Happy Father's Day, Kip!

I always wanted boys. And then I met my husband. And he made me want girls. There are so many girls in this fallen, broken world that have been abused and hurt and mistreated and unloved by their earthly daddies. The way I see it, in this world of broken relationships between fathers and daughters, God provided me with an opportunity to provide at least one little girl with a Daddy who would love her and teach her what it means to be loved by a Daddy the way our heavenly Father loves us. So many girls do not have that, and a few years ago I started thinking that I needed to have girls so they could experience it. And that's when I started wanting girls.

I thought I would have a boy. And every day I'm so thankful that I didn't. And not only because of the amazingness of who Lucy is, although that is certainly part of it. I'm also thankful everyday that I have a girl instead of a boy because of the relationship I daily observe between my husband and my daughter.

I am often brought to tears when I see or think about Kip's love and tenderness and gentleness with his daughter. Lucy is blessed beyond measure to have the Daddy that she has, and I am amazed and thankful at God's goodness to her. I am also amazed by her Daddy. A guy who came from a family of all boys is now the Daddy of a little girl. A whole new world has been opened up to him! I love seeing his protectiveness of his little girl. And I love seeing his bafflement and his confusion over girly clothes and toys. And I love seeing him teach her things. And I love seeing the joy he experiences when Lucy is asleep on his shoulder or laughing at his tickling or kissing his cheeks. And I love seeing Lucy get excited when Daddy comes home, or when he spins her in the air or when he kisses her hurts or wipes her tears away. It is a beautiful picture of the love God has for us that I have been blessed to observe in the persons of my husband and my daughter. Wow.

My husband is an amazing man. He is a wonderful husband and a wonderful Daddy. He gets up in the middle of the night and feeds Lucy. Not just every once in awhile. Every single time she wakes up. When she was little he would get up and bring her to me. Now, he gets up and takes the bottle to her. He changes her poopy diapers without complaining. Not just when I ask him to. He frequently offers to do it for me so I don't have to. He sings to her at night to get her to sleep. A special song that he saves only for her. He feeds her applesauce and yogurt and cookies and icecream. He taught her how to drink out of a straw. He teaches her new words. Yesterday he taught her how to catch a football. He reads her bible stories and he prays for her. He teaches her about Jesus.

I love my husband and Lucy loves her Daddy. We are blessed.

Happy Father's Day to you, Kip!