Today is Father's Day! Arthur is still sleeping, because he gets to sleep in on his special day. :) I'm looking forward to making him breakfast in bed. He will get a turkey omelet with cheese and peppers and hashbrowns! I also have some sweet gifts to give him from me and Baby Finn. I won't say what they are here in case he reads this before he opens them!
I like the fact that there are two isolated days during the year where we can celebrate being parents. I think birthdays and anniversaries and Valentine's Day are all great reasons to celebrate special days. When I woke up this morning, the first thought I had was that it was Arthur's first Father's Day! I was really excited to get up and celebrate it with him. As I've been sitting here thinking about what to write, I have had so many amazing things come to mind. I thought it would be cool to share a little bit more about why I knew Arthur would be a great dad.
When we were dating, Arthur was always the most patient person with his sisters, cousins, nieces and nephew. He never got frustrated with them or showed any sort of annoyance about how clingy they were with him. He let them climb all over him like he was a jungle gym. He just laughed and played right along with them.
During the first Christmas we spent together, Arthur and his family blew me away with how many amazing gifts they gave each other. At first, I was a little intimidated, thinking "How will I ever keep up with this?!" The piles and piles of presents for every person was something I'd never seen before. I even had my own pile, and we hadn't even been dating officially for a month! I know what you're thinking - That sounds so material and non-Christmas... but what I learned was this is one of the many ways his family shows each other love. They spend a lot of time thinking about the perfect gifts that will make that person really happy. Each gift is so thoughtful, it's never just a gift. I thought as I opened my 12th (or something) gift on that Christmas that if Arthur is a dad, he will make sure his kids are not forgotten on any holiday.
Arthur is the hardest working person I've ever met. I've seen people at some jobs where they are able to keep going all day, and never take a break. Arthur really is this person. A great example is just the other day at our baby shower with his family. He woke up at 9:00 AM and started cooking and cleaning the house in preparation of the party. He did not stop once to sit and rest. He was on his feet all day. I went to my Midwife appointment at 10:00 and when I got back, he'd transformed the upstairs into a tropical paradise for the party! He kept working through until 6PM when his family arrived.
This is so typical of him. He never likes to spend hours doing nothing, he is always being productive and making things better. From home improvement, to our garden, to cooking, to cleaning... I always have an example in him to remind me that there is always something more I can do to stay productive. This example and quality is going to be priceless when Finn is here. Finn will never wonder if his dad has energy to do something with him. He will always know that if he wants to go catch bugs or play outside or build Legos that Arthur is willing to do it with him. Arthur's ability to stay busy is one of the main reasons why I married him.
Arthur is ridiculously smart. I had dated other guys in the past who struggled to maintain an intelligent conversation with me. I am not shy to say that I really felt like I was smarter than most guys I had dated. It was weird for me to finally spend time with someone who knew more about everything than I did. I loved the challenge and the opportunity I had to learn more from Arthur. Arthur's intelligence is not just knowing a lot of things. He is confidently intelligent, which means that if he isn't sure about what to do about something, he doesn't let it stop him. I on the other hand sometimes get frustrated and sit down to mentally think about why I can't figure something out. Arthur just keeps thinking, keeps trying until he gets it right. A prime example of this is all of the work he's done on our home. He has finished virtually our entire basement. It started out as an empty concrete room that spread across our whole basement. There were no walls, no doors... just a big room. He has turned it into an incredible living area - all on his own! No one has had to come over and help him with the plumbing, or the wiring, or the drywall, or the framing, or the tiling. You have to be smart to be able to do something like this.
Here is the basement in progress when he first started working on it:
Here is the basement after, and before the furniture was put in:
Here is the downstairs bathroom before, just after he'd started framing the room and putting up the walls:
Here is the finished product - he did it all on his own!
Not only is he smart about home improvement, he knows everything about animals. He has created an incredible reef in the stone "fish fort" he built downstairs. He can rattle off stats about how much salt needs to be in the water, or how the skimmer works, or how fish need a certain type of coral. The complex set up he's made in his fish fort shows his ability to think intelligently. I don't know if there's a book or a website out there that outlines step-by-step how to do what he's done. I'm pretty sure he's had to just be smart about what the fish need, and figure it out. I love that about Arthur! When Finn is frustrated with a task or a project in the future, Arthur is going to be able to guide him and remind him that he can figure it out.
Arthur also loves Legos. He can take any box of Legos, and no matter how complicated it is, he can get through it faster than any person I've ever met. He not only builds Legos, but he loves to put things together. Everyone who knows him knows that he is the best person to ask to help them put a bed together or put up some shelves. He is so good at it, and he loves to do it.
Here is just a few of the Legos he has built:
Arthur is amazing at making things grow. He has turned a desolate desert into a lush landscape. When we moved into our home, we had nothing but rocks and dirt. He has single-handedly (because I kill everything) created an oasis in our backyard where we can relax and look forward to letting Finn feel safe in the grass.
Here is the yard and our house as it was being built:
This is the front yard today, all of it was done by Arthur:
Here is the backyard behind our house when we moved in:
Here is the backyard oasis he has created:
There are so many other things I want to type here about how incredible Arthur is. I think to narrow it down to one last thing that matters is that Finn will always know that Arthur loves me. I have always felt like the most important love in a home is the love between a dad and a mom. If the kids know that their parents love each other, then there will never be a question in their mind about their ability to love them. Love is definitely a trait that can be an example. When love is observed, it can be felt by the observer. Arthur treats me with respect, he treats me with kindness and generosity. He is intuitive about what I need. I don't have to ask him for many things because he seems to just know. In my nearly 10 years of knowing Arthur, I have not once worried about whether or not he loves me. That has always been a for sure thing. He always holds my hand, and he is patient with me when I want to be near him. These things are crucial for a son to observe in his father. Arthur is the best example of being a loving husband first and then a loving father. Both are important, but without that foundation of a centered, happy marriage - a household will fall. Everything stems from that, and I know Arthur will never show Finn anything else. It is such a relief having this in my life, I really am the luckiest girl in the world - which means that Finn will be the luckiest son in the world.
Happy first Father's Day, Arthur! You are the best daddy already. Finn knows it, because he is happier when you are around. When you are around, I am calmer, and happier, and Finn can feel how happy we are to have him coming here soon. He can't wait for you to hold him and show him how amazing this world is. He wants you to teach him how to build Legos, and put together a fish tank. He wants to explore outside with you and learn how you make things in the garden grow.
Finn and I love you very, very much! Have a great day today! You deserve it! :)
I like the fact that there are two isolated days during the year where we can celebrate being parents. I think birthdays and anniversaries and Valentine's Day are all great reasons to celebrate special days. When I woke up this morning, the first thought I had was that it was Arthur's first Father's Day! I was really excited to get up and celebrate it with him. As I've been sitting here thinking about what to write, I have had so many amazing things come to mind. I thought it would be cool to share a little bit more about why I knew Arthur would be a great dad.
When we were dating, Arthur was always the most patient person with his sisters, cousins, nieces and nephew. He never got frustrated with them or showed any sort of annoyance about how clingy they were with him. He let them climb all over him like he was a jungle gym. He just laughed and played right along with them.
During the first Christmas we spent together, Arthur and his family blew me away with how many amazing gifts they gave each other. At first, I was a little intimidated, thinking "How will I ever keep up with this?!" The piles and piles of presents for every person was something I'd never seen before. I even had my own pile, and we hadn't even been dating officially for a month! I know what you're thinking - That sounds so material and non-Christmas... but what I learned was this is one of the many ways his family shows each other love. They spend a lot of time thinking about the perfect gifts that will make that person really happy. Each gift is so thoughtful, it's never just a gift. I thought as I opened my 12th (or something) gift on that Christmas that if Arthur is a dad, he will make sure his kids are not forgotten on any holiday.
Arthur is the hardest working person I've ever met. I've seen people at some jobs where they are able to keep going all day, and never take a break. Arthur really is this person. A great example is just the other day at our baby shower with his family. He woke up at 9:00 AM and started cooking and cleaning the house in preparation of the party. He did not stop once to sit and rest. He was on his feet all day. I went to my Midwife appointment at 10:00 and when I got back, he'd transformed the upstairs into a tropical paradise for the party! He kept working through until 6PM when his family arrived.
This is so typical of him. He never likes to spend hours doing nothing, he is always being productive and making things better. From home improvement, to our garden, to cooking, to cleaning... I always have an example in him to remind me that there is always something more I can do to stay productive. This example and quality is going to be priceless when Finn is here. Finn will never wonder if his dad has energy to do something with him. He will always know that if he wants to go catch bugs or play outside or build Legos that Arthur is willing to do it with him. Arthur's ability to stay busy is one of the main reasons why I married him.
Arthur is ridiculously smart. I had dated other guys in the past who struggled to maintain an intelligent conversation with me. I am not shy to say that I really felt like I was smarter than most guys I had dated. It was weird for me to finally spend time with someone who knew more about everything than I did. I loved the challenge and the opportunity I had to learn more from Arthur. Arthur's intelligence is not just knowing a lot of things. He is confidently intelligent, which means that if he isn't sure about what to do about something, he doesn't let it stop him. I on the other hand sometimes get frustrated and sit down to mentally think about why I can't figure something out. Arthur just keeps thinking, keeps trying until he gets it right. A prime example of this is all of the work he's done on our home. He has finished virtually our entire basement. It started out as an empty concrete room that spread across our whole basement. There were no walls, no doors... just a big room. He has turned it into an incredible living area - all on his own! No one has had to come over and help him with the plumbing, or the wiring, or the drywall, or the framing, or the tiling. You have to be smart to be able to do something like this.
Here is the basement in progress when he first started working on it:
Here is the basement after, and before the furniture was put in:
Here is the downstairs bathroom before, just after he'd started framing the room and putting up the walls:
Here is the finished product - he did it all on his own!
Not only is he smart about home improvement, he knows everything about animals. He has created an incredible reef in the stone "fish fort" he built downstairs. He can rattle off stats about how much salt needs to be in the water, or how the skimmer works, or how fish need a certain type of coral. The complex set up he's made in his fish fort shows his ability to think intelligently. I don't know if there's a book or a website out there that outlines step-by-step how to do what he's done. I'm pretty sure he's had to just be smart about what the fish need, and figure it out. I love that about Arthur! When Finn is frustrated with a task or a project in the future, Arthur is going to be able to guide him and remind him that he can figure it out.
Arthur also loves Legos. He can take any box of Legos, and no matter how complicated it is, he can get through it faster than any person I've ever met. He not only builds Legos, but he loves to put things together. Everyone who knows him knows that he is the best person to ask to help them put a bed together or put up some shelves. He is so good at it, and he loves to do it.
Here is just a few of the Legos he has built:
Arthur is amazing at making things grow. He has turned a desolate desert into a lush landscape. When we moved into our home, we had nothing but rocks and dirt. He has single-handedly (because I kill everything) created an oasis in our backyard where we can relax and look forward to letting Finn feel safe in the grass.
Here is the yard and our house as it was being built:
This is the front yard today, all of it was done by Arthur:
Here is the backyard behind our house when we moved in:
Here is the backyard oasis he has created:
There are so many other things I want to type here about how incredible Arthur is. I think to narrow it down to one last thing that matters is that Finn will always know that Arthur loves me. I have always felt like the most important love in a home is the love between a dad and a mom. If the kids know that their parents love each other, then there will never be a question in their mind about their ability to love them. Love is definitely a trait that can be an example. When love is observed, it can be felt by the observer. Arthur treats me with respect, he treats me with kindness and generosity. He is intuitive about what I need. I don't have to ask him for many things because he seems to just know. In my nearly 10 years of knowing Arthur, I have not once worried about whether or not he loves me. That has always been a for sure thing. He always holds my hand, and he is patient with me when I want to be near him. These things are crucial for a son to observe in his father. Arthur is the best example of being a loving husband first and then a loving father. Both are important, but without that foundation of a centered, happy marriage - a household will fall. Everything stems from that, and I know Arthur will never show Finn anything else. It is such a relief having this in my life, I really am the luckiest girl in the world - which means that Finn will be the luckiest son in the world.
Happy first Father's Day, Arthur! You are the best daddy already. Finn knows it, because he is happier when you are around. When you are around, I am calmer, and happier, and Finn can feel how happy we are to have him coming here soon. He can't wait for you to hold him and show him how amazing this world is. He wants you to teach him how to build Legos, and put together a fish tank. He wants to explore outside with you and learn how you make things in the garden grow.
Finn and I love you very, very much! Have a great day today! You deserve it! :)
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