He Must REALLY Love You

I have been pestering your dad ever since I saw the first few blades of grass sprouting in our back yard. Every trip to Menards or Home Depot would result in me dragging daddy over to the playset area. We would mull over options and costs. We would talk about when the absolute best time would be to start it. And then finally last weekend your dad bit the bullet and bought you little monkeys a playset. And not just any playset. Against his better judgement, and with my pleading, daddy got you the mutha of all playsets.

Even with grandpa as his assistant it still took all morning just unloading, unpacking, and sorting all of the materials.
You were a bit disappointed when you woke up from your naps thinking the playset would be done and this was all you saw:

But you were very good sports and repeatedly told daddy, "Good job, daddy! You're doing great!" I know he appreciated it. At the end of the day this was your playset:

The next morning daddy, after a not-so-good nights rest and many ibuprofen, got right back to work. Soon the playset had floors!

While you played,

and had fun, daddy sweat it out in the hot, humid, sticky, mosquito infested yard.

Daddy worked on it all that week even though he had come down with a nasty stomach virus. The minute he got home from work he would throw on his shorts and head outside.

He worked as fast as he could and wondered if it was all worth it. Would you kids even play on it as much as we hoped? I tried to assure him that it would indeed be worth it in the end, but then again, I wasn't the one doing all the work.

It took daddy all day just to put the slide together. Still he continued to work, determined to finish in time for the weekend and Grace's birthday party on Sunday. He even got up at 6 in the morning to work on it before church so it would be mostly complete when the guests arrived.

And he did it! All that work. And it was definitely worth it. It made the birthday party a perfect day. Everyone gathered outside to watch you and your cousins enjoy daddy's hard work. The humidity had given way to a beautiful warm day. And dozens and dozens of dragonflies zoomed around the backyard eating up all the mosquitoes making us feel like we were in some kind of fairyland.

Even after all of our guests left you and your neighborhood friends played for hours on the playset while daddy put on the finishing touches.

Yesterday as daddy sat outside on the back patio, drinking a beer and reading the newspaper, while you kids laughed and played on the playset he knew all of that hard work had payed off. You kids are in love with your playhouse. You thanked daddy over and over again for his hard work and made him cards to show your appreciation.

Someday, when you are older and perhaps have a family of your own, you will look back at that playset with fond memories of all the fun you had. And once again you will see and appreciate just how much your daddy loves you.

Job well done, daddy! Well done.