Once upon a time, when we were childless, we walked into a restaurant for breakfast on Father's Day. A small child was excitedly waiting for their father to unwrap the amazing gift that had been chosen for day. We watched with amusement as Dad unwrapped, and looked across the table at Mom like she had lost her mind - yet pretended that this three wick candle was the heart's desire of Dad's everywhere. The child squealed and beamed, oh this was the PERFECT gift for Daddy, Mommy was RIGHT!
Mom looked pretty smug and I'm sure that she had the floral ring already picked out to go around that sucker. Something like this.
OH YEAH. That's the stuff. (If you didn't live this life in your 20s don't start now, it's over.)
It was this moment, observing Mom being selfish and Dad being a good guy that we vowed not to do that to each other in the future. Unless we specifically asked for something bizarre and out of character, we were NOT going to do that to one another. I think we've done a pretty good job of it.
For instance, I'm on a diet - YET I got up early yesterday and made him a FIESTA of bacon treats, starting with
Alton Brown's Lacquered Bacon.
I did have a couple of pieces when it was all said and done. I have to admit, this is probably the best bacon treat I've ever had and this fat girl can eat some bacon. Pre-diet me would've had a lot more, so that's just proof it's really for him. He loved it. But I wasn't done. I wanted to bake him something else with the fancy bacon I bought so after I searched pinterest forever and couldn't find exacly what I was looking for,
Christa gave me a link to Joy the Baker and I decided on Peanut Butter Bacon cookies.
They were so so so good.
They are sweet and salty and everything good about both bacon and peanut butter. Everything. I could eat my weight in them, but no - down fat girl down.
After we fed Dad a special dad breakfast...we headed out for our annual adventure.
I wrapped the bacon plus served him regular bacon, yes that's right - TWO KINDS OF BACON FOR BREAKFAST. YOLO.
We made our annual trek - well it's supposed to be annual but we don't always make it - to Brasstown Bald. I'd tell you that it's sort of amazing, the air is fresher, it's awesome, it's almost a personal moment of peace and calm at the top of the mountain but I think you have to go without four kids to actually get that experience. It is beautiful and for a short time we make sure that our Daddy is the tallest Dad in Georgia.
It was a gorgeous day. We didn't spend as much time up on top as might have done as it was a minefield of dogs (cue Miles freaking out) and also we got there a bit later than we wanted. But fun was had regardless.
Inside the visitor center there are lots of activities, Louis and Julia sawed a log, and both did the lottery for plots of land. Poor Louis got worthless land, he would've been one screwed pioneer. Julia got awesome land full of timber. Maybe she'll let Louis come work her land with her.
One of my favorite moments of they day happened quietly when no one was looking. I was watching the twins and looked over to see Scott and Louis looking out the window at the mountains. They were caught in silhouette because of the light and I couldn't believe what I was looking at.
There stands our baby almost as tall as his father. He's still a little boy at 12 but yet he isn't. I remember the day we brought him home perfectly, I remember wondering how we'd ever carry him around as he was so big and heavy. Now he's turning into a young man. He's the reason we ever started having a Father's Day. He's the reason we truly became a family. We thought we were before him, and we would never have known the difference. But when he came into our life he changed us forever in ways I can't explain, but if you're a parent you know what I mean.
The guy who didn't want kids, is a Father of four and loves them all so much. And it all started with a little blonde boy who stole his heart 12 years ago.
Our lives are chaotic and noisy and messy, but yesterday in the chaos, noise, and mess, there were mountains and THREE kinds of bacon. I think it was a pretty good day.
And I'm pretty sure his present was a damn site better than any three wick candle.
We got him The Witcher Three. Because we're geeks.
All of us.
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