Dia de los Padres

This Father's Day we hosted an afternoon BBQ
to celebrate the incredible men our fathers are
and to thank them for all that they do for us.

We at scrumptious hamburgers and hot dogsPlayed BasketballThrew the football aroundRode scootersGave gifts
And of course, took some family pictures
after we watched McIlroy win the Open.

My Familia
My in-laws
And daddy with his girls by the pool
It felt like the perfect way to celebrate our dads!

We love you!!

{Note: No, this is not our house.
We're house-sitting.}

#iheartbaseball

Goodness me, isn't Petco Park absolutely beautiful?
I know.

Last night, dad and I enjoyed a game together
to celebrate his big 50th birthday.

As much as I would have loved for the Padres to win
{and really, to have a winning season this year}
I set my expectations a little lower last night.
All I hoped for was an exciting game that finished in 9.
And I got what I asked for.
Jurrjens threw an exceptional complete game
and the Padres kept it interesting with sloppy pitching.
It was a bummer they lost, but still a fun time.

I mean, c'mon
who can deny a ballpark hotdog,
a bag of peanuts
and people who sit behind you asking,
'do they like get penalty points for leaving runners on base?'
It was aw-to-the-some.

And for the first time in quite a while,
I kept score last night.
I know, I know, it's a geeky habit, but I just love it.
I love knowing how many first-pitch strikes the pitcher has thrown.
I love knowing which of the up-coming batters are lefties.
I love knowing all sorts of silly randoms like that.
And I love being invested in every pitch.
It takes me back to my days on the mound.


PS: Padres scorecard makers, if you're listening,
have you ever kept score before?
Your design is no bueno.

What's Half of a Hundred?

There's a special connection between a father and his daughter.

A connection that I'm sure starts when he holds his little girl for the first time,

A connection that grows as he teaches her to throw a ball and swing a bat.
A connection that celebrates with award ceremonies, graduations and championship games.
A connection that is challenged yet reinforced through those awful teen years.
A connection that deepens as they share life {and cry} together.
A connection that is transformed as he walks his little girl down the aisle to give her away.
A connection that smiles as they discuss business over mid-week lunch dates.
And a connection that continues to grow more and more each day.

As we celebrate another year of my dad's life,
with BBQs, gifts, Padres Games and an upcoming family vacation...
I think about the strong relationship we've worked to develop.

I'm so thankful to have a dad that both knows and loves the Lord
a dad that is careful with his words and gives wise advice
a dad that is handsome and works so very hard
a dad that challenges and encourages
a dad that I love to itty-bitty pieces.

Happy 50th, Daddy!

I love you.

The Short Weekend

After a pretty busy week,
it was nice to enjoy a relaxing [and slightly warmer]
weekend at home.

Flying into Sandy Ego, Home.Sweet.Home
Breakfast and a walk&talk sesh with my daddy
A productive day around the homestead - chores, cleaning, bills...
Finally getting Putt Putt fixed for under 300 buckaroos
Dinner with Team Kooker
The Adjustment Bureau
Lots of snuggling
The third service at church (darn you DLS!)
Fruit smoothies in the springtime sunshine
A stroll around Coronado
New olive oil and balsamic. MmM!
Shave Ice Ice, Baby!
2 (count em, two!) afternoon naparoos
The fact that it didn't get dark til 7p last night
Lazy movies on the couch with the hubs.

The Sting

On our first full day in Maui
I stepped on one of those pesky little bees.

And since I have some sort of allergic reaction to those boogers,
the bottom of my foot swelled up and hurt so much
that I hobbled around for a couple days.
(Great way to start a vacation, I know)

But seriously, how could one little creature
cause such a commotion?

Well, when my parents came over for dinner last weekend,
my comedian of a father
brought me these little antique dishes
as a joke.

Very funny, dad!

Father's Day Fun

To celebrate Father's Day this year,
we went to church with my Papa,
and my uncle's family joined us for brunch!



On our way home,
we stopped at the Americana
for dinner and dessert in the park,
good conversation,
and a little shopping.


It was a lovely way to celebrate Dad!

The Forty-Niner

Today my dad turns forty-nine.

I would imagine it's a little strange to be that close to fifty.
But I have a feeling dad's probably more bummed about being a forty-niner
simply because he's a die-hard Cowboys fan. =)

FOUR my dad's birthday, here are NINE things I absolutely love about him:

1. He's a man of God and loves the Lord.
2. He's as tender and sensitive as can be.
3. He's got killer problem-solving skills.
4. He cherishes his family to pieces.
5. He does all the manly stuff around the house, but still watches OTH! ;-)
6. He's wise and careful with his words.
7. He makes me laugh.
8. He always tells me that he's proud of me.
9. He's never stopped coaching.

I love you, Daddy!
Happy Birthday!

Here ya go, Dad!

We've had a Christmas wreath hanging on our front door

for the last four months
because I hadn't found a good one
to replace it with quite yet.

Surprisingly, it didn't bother me much,
but every time my dad comes over
he makes another silly joke about it.

So...I made a new one.

Here ya go, Dad!

Fahj and his Dahj-es

Remember when my sister finished esthetician school last month?
Well, yesterday was her big day: State Board Exams.

Wednesday night, my dad, sister and I headed up to Glendale.
Our mini-road trip was filled with countless musical reenactments:
Hairspray, Wicked, Pocahontas... plus a little Buble and Collait.

The weather was lovely Wednesday night
so we walked around the city
and enjoyed appetizers, drinks, dessert
and a bit of comical relief at the Cheesecake factory.I'm pretty sure our motel (read: ghetto-fabulous collection of rooms)
was a safe-haven for all the bad guys
our dear friend JackBauer chases after.After stopping for some yummy tea at CBDL,
we dropped Lys off for her written exam on Thursday morning.
While she tested, Dad and I headed over
to the Rose Bowl for a little joyride and a father-daughter chat.
The houses up in those hills are just absolutely beautiful.A favorite of Lyssa's, we enjoyed a slice of New York style
pepperoni pizza in the park for lunch.Then it was back to the State Board office for the practical exam.
Enter: my role.
When testing for your license, there's a 110 question written exam
and a 90-minute practical exam that consists of
facials, waxing, tweezing, and cosmetic application.
All in silence.
Thirty minutes later, the candidates come back to hear their results.
And although it wasn't a surprise to anyone....
SHE PASSED!To celebrate, we went out for cupcakes at the local Crumbs bakery.And of course we did a little bit of shopping.
We jammed to the tunes all the way home.
And stopped for burgers at one of my favorite places.It was such a beautiful day for a daddy-daughter date.
And we're so proud that our family now has a LICENSED ESTHETICIAN!

To Dine with Daddy

My dad took me out to lunch today. And it made me wish we could do it every week.

I love hearing about his job, especially because now I understand more than "computer stuff." I love listening to him talk sweetly about my mom. I love walking, er running, down memory lane. I love all the wisdom he has to bestow upon his eldest. And I cherish, absolutely cherish, the time we get to spend together.

I'm so thankful that I have such a wonderful male role model in my life. And that he's so beautifully shared his role as #1 Fan with Jeremiah.

Thank you, dad, for being proud of me, for teaching me, and for sharing your raw thoughts with me. I really appreciate you and am proud of you -- and I want the blogging world to know it!

A handful of manly change

My husband.
He's one bright shiny penny.
He covers my eyes during the scary parts in the movie.
He leaves a little light on for me at night so I don't stumble when I get up to pee.
He does the dishes 'cuz he knows I'd prefer not to.
Thank you, baby.

My boss.
Another penny today.
He clipped a couple UT articles this weekend that he thought I'd like.
Thanks, boss.

My fahj.
Yet another.
He spent two evenings of his holiday weekend to help us mount our tv on the wall.
Thanks, daddy.

Mr DMV worker.
The most unexpected.
He smiles and makes jokes at the at the place of grumps.
Thank you, stranger.
You made the DMV a lovely place to be this morning