.

you change diapers.

you get up with kids on sundays so i can sleep.

you jump on the tramp with both kids and keep them entertained when you can see i need a break.

you try your very hardest to keep max out of the kitchen when i'm trying to make dinner.

it is so cute.

you teach brennan how to do man things.

boxing,

mowing,

football games,

basketball,

being a gentlemen.

tools.

snow shoveling.

house cleaning.

and nose hair trimming.

you are a human jungle jim.

you show max how a woman should be loved.

you hold her.

you sing to her.

you rock her in the middle of the night.

you are wrapped around her teensy little finger.

and she loves you.

so

much.

you tell me i'm beautiful.

you tell me you adore me.

you make me feel like the most important person on the planet.

i am so lucky to have you.

but the kids are even luckier to have you as their dad.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

my love.

i love with you.

always and forever.

xoxo

...

{the first night you became a dad}

the day we brought brennan home from the hospital.

we video recorded the entire drive home.

and i made you pull over twice on the way home to check on brennan.

we were so cheesy.

{baby max below, born Super Bowl Sunday}

you held her the entire game.

i don't remember anything about the game.

or seeing any of the commercials.

just sitting in the room with you holding baby max.

watching football.

 ...

and last,

but

very

not

least,

a happy father's day to my

father in law WILD BILL,

grandfather ryan,

grandpa dick,

grandpa casper,

GPG,

and grandpa mehr.

i am so lucky to have so many amazing men in my life:)

it's plain to see

"it's plain to see i want to be like him in every way...

i'm very glad that he's my dad, and i know he loves me too."

always there.

man of few words.

easy like sunday morning.

rosie cheeks.

adorable.

charming.

...

then other man i call daddy.

brown or blue,

it's an eternal tie.
the eyes are my favorite part.

happy father's day to the dads.

i love you.

ol' blue eyes

his rosy cheeks
how you can hear his smile through the phone
water skiing, always dropping to the single ski
wake boarder, flips, jumps, turns and all
anti-snowboarder
easy like sunday morning
intellect
charm
burning down a chicken coup
painting himself black as a child
horse back riding
tassel shoes
cubans
beach
skiing
heli-ski
outdoors
lattes with cinnamon and brown raw sugar crystals on top
perfect grammar & etiquette
prime rib
bbq
ribs
Weber
master griller
less is more, especially with words
"the sigh"
7-11 slurpees
the store
the jag
baby blue mercedes
i said, "it's hot in here."
afro puff
curly hair
eloquent
ol' blue eyes
silver fox
tact
knowing just the right advice
grandfather ryan/grandpa
remote control motor boat with brennan
golf
tennis
basketball
professional
real estate guru
letters home to his parents explaining "C" grades in college
("we have this gig that is really hot right now. i'll get my grades up soon.")
iowa
driving home from giants games in the little benz with the top down and freezing fog
baby beluga and raffi
interrogating sean on the porch at the lake house
wine connoisseur
consistent
wise
adorable
loving
the very best around
i love you dad.
perfect in every way.
happy father's day.