Family

I love my family.

Though this should be fairly obvious I sometimes feel like I need to express that more. It's amazing just how much having children forces you to change your priorities and challenge yourself to be the very best parent that you can be. I have always said that if I could be half the man my father was to me when I was growing up then I would feel good about the job that I am doing in raising my daughters. I am not the easiest person to live with, and my patient and long-suffering wife sometimes has to put up with my stressed-out and cantankerous self. I was thinking about Proverbs 12 verse 1 today when it says that 'A man who hates correction is stupid". I feel that there is much truth in this verse, and I feel convicted by it. I am not a person who handles criticism very well coming from family, but I am working on changing my attitude to be more in line with what God expects from me. I am truly a blessed man, and during this season when people gather with their loved ones to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ there is nowhere I would rather be than right here with mine!!

Bonus!!!

Here is a pic of Clara in her snazzy new specs!!

Decompression

Well today was quite a day for the girls. As I walked in the door from work I could see the relief in Elis's face as I strode into the kitchen. I have been thinking over the last few days about how stressful having 1 baby is, let alone 2. I really have been blessed with a wife who exhibits an extreme (and sometimes irritating) amount of patience. She is able to manage the chaos all day and still manages to allow me time to work out at night after a long day at the office. I was thinking how hard it must be when she left for a few minutes to run a couple of errands at my insistance. I just wanted her to be able to get away from the madness for a few, but I was unprepared for the meltdown that ensued. I know my girls love me, but sometimes I wonder whether or not they like me at all, since they decided soon after she left that they would test daddy's patience by having a synchronized fit. I ended up calling her, which I did NOT want to do, but it made me realize how much I depend on her as much, if not more, as the girls do. All ended well of course, when mom came and saved the day. I am still getting the hang of the whole daddy thing but I am enjoying the ride. Everyone says to enjoy this time now because they will be grown and gone before we know it so I am stealing all the kisses I can while they are unable to defend themselves. Still, I feel a little better knowing that I am getting more and more capable of taking care of them so that Elis can feel like an adult for a little while.