I Just Got 1 Hug and 1 Kiss

My husband was coming home after being gone for several weeks.  Lilly and I did what we normally do...got all dressed up, made ourselves look beautiful and headed to the airport to wait for his arrival.

He came through the gate at the airport - Lilly ran to give him a giant hug and kiss.  I gave him a big hug and a kiss.  When we got to the car, Mark gave Lilly a super big hug and a kiss.  When we got home, we spent some time telling and showing Daddy all the things that went on while he was away.  We played with Lucy - our puppy.

Then, like normal, Lilly went off to watch a movie.  Mommy and Daddy exchanged a few more hugs and kisses.  Lilly walks into the room and looks sad. 

"What's wrong?"  I say.

"I only got 1 hug and 1 kiss and you get lots of hugs and kisses." She says.

We laugh.  "Why are you laughing?"  She says.

Then, we include her in a giant family hug. 

New Places

We tried this new seafood restaurant not too long ago and I would have to say the atmosphere really made the place.  The food was pretty good, but the fact that the place was right on the water and we could eat outside, that really made the experience enjoyable.

The waiter gave Lilly some popcorn and she had the best time feeding the ducks with her Daddy.

Daddy Fun

Photos of Lilly and her Daddy. 

Daddy helping Lilly look through the microscope at the Children's Museum of Houston.

Helping her adjust the bicycle handle bars at the museum.

Inflating a tire

Climbing through the "tree" at the museum - she wouldn't go on it until Daddy said he'd go with her.

More tree climbing.

Watching Daddy work on his car.

Can you tell she loves him very much and loves any attention she can get from him?

Daddy Moments

My husband travels a lot for his job.  I know many husbands who travel and they call cabs to take them to the airport or they drive to the airport and leave their cars in the parking lot.  To us, it is important that we see Daddy off and be there to pick him up when he arrives home.  We try to make the most of the moments we have with him by:
* getting dressed up to pick Daddy up from the airport
* having a nice family dinner together before he leaves
* planning Mommy/Daddy date nights
* planning Daddy/Daughter dates
* playing games with him
* going places when he is home

While he is away, we do get to Skype and chat which is nice and really helps Lilly stay connected with him.

Eating out before Daddy heads out

Waiting for Daddy at the airport - Rodeo display

Derby Race

Last weekend was the derby car race at Awana.  Lilly is in the cubbies group for 3 and 4 year olds.  My husband and my daughter "worked" on the car together to get it ready.  He shaved it down for speed and she picked out the color of paint for looks. lol

I was really surprised how detailed the event was.  The cars all had to be weighed in the night before the race and then they had to "spend the night" in the "garage."  The next night was the race and Lilly had a great time seeing her friends and watching all the cars race.  She was a little concerned that she didn't get a trophy at the end, but she wasn't too concerned once we told her that her car just wasn't the fastest.

Here are some pictures from the event:

Cars in the "garage"

Aren't they colorful?

Sitting on Daddy's shoulders to watch the races.

Sitting with friends!

The finish line.

Lilly's is the purple one on the right. :)

Here's a video of one of the races - Lilly's car is in lane 2.

Dancing with Daddy

If you are a daughter, you know how much a girl loves her daddy.  Any time he will spend with her is joyful and includes a big smile on her face.  I know my husband loves his daughter and I know he knows Lilly loves him, but I don't know if he gets how important he is to her.  This moment brought tears to my eyes.