Special Guy, Special Day

This weekend was all about that most important guy in our life...Daddy/Mike!  I decide to take a couple of days off work to make this a nice, long weekend and spend a little extra time with the family!  We had a big weekend planned!
Friday started with Mike and Lila meeting Brandon and Henley at the splash pad in Center Point.  This was Lila's first time at the splash pad and she had a great time, any time spent with Henley is a fun time!

Friday evening found the Holub's and the Hahn's at our house for a get together.  The guys just thought it was the gang getting together like any other time, they had no idea that there was  surprise in store!  The ladies had been planning their Father's Day surprise since around Christmas time!  A lot of thought went into this gathering, we sent lots of emails back and forth, got together for lunch, spent time searching for ideas on the internet, all for these wonderful men who are the best Dad's to our little ones.

After our wonderful dinner of homemade pizza, salad and fruit, it was time for the big reveal!  We took the kids down to one of our basement bedrooms where we had been hiding all the loot and got them changed into their outfits, grabbed the very special dessert and their handmade invitations and off we went to surprise the Dad's!

The Dad's were all enjoying themselves on the deck as the group of kids walked out and said "let's go racing!"  They took their invites over to their Dad and the boys, a bit confused, anxiously read what they were in for!  On October 6th they will be participating in the Rusty Wallace Racing Experience at the Newton Speedway.  Mike will get behind the wheel of a real life race car and he gets to share the experience with two of his closest friends!  The guys were shocked and very excited -- mission accomplished!

Surprise!!!

The drivers & their pit crew!

Happy (early) Father's Day!

Saturday night found us heading to Vinton to watch the highly anticipated alumni football game between Center Point - Urbana and Vinton-Shellsburg.  Mike couldn't have been more excited to play in the alumni football game this year with one of his good friends, Josh.  They started practicing 10 weeks ago and each time Mike woudl come home with less anxiety about what he was getting himself into at the age of 35 and more excitement about being able to play for his high school team again, under the lights!  We were a bit nervous that the rain would keep them from playing, but shortly after 7:00 they kicked off!

I would argue that Mike had the largest cheering section!  We had a lot of family and friends there to cheer him on!  If you know Mike at all, you know that sports are part of his soul and to be on the field again, not only playing football, but for his high school team, that was a big deal!  Not knowing Mike in high school, it was a lot of fun to watch him and Lila couldn't have been more proud of her Dad! 

 

I must be honest.  Lila was SO excited to go watch Daddy play football, but she was completely frustrated with me when we got there only to find out that Daddy was in full football gear with a big helmet on and when I would say to her, "there is Daddy, he is number 29," she would look at me like what the heck are you saying, I don't see my Dad out there. 

Enjoying a little in-game entertainment!

Lila & Henley, no their outfits were not planned!

Ruby enjoying the concessions!

Mike's littlest fan, Sloan!  Looking so cute in her black & gold!

The Pointers won the game 9-0!  We were so excited for Mike to come running across the field with a W!!!  Winning definitely makes the whole experience that much better and the bumps and bruises he was sporting the next day a little less painful!

Good game!

Way to go Daddy!!!

When Mike came over to his cheering section he looked so happy and Lila darn near jumped in his arms!  Everyone was so eager to hear whether or not this was a good idea after all or if he got out there and he decided that this was actually a bad idea?!  While he said he was definitely not as limber as he was when he was 18, he loved every minute of being back on the field and is already making plans to do it again next year!

Daddy's biggest cheerleader!

Dylan checking out Mike's helmet

Ruby's next!

Last but not least...Celia!

Our Father's Day was spent relaxing around the house.  We intended on going to Jason and Jen's to celebrate, but we have a little one who is under the weather, so it was best to keep her home.  So, the three of us made the best of our day, enjoying each other!  I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband, but even more than that a wonderful partner.  Lila truly couldn't have a better Daddy.  From the moment we found out that we were having a baby Mike has been 100% devoted to his little girl.  Just when I thought I loved him as much as I could, he became a Daddy and I loved him more than I ever knew I could and as I watch their relationship grow stronger every day, I love him even more.

As I sit here and write, my Dad is half way around the world on a Baltic cruise.  So, it is important to me to be sure to send a special Happy Father's Day to him on this very special day, the day that is set aside for those most important men in our lives. 

Happy Father's Day to Mike, to my father, to our grandfathers and all of the other important men that have blessed us by being in our lives.  We love you!

A Life Choice

I've come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that's as unique as a fingerprint - and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.
                                                                               -Oprah Winfrey

Anyone who knows Mike well, knows that he has this magnetic force with children.  Whether it is with his own daughter, his nieces, the neighbor kids or the young athletes he has coached, they are drawn to him and his youthful, yet guiding soul. 

After a few fateful changes in our lives Mike has decided to go back to school to pursue a degree in Human Services.  After a lot of soul searching and remembering a time when he was truly happy, we kept coming back to the discussion of him coaching high school football.  The discussion was rarely around throwing the football with the kids or calling out plays, it was mostly about the relationships he developed with the kids and the impression that he left on some of them.  This time spent even warranted some kids to send a letter, inviting Mike back to watch a game played in dedication to the personal influence Mike had on that young man, even after he was gone from coaching. 

Our discussions whirled from a new career path to school and back again.  We finally settled on school, but the question then became what?  We barely even touched on how?  Or even more importantly, are we crazy?!  We both knew in our hearts that this was right and that we are going to make it work.  He considered teaching, but after more research has settled into Human Services.  Ideally working with youth that are less fortunate in their personal environment...providing a strong, male influence in their lives, a friend, a mentor. 

Over a very short two weeks, we went from the feeling of what's next?! to a new dream, a new path, and a new sense of purpose beginning with class on June 4th!
Mike - Lila and I are so proud of you for taking the road less traveled.  It would have been easy to make the "safe" decision, but you chose to follow a dream!  You have an extraordinary gift of compassion and we are so excited to be on this journey with you, we are standing right beside you as you take on this new chapter in your life!  We Love You!