Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Father's Day

Time seems to be flying these days, despite more time at home. Father's Day was here before we knew it! I am so grateful to have three amazing fathers in my life.

My own Dad...he's known me my whole life! A man of few words and actions speak louder than words ever could. Family means everything to my dad and he sacrificed many times over the years to provide for us and give us opportunities he never had.

My dad loves to travel and we went on many family adventures in my younger years in our motor home. Even as I got older, I was able to travel with him and Mum to see the Smoky Mountains and the rolling hills of Pennsylvania. I'm pretty sure Dad ingrained my love of travel in me with all of those trips. And not just my love of travel but also country music :)

Growing up on the farm, there were always lots of jobs to be done to help out. At the time, I hated it. But, now I appreciate the work ethic he was instilling in each of us. Despite not finishing school, Dad is very capable in a wide variety of trades and skills. I like that about him - I always felt he could do anything I asked him!

Then I met Devin. Not only did I fall in love with this man as my husband but I also fell in love with the Daddy that he is to Cody. He lovingly guides him, corrects him and leads by example. He takes his role seriously and invests in his relationship with his son regularly.

Devin is the perfect blend of a manly-man that knows his way around the garage and a tender-hearted, caring and encouraging daddy. I am so blessed to walk beside him on this journey.

And...what a bonus! When I met Devin, I met Randy :) Randy is Devin's stepdad and I immediately knew we would connect. I saw a lot of similarities with my own dad and could see the evidence of his love and sacrifice in the lives of Devin and Cody.

Before I met Devin, I really didn't know any step families. There just weren't many in my social circles so the thought of becoming a step mom was foreign to me. God knew I would need a mentor and He gave me Randy. He has been an inspiration from day one - showing me how to love a child that is not biologically mine without any hesitation. He does not call Devin his "step son"...simply "son" and I have done the same with Cody.

Before 2015, I had only ever had one dad. Now I have two :) I have adopted Randy as Dad and love him as if he were flesh and blood. I received a pretty special Mother's Day card this year. Dad has not been going into stores so he made it. He was concerned I would think it was awful but instead I thought the opposite. It brought tears to my eyes, but you can draw your own conclusion from the picture below. He used a piece of cardboard he had in the house, paint from a model car and a Sobey's flyer for the envelope. Oh, my heart.

I am blessed to have these men (and one red-headed up-and-comer) in my life.