"Meet My Dad" by Ella and Troy

Happy Father's Day! We are so blessed by Trent in our family. I am also blessed by my father, and the love and guidance he has shown me throughout the years.



I've been completing this interview about Dad from Ella and Troy for a few years now. Their answers are always telling and entertaining! I originally found this interview on Pinterest. 

• What is Daddy’s name? 
• Ella: Trent
• Troy: Trenton
• What does Daddy do for fun?
• Ella: I think he likes to play with us
• Troy: Play with us
• What does Daddy do at work?
• Ella: He. . .  let me think. He studies with students; he helps people learn about the Bible.
• Troy: Works on his computer
• What are his favorite things to eat?
• Ella: Brisket, jalapeño, a lot of things with onions
• Troy: Jalapeños, onions
• What does he like to drink?
• Ella: Diet Dr. Pepper and sometimes coke, and sometimes regular Dr. Pepper
• Troy: Dr. Pepper
• How old is Daddy?
• Ella: Hmm . .  let me think. 33
• Troy: 33
• Where did you and Daddy meet?
• Ella: Whenever you borned me
• Troy: That's hard to tell
• How long have you know Daddy?
• Ella: For 7 and about half years
• Troy: 1000 days
• How tall is Daddy?
• Ella: About 10 ft.
• Troy: Taller than that, a little bit taller than that (reaching his arms way up high), 6 ft. tall. Wait is he that tall? Is he 2 ft. tall?
• What is Daddy’s hair like?
• Ella: Bald, pretty much and then he has little dots on his hair area.
• Troy: No hair
• How much does Daddy weigh?
• Ella: Hmm . .that's hard. Let me think for a minute. Much more than me.
• Troy: Huh, 10 lbs. Does he really weigh 10 lbs. pounds? How much does he weigh?
• What makes Daddy the best?
• Ella: Having fun and playing with us.
• Troy: Letting us watch a movie.
• What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy?
• Ella: Have a day together and have fun.
• Troy: Play with him

Father's Day Interviews

So, I'm late posting this, but I couldn't resist sharing Ella and Troy's answers about their dad in the Father's Day interview I've been doing every year. And, since we are currently out of the country I wasn't able to take "D-A-D" photos yet, but I'm planning on taking them when we get back in the country.

I originally found this interview on Pinterest. 

• What is Daddy’s name? 
• Ella: Trent
• Troy: I can't know
• What does Daddy do for fun?
• Ella: Play with us
• Troy: Play basketball and play with us and we the get basketball away
• What does Daddy do at work?
• Ella: Teach people about the Bible
• Troy: Teach and study
• What are his favorite things to eat?
• Ella: Peaches and oranges and pears
• Troy: I don't know
• What does he like to drink?
• Ella: Dr. Pepper and Coke Zero
• Troy: Coffee
• How old is Daddy?
• Ella: 32
• Troy: I don't know
• Where did you and Daddy meet?
• Ella: We met when I became a baby
• Troy: At the church building
• How long have you know Daddy?
• Ella: How long I've been alive
• Troy: 34
• How tall is Daddy?
• Ella: I don't know
• Troy: He's about that big maybe (reaching his arms up)
• What is Daddy’s hair like?
• Ella: Not hair at all
• Troy: Little dots
• How much does Daddy weigh?
• Ella: 34 lbs, but that's just a guess, ok?
• Troy: About that tall
• What makes Daddy the best?
• Ella: Me loving him
• Troy: Playing with us
• What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy?
• Ella: Play basketball with us, and play with us, and Father's Day, and having fruits with us, and I love him, and talking with him
• Troy: Play with him

Three Ways to Encourage My Children's Relationship With Their Father

It goes without saying that as a wife and a mother I have a lot of responsibilities and influence within my family. When it comes to raising my children, the responsibilities sometimes feel countless and never-ending, and though those responsibilities are often exhausting, those responsibilities really are a great blessing. One of those great blessings includes the opportunity for me as their mother to uplift their father.  Am I building up their relationship with their father, or tearing it down?

1. Show my husband respect. The world, particularly through media such as TV and movies, often show fathers to be incapable, ignorant, irrelevant, and irrational, and then act as though men can't help being those things. I need to remind my children that their father is none of those things! Do I encourage them to respect their father by my own actions? Do I nag at him and drag him down? Do I make it easy for him to lead our family? My relationship with my husband as a wife shows my children what I really think about him, as well as my attitude towards following God's Word since I'm called to a standard when it comes to my relationship with my husband (Ephesians 5:22-33). 
2. Discipline my children. As mama I must be involved in discipling our children. If I leave all the discipling up to my husband, what kind of view of daddy will that give our children? Additionally, if I don't discipline them, that can also bring on other problems besides skewing their view of their father, particularly in regards to how they behave when only I'm around. This also goes back to the idea that I wrote about before that mama and daddy are a team. 
3. Allow him to manage, play, and interact with our children as he sees fit.  I suppose this could have been classified under the idea of showing my husband respect, but I'm separating it out. Have you ever noticed how boys and girls naturally play differently? (I have that on perfect display in my house right now!) I shouldn't expect my husband to interact with the kids the same way that I do. When I try to put how our children play and interact with their daddy into a box of "dos and don'ts" based on how I would act, I may be hindering their relationship. One of my children's absolute favorite things to do is to play "wrestle" with daddy. Is that how I would play with them? No, but does that mean it is a "wrong" thing to do? Not at all! In fact, it is special time of bonding for them. Similarly, do I complain about how he dresses or feeds the kids? He's plenty capable and responsible to take care of our children. Just because things aren't done exactly the way I might do it, doesn't mean it is wrong or inadequate. 

I'm more thankful every day for my husband and how he lives his life as a husband and father. Our family is blessed daily through his leadership and love.

Happy Father's Day!

I do not have the words to express how truly blessed our family is because of my husband, and his love as husband and father. His life constantly shows his love towards our family in everything from his leadership to his firm hand to his gentleness and compassion. Thank you for all you do and are for our family!

(Sometimes it is still hard to believe I've got a kid for each letter now!)

D-A-D photos from past years

This year, I had Ella and Troy answer questions for a Father’s Day questionnaire I found on Pinterest. Their answers (particularly Troy's) were, uh, interesting at times. : )

• What is Daddy’s name? 
• Ella: Daddy 
• Troy: Trent
• What does Daddy do for fun?
• Ella: Play soccer outside
• Troy: Sit down, I mean, play ball
• What does Daddy do at work?
• Ella: works
• Troy: work
• What are his favorite things to eat?
• Ella: green beans and sweet potatoes
• Troy: pickles, how about sandwiches with spicy stuff in it {I have absolutely NO idea where he got this answer from!}
• What does he like to drink?
• Ella: Dr. Pepper
• Troy: Dr. Pepper
• How old is Daddy?
• Ella: 31
• Troy: I can't remember; I can't even know
• Where did you and Daddy meet?
• Ella: when I was a baby
• Troy: I can't remember, is it at McCarty?
• How long have you know Daddy?
• Ella: a long time
• Troy: (reached to the sky)
• How tall is Daddy?
• Ella: (reached to the sky)
• Troy: (stood up, pointed to the sky)
• What is Daddy’s hair like?
• Ella: tiny (showed with her fingers)
• Troy: short
• How much does Daddy weigh?
• Ella: 80 lbs
• Troy: reached to sky
• What makes Daddy the best?
• Ella: plays fight (wrestle) and plays ball and plays defense
• Troy: cuz I love him
• What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy?
• Ella: play fight (wrestle)
• Troy: play defense

Gone Fishin’

Happy Father’s Day!

When I married my husband almost 10 years ago, I didn’t know what kind of dad he would be. I thought he would be a good dad, but I didn’t know. Now I know. Whether he is taking time to rough house with them or disciplining them or bathing them or or encouraging them or leading them spiritually, he is a great dad. We are so blessed.

 

D-A-D photos from past years

Farmer’s Market

My kids love peaches. They love peaches because they get to eat some really good peaches. They are spoiled by these peaches. They are also spoiled to getting to go to the Famer’s Market every week (sometimes twice a week) to get these peaches. We have a friend who grows and sells these peaches, and when Ella was a little younger than Troy is now, my husband started taking her regularly to the Farmer’s Market. It has become a summer tradition for my husband (and sometimes I tag along) to take the kids to get these peaches.  I tagged along a couple of times last week and got a few photos of the kids and peaches.

Happy Father’s Day!

I’m so thankful for my dad, as well as my husband, who is a wonderful father to our children. And, as proof that it always helps to have daddy behind me getting smiles out of the kids, this year’s D-A-D photos (taken without dad’s help!).

 

This year, I had Ella answer questions for a Father’s Day questionnaire I found on Pinterest.

Here are Ella’s answers:

What is Daddy’s name? T (then later, “I call daddy Mr. Trent.”)

What does Daddy do for fun? play

What does Daddy do at work? work

What are his favorite things to eat? I don’t know

What does he like to drink? tea

How old is Daddy? I don’t know

Where did you and Daddy meet? At McCarty {where he works}

How long have you know Daddy? I don’t know

How tall is Daddy? raising her hands to the sky she said “that tall”

What is Daddy’s hair like? stuck (patting the top of her head)

How much does Daddy weigh? stretching her hands out she said “that much”

What makes Daddy the best? nothing (giggling) {I don’t think she ever understood this question . . .}

What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy? go to McCarty

 

Check out previous year’s D-A-D photos!

Taking a cue from my husband

My husband teaches me lots of things directly as well as indirectly. Recently, as I was watching how he interacted with Ella talking to her about the Bible, he taught me a valuable lesson about a very effective way to teach her.

I’ve been teaching Ella things about the Bible for a while now, but generally I’ve been taking a very structured approach. That’s not to say that my approach isn’t fun or isn’t geared towards a toddler, because it is – we sing songs and I teach her on her level trying to use fun things  for her – but it is definitely more structured. However, I’ve been watching my husband talk to Ella about, for instance, her Bible class, and I realized that in all my teaching I haven’t taken the time to actually have a conversation with her.

My husband’s conversations with Ella about the Bible are perfect for her. He holds her in his lap, and the time is solely devoted to having that conversation. I can tell that Ella knows that what is about to happen is important. She is intently focused on the topic at hand (lately it has been Noah). I can see the eagerness in her eyes. She wants to learn more, but also answer questions about what she knows – a true back and forth conversation. Ella is soaking up every minute of the conversation. I need to take the time everyday to have these kinds of conversations with Ella as well.

Watching my husband and Ella interact talking about the Bible is absolutely priceless to me – it has almost brought me to tears (happy ones!) a couple of times. I’m so thankful to be married to a Christian man who is teaching our children about spiritual things! I cannot wait to see how these conversations with Ella (and Troy!) progress and evolve as they grow up. I hope to be blessed with children who want to discuss spiritual things, and to have a desire for God’s Word.

In the photo below, my husband is talking to Ella about how he is about to leave to go on a Mission Trip to teach people the Bible. I love how he took the time to teach her about the importance of spreading God's Word.