It’s tough being far away from home on certain holidays when Facebook is full of posts with old-school pictures my friends have posted of them with their parents.  You know, the ones where they are wearing ridiculous 80s clothes and hairstyles and just looking so cool doing it.

Next time I go home, I’m going to scan in a billion pictures so I am prepared for all upcoming holidays where vintage photos are appropriate.  My photo collection has been limited to the digital kind since our cross-country move.  And those begin around 2003.

Not nearly as vintage OR cool.

But when my mom told me about part of the gift she is giving my brother for his first Father’s Day, I remembered a couple of old pictures I had scanned for a slideshow for Jonny and Jenny’s rehearsal dinner.

I love this picture of my dad and my brother on his very first day being a Dad there in the hospital.  It’s one of the first pictures taken of my dad holding Jonny.

Such a peaceful, quiet moment.

So much has happened since then – although we still have the suitcase in my parent’s basement.  Two more babies (my sister and I), countless math lessons, lawn mowing incidents, rides to and from the airport, 89%s, phone calls about car parts, learning the foxtrot for the first dance at my wedding, good credit reports, financial planning, a few tears, and so many hugs and love later.  I am so lucky to have a patient, thorough, intelligent, strict, jolly, understanding, hard-working, encouraging, and loving father who has taught me so much about the ways life works and how to get through it all.

I love you, Dad.

I also love this picture of my brother from February with his brand new baby son, Max, and how it reminds me of that first black and white picture from August of 1981.

Happy Father’s Day to all of the amazing fathers out there today!  Wish I could be on the east coast for even a few hours to celebrate the amazing fathers in my family.

Love you both!

xoxo