The Hadley Family: A Belated Father's Day

We DID celebrate Father's Day on the actual date, I just haven't gotten around to doing a post to acknowledge all the fathers in our lives. But I didn't want them to go un-noticed, so I figured this is better late than never.

Both my Grandpa and Pawpaw are no longer with us, but I wanted to express appreciation for the wonderful men that they were. They both valued their jobs and worked hard throughout their lives to support their families. I am grateful for their endurance and persistance in doing this, especially when times were hard. They both had very cheerful spirits (even though I didn't get to know my Grandpa very well, I've been told this about him), and shared many laughs and enjoyable moments with their families. They were both very special men!

My own father also deserves recognition for being a great example in my life. Although he is not a member of the church, he has always been supportive of our beliefs and encouraged us to attend church each and every Sunday. He is a great example of someone who serves others...especially those who don't always seem deserving or willing to help themselves. This has shown me the true meaning of having unconditional love toward our fellow man. My father has always put family before anything else. He only wanted to do activities that would involve the whole family. No part of the house was ever off limits from playing - even if we were being very noisy in the same room where he was trying to watch a program on T.V. I am grateful that he never sheltered me from the world. This made it easier for me to make choices about the direction I wanted my life to take. I was easily able to say no to things in life that might have otherwise been a great temptation. He is a man of great influence in the lives of many! I love you Daddy!

Then of course, there is the father of my own children. Billy is such a great Daddy who loves his children very much. He supports and encourages them to be the very best that they can. He is also a great example of someone who works hard to support his family and wants to make sure that they have all the things they stand in need of. I am thankful to him for all his hard work and for supporting me in staying home to nurture and care for our children. Billy is very helpful, generous, and always thinks of others before himself. These are traits that I want my children to possess, and I'm happy that they have him as an example to learn them from. Much like my own father, he only wants to do activities that can involve the whole family. He is such an important part of our lives and we are thankful for him! We love you!

On Father's Day, Billy took a nap (he had been sick and needed the rest because he hadn't even taken any time off work) while Tyler and Allison helped me prepare lasagna, which is one of Billy's most favorite dinners.
Once dinner was complete, we woke Billy up to give him his Father's Day gifts we had prepared...

Reading the Father's Day awards that Tyler and Allison made for him at church.

Receiving hugs after opening his Father's day book. (This is something I started when Tyler was just a baby for Billy's first Father's Day. This is what he gets to look forward to each year from here on out! :)