Sweethearts on the Hill

  I recently decided to try paddle boarding. Since it's not a good phase of life for me to come up with hobbies that aren't kid friendly, I decided to give it a whirl and have Luke join me. Today was the third week in a row that my buddy and I have paddled around the lake. It's Exercise. Serenity. Meditation. Conversation. Adventure. Exploration. It's really a perfect time.   I feel centered. I feel complete. I feel happy that my baby knows what a paddle board is. We have beautiful conversations about the eagle's nest we paddle by, the blue heron that follows us around, the fish that jump out of the water, the cows that bathe in it, the other boats that pass us by, the bridges we pass under... He keeps his spray bottle handy so he can squirt the waves that try to flip us over... Spray bottle wins every time!   I truly can't think of a better way to spend a few hours of free time on a weekend.   I hope somewhere in his little toddler memory that

  I would normally share the story of such an important event in a Hatcher boy's life... but in this case, the pictures and the expressions on Luke's face tell a better story than I could ever tell...   Clearly, he was quite proud and beyond happy about his first fishing adventure ~

  This year we had the pleasure of spending Father's Day together out on my dad's pontoon boat.   It was the first time Luke has been on grandpa's boat... he thought it was pretty cool. I take great pleasure in celebrating my handsome husband on this day... what lucky kids I have. In all the world, I couldn't dream up a better father for my kids than the one they were given. He's pretty special.   And my handsome daddy, who is pretty special to us too.   And, of course, my mom, who continues to take care of all of us ~   We finally convinced Luke to get into the water with us... He had a spectacular time. Look at all these boys!  It was a really lovely day~