Enjoying Those Special Moments

 
Today, I am not able to spend Father's Day with my dad. Up until a few years ago, he would come and visit us at least once a year.  He now has reached a point where it has become too hard for him to travel.  He turns 80 next year.  Wow, that is hard for me to believe.  I have watched my dad kind of slow down as he gets older.  Now, when we go back to Maryland, I try to visit my dad (and my mom) as much as I can. I like to enjoy the moments that I have with him, because living 10 hours away, I don't get to see him as much as I would like. I always try and make my dad a few of his favorite dinners when we visit. His number one favorite is definitely meatloaf. That is ALWAYS on the "menu!" This morning, when I talked to my dad on the phone, I told him the next time I see him, I'll make him a five-pound meatloaf!! He said, "that would be great!" I used to call my father-in-law, "Pop-Pop." He was always nice to me and he and I definitely did a lot of bonding over food (that's a real surprise, isn't it)!?!?!?!?!  He also was an amazing father and grandfather.

One of my most favorite gifts I ever received from him was a turkey roaster pan. We still use that pan when we make a turkey at Thanksgiving!  Whenever we went to Cleveland, we would almost always go to a restaurant called, the "Red Chimney" because my father-in-law knew I liked it so much.  He told me his "secret" to his awesome pork chops was to steam them first and then bake them. I really wish I would have written down his recipe! My husband's favorite holiday has to be Halloween. He used to take my stepson out trick-or-treating.

Then it was Lauren and Dominic.

Now, it's just Dominic that he takes out. I wonder how many Halloweens he has been out with one or more of the kids?!?!?!  Probably easily over 20! Well, when your kids are 30, 18 and almost 10, that's a lot of Halloweens :)  This morning, my hubby told me that for Father's Day, he wanted the four of us to go inside the church when we went to the 10:00 Mass.  We have sat in the glassed off hallway right outside the church since Dominic was about two years old, because it has been too hard for him to go inside. We have tried a handful of times to take him to the "other" side of the glass and it has usually ended up being incredibly stressful and not pleasant. Well, thanks to Dominic's "Mass Book" we were all able to enjoy church this morning!!
 

Glad that Father's Day "gift" worked out for him :) The kids and I are planning on making homemade sugar cookies this afternoon to have for dessert after dinner and the hubby and the rest of us will be talking to my stepson on Skype later tonight. My thoughts are with you if you are not able to be with your fathers or stepfathers today whether because of distance or if they have passed on.  For all of you out there that are able to be with your fathers and stepfathers today, treasure and enjoy those special moments!!