5th September 2016

Yesterday we celebrated Father’s Day.
Our day started like most other families with young children. Early.

Spencer came in, as he does each day, to wake me and tell me the time he had woken up. We make a deal every night when I’m tucking him in, on what time he is allowed to get out of bed the next morning because he wakes SO early…! It’s my way of getting him to stay in bed, snug and warm for a little longer.
The deal made for Sunday was 6:50am, so naturally, he came into see me at 6:51am.
We left Andrew to sleep, and crept into wake Lily to get presents ready and surprise Daddy.
At 8:30am we snuck in to wake him with hot coffee and gifts in hand. Two very excited kidlets.
After unwrapping token Father’s Day stall gifts ‘Worlds Best Dad’ stubby holder and a ‘My Dad, My Hero’ photo frame (score!), as well as a couple of new shirts for our upcoming holiday, and a nice bottle of Scotch, we headed up to the kitchen for a cooked breakfast.
Bacon and eggs, pancakes, croissants and fresh berries.

I also made sure we captured our annual Daddy’s day photo. I’ve been doing this for 4 years now and my only regret is that I wish I had thought of it sooner.
Each year – same position, same pose.
I just adore this image. All of my favourite humans in one little square. So much love and adoration here!!

In the early afternoon we headed out to meet up with my Dad and sister for lunch.
A lovely afternoon spent together. Good food, great company, happy kids and happy Dads. What more could we ask for?
I have so much respect for my Papa Bear. When he was 42, his life was flipped upside down and inside out, yet he soldiered through and raised my brother, sister and myself solo, and did a bloody good job! (We are all fairly normal…)
He is a wonderful Grandpa (Poppy) to our Lily and Spencer. They have such a nice bond. I think it helps that he’s always buying them Kinder Surprises and Freddo frogs… The way he loves my Andrew like his own son. So much love.

We then headed off, just our little tribe of 4, to visit Andrew’s Dad. My Father-in-law and the kids other Grandpa, who passed away 27 years ago. You see, Andrew and I have quite a unique bond. We both lost a parent as young children. Andrew was only 7 when his dear Dad passed away in his sleep from a massive heart attack. This was something that we actually spoke of at our very first meeting back in 1999 (over our sharing of a bottle of Mississippi Moonshine…). It was something that we instantly understood about each other. To know that we actually, wholeheartedly GET it.
I don’t ever feel alone in my loss. My heart is half broken, and his is too.

Teaching our children about their Grandparents who are no longer with us, is very important to us. It’s important for us to keep the conversation alive and the questions from little minds coming. Not only for the kids, but also for the two of us. To keep my Mum’s and Andrew’s Dad’s memories alive. For the kids to know how much their Nanny Deb and Grandpa John would have absolutely adored them. To know they would have loved to watch them come into the world and watch them grow into the fine little humans they are today. To know how proud their Grandparents would be of them.
This is part of us, part of our story and part of them too.

We ended the day stopping at a local school for a Father’s Day basketball play off.
Safe to say we let Andrew win!

I hope you all enjoyed celebrating the special Fathers in your life. Those who are still here with us, and those who we remember with great love.

Big love,
– C xx