Family: The Gallery Week 102

I love this week’s theme. It seems perfectly fitting after a weekend that we have devoted to family, celebrating LBG’s birthday on Saturday with a fairly epic party, and then reveling in the awesomeness of the man we call Daddy on Father’s Day.

I remember the day that DH and I became a family, and find it impossible to believe that The Wonder Hound has been in our lives for nearly five years. She was good training for parenthood: getting up in the night to deal with her, never being able to leave her alone for very long, and having to take her into account whenever we planned a trip.

Then again, owning a dog is a far cry from being a Mamma and a Daddy. The best thing about parenthood for me has been watching DH become a Daddy. Not that The Girls aren’t awesome, but it is still amazing to watch the man you love grow in confidence handling tiny babies, to watch your children run to him excitedly when he comes home from work, to smile to yourself as he searches for the right words when his daughters give him a drawing as a present. He is a brilliant friend, a great coach and a wonderful confidante.

What never ceases to amaze me is the time that he wants to spend with our Girls. When offered the chance to do anything to celebrate his birthday, or Father’s Day, he always wants to spend time as a family, doing something together. I confess that I am usually a bit exhausted spending time with LBG and Dimples by the time Friday afternoon arrives, yet he craves the chance for us all to be together. He loves getting home in time to read them stories during the week. He relishes the weekend mornings making breakfast with them. He could spend hours discussing the way that bees pollinate plants, or how to play hockey. And I love to watch him be mesmerised by them. I love to watch them mesmerised by him, soaking up his knowledge. I love watching my family grow closer, love each other more. I love him more. I love them more. The babies that made us a family.