She's Baaack!

Okay, today is June 23 and my last post was on May 31 so I am not exactly setting the world on fire with this blogging business! For my faithful little band of readers, I apologize for my absence and hope you will stay tuned as I plan to be better about updating this site. Lots of happenings in and around Chez Mason over the past month, but I just didn't feel like writing about any of it. Do you ever think that your life is not nearly as interesting to others as it is to you? Well, that was my thought process as I would think about blog ideas and then immediately discard them as being too boring or too goofy or just not worth the effort to type. However, even though I am a bit belated in sending out this Father's Day greeting, I did want to let you know about some of the extraordinary dads who grace my life.

First there is my dad, Lloyd. Known as Gdaddy around these parts - he was formerly Grandaddy to my children but now that there are the little pixies running around we have shortened it to Gdaddy and it seems to fit him nicely! There are those in this world (namely my mom and my sister) who would be quick to tell you that I am very much like my father. I am going to take that as a compliment, because the man never meets a stranger. When the kids were small they used to ask me if Grandaddy knows everyone in Fayetteville, where they live. Because they would see him wave to every passing car and he talks to anyone who stands still long enough! If he is at Cracker Barrel, he might be chatting with strangers while waiting for a table. At the funeral home, he is usually surrounded by a laughing group to whom he is telling some very tall tale. (this plagues my mother tremendously, as it is quite unseemly to be having such a good time at the funeral home!!) My father loves his family more than anything in the world - he would do anything for us and he revels in hearing about the antics of the pixie-girls. He is the man against whom I measure all other men and I love him very, very much. Thanks for being the kind of person you are, Pops - you're the best!

Second, there is my spouse Chris. Also known as Toph, to the pixies. He is one of the most hard-working people I have ever met. You know how most men define themselves by their jobs, and how well they are doing at them? This is Chris to a T! He has high morals and loves the Lord. He loves his family and always wants the best for us. Chris is a patriot, who can get emotional about anything related to our military men and women and their sacrifices for our country. And he has instilled that sense of patriotism in our children, particularly Cameron who will be going off to the Naval Academy next week. Chris has been a very good father to our children and they all respect him very much.

Lastly, there are Matt and Nick - son and son-in-law, respectively. Matt is so much like his father, and I see that when he is with his girls Isabelle and Ava. Both Chris and Matt seem to be somewhat at a loss with the girly-girl things such as dolls and dress-up and puzzles and books. Nope, they are men who love them some sports, so I surely do hope that Is and Ava have some athletic ability in their little bodies! Matt is also a hard worker who wants to provide for his family. He is kind and loving but he doesn't always like for everyone to know that, so he keeps it under wraps at times. Well, your secret is out bud so you can just go on and get mushy and give us hugs - we won't mind!! I see so much potential there in Matt and as he matures and becomes happy in his new job as a firefighter I think that he will just really surprise us all. Nick is a blessing to our family and a great dad to Ansley and Ellie. He DOES like to play pretend with Ansley - he is always the prince and she is the princess. He dances and reads with voices and watches movies with the girls and they adore him. Nick is a very godly man and is another fella who just never meets a stranger. We love him as though he were a blood relation and we know that Dana feels so blessed to have met and married him.

So, to all of the wonderful, loving, thoughtful, hard-working men in my life - thank you for being you!!

Lana