Only a Dad

This is my favorite picture of Matt. As you can tell, I did something to it and I don't think I even still have the original negatives. It is scrapbooked alongside my very favorite poem about Fathers. The pictures below are more recent evidences of Matt's wonderful fathering. I'm so grateful to have him! My kids and I are very lucky.

Oh, and here's that poem:

Only a Dad

Only a dad with a tired face,

Coming home from the daily race,

Bringing little of gold or fame

To show how well he has played the game;

But glad in his heart that his own rejoice

To see him come and to hear his voice.

Only a dad with a brood of four,

One of ten thousand men or more

Plodding along in the daily strife,

Bearing the whips and the scorns of life,

With never a whimper of pain or hate,

For the sake of those who at home await.

Only a dad, neither rich nor proud,

Merely one of the surging crowd,

Toiling, striving from day to day,

Facing whatever may come his way,

Silent whenever the harsh condemn,

And bearing it all for the love of them.

Only a dad but he gives his all,

To smooth the way for his children small,

Doing with courage stern and grim

The deeds that his father did for him.

This is the line that for him I pen:

Only a dad, but the best of men.

--Edgar A. Guest

We are so glad to be back home with our Daddy. We survived the long trip across the country. I'll catch up later with lots of photos!