He Was Always There

Gotta love being a child of the eighties. I have no idea what made me make that face - probably the visor that my mom shoved on my head, but whatever. This was a position that was quite familiar in my childhood. Propped up on my Daddy's knee while he watched the Bulldogs play.

So today, on Father's Day, I wanted to thank my Daddy for the countless things he's done for me over the past 30 years. Our family wasn't perfect by any means, but now that I'm all grown up, I appreciate what we had all the more. He held it all together.

He used to work full days, come home long enough to change clothes, and then take me out to the softball fields, where he would hit hundreds of ground balls for me to practice fielding. He worked and traveled a lot, but he was always there to watch my games. Whether it was a volleyball game or a choir concert at church, he was there. Every time. For that, I'm grateful.

Thanks, Dad, for being my biggest fan and my strongest advocate. I love you and can't imagine who I would be without you.

"It's only when you grow up, and step back from him, or leave him for your own career and your own home—it's only then that you can measure his greatness and fully appreciate it. Pride reinforces love."

—Margaret Truman

Love you, Daddy.

Freshly Minted: Barnyard Crew Invitations

I'm really, really excited to share these invitations with you. A couple of months ago, minted hosted a children's birthday party challenge, and I designed my entries specifically with baby girl's upcoming birthday in mind. She'll be one next week, y'all. Be still my heart.

But I digress. Since we're living on the farm with Dennis' parents right now, a farm-themed party seemed wholly appropriate for Kendall's first birthday celebration.

Enter my Barnyard Crew invitations, available exclusively at minted, shown here in the Barnyard Red colorway. I literally squealed from the cuteness when I received them last week. I paired them with aqua envelopes, then finished them off with cheery yellow address labels and red gingham washi tape.

Aren't they the sweetest thing ever? It was so much fun to order my own design from minted and ship them off to our family and friends. The big day is just over a week away, and now that everyone has had time to receive their invites in the mail, I just couldn't wait any longer to share them with you.

One last little close-up of the animals that I created. I think the spotted cow is my favorite. Or maybe it's the chick. I can't decide. So stinkin' cute.

Perfect for any tot's farm party, boys and girls alike. Get your Barnyard Crew invites at minted and use the code SHOPZU2BCU to get 10 percent off your entire order.

Don't say I never gave you anything ;)

Until next time, grace and peace.

The Simple Things: How a Water Trough Saved the Day

First of all, I wanted to thank all of you who expressed kindness and concern for Micah the other day. I promise, she's not upset all the time, but when she does miss her friends, she's very, very sad. Understandably so, I'd say. Anyway, I thought I'd lighten things up a bit and show you our version of a baby pool.

Who needs a brightly colored molded plastic baby pool when you've got an extra water trough laying around? Don't worry, we cleaned it first. Or, at least, Dennis told me he cleaned it.

Seriously, we have no idea what happened to our baby pool. We're thinking that it may have blown away during a storm last year. Or maybe Dennis hauled it off because it was cracked. I don't know, but it's gone, and when the weather started heating up, we didn't have a pool for the girls to use. I was a little leery when Dennis first suggested the trough, but, obviously, the girls don't mind.

Fun times are being had at the Jones household this summer. We don't do this every day, but we do it a couple of times a week.

It's the simple things, ya know?

Until next time, grace and peace.