A Father's Day Tribute

I looked back and saw that I didn't really do this for Mother's Day so I am including my mom in this one, too since she is a Father Maker.

I am thankful for my mom for making everything special. Sundays, holidays, birthdays...she effortlessly makes things better than you expect. She is a wonderful grandmother who my kids adore. She has shoulders the size of Mount Olympus to shoulder all of my sisters' and my problems. She is the first one I go to when I need a prayer because her faith is unwavering even in the worst of circumstances. She loves her family so fiercely that she isn't afraid to shout it from the rooftops. She never makes us feel like she is too busy to talk or just listen (I need to find out how she did that because when my kids are going on and on about something..."and then she did this and then she did that and, like....", I am screaming in my head, "Make it stop!") She is beautiful and I hope she knows how much I love and appreciate her (she doesn't read the blog).

I am thankful for my dad because he is the most reliable man I know. If I need him, he will drop everything to help me out. He is easy to talk to and I appreciate his stories of when he was younger because it helps me know the man he is today. He loves his family fiercely but unlike my mom, he does it quietly. He listens to us and then chimes in only when we ask. He gives great advice and has a way of making you feel like any problem is not as big as you think. He is a great grandfather and makes the kids feel special by going to the games they cheer at or play in. When Nico or Tommy have a good game, the first person they want to talk to if he wasn't at the game is my dad. I love and appreciate him and am thankful that he worked so hard so that my mom was able to stay home with all of us.

I am thankful for my gramps because he's always been my biggest supporter. I love that nothing stops him (except flooded streets or blizzards) from coming over on Sundays and I love hearing how it was in the "old days". When I was in college, he would send me letters and I cherished every one of them. He has a great sense of humor and I love that when he goes to my kids' games, he tells anyone that will listen that, "That's my great grandson out there! He's the best one out there!" I love him with all my heart and when our family gets together and it gets loud like it often does, we love to tell him, "See, look what you started!"

I am thankful for my mother-in-law's husband. He is a great grandfather to my kids. I am thankful that he takes such good care of Leo's mom and that he goes out of his way to make every visit a special one.

I want to mention here how thankful I am for a dad that is no longer with us. Leo's dad. I am thankful that Leo is just like his dad who was a man that loved his family and whose son meant the world to him. He was a private man that I didn't get a chance to know very well but I loved him all the same. He passed away in 1993 from stomach cancer and it was one of the hardest years for Leo. I know he looks down from Heaven and sees Leo being a great dad and he sees his grandkids but I wish all the time that he was here so the kids could know him. I think he would have gotten such a kick out of Leo, being and only child and having 4 kids. I think he would have gone to all of the kids' activities and I am sad that I missed out on being his daughter-in-law.

Last but not least, Leo. I know I give him a hard time (much of it is deserved) but I love him with my whole heart and I am so thankful that he is such a great dad. He takes an interest in all that they do and has coached them since they were 4 years old. He helps with homework and makes each one of them feel special and loved. I am thankful that he works so hard so that I can be a stay at home mom. I knew he'd be a good dad when I married him but he has far exceeded my expectations. With everything we have been through, the one thing that always remained constant was how much he loved his kids and would go to the ends of the earth to protect them and make sure they were okay.

Happy Father's Day! And for all the women that read this: Happy Father-Making day! (I stole that from my dad.)