Yesterday was Father's Day!

Every year since Father's Day 2005 Michael and Mitchell have gone fishing. For the first two years they always took Michael's father with them. It was three generations of the family celebrating Father's day together. It was great while it lasted. I'm not going into that issue right now, I just want to focus on the fun stuff. The Father's Day of 2006 Mallory, myself and my MIL joined in to make it a family outing. Mallory was almost two then, so she just explored and searched for bugs. It was hot but the kids really had fun. I felt like we had started a wonderful family tradition. It's all Mitchell talks about all year long. Last year, 2007 my in-laws decided to ditch us, so we made the best of it. It made Mitchell extremely sad that his Pa Paw wasn't coming but once he started focusing on the tasks of fishing, scooping up bugs in his net, and just splashing in the water he was able to smile. Mallory got her first pole that year and was able to join in too. She lost interest in the fishing pretty quick but still loved being around the water. This year Mitchell asked again about his Pa Paw but I think he knew that the tradition is over. It's so sad.

Yesterday (Father's Day) we started our day by taking the two dads in my life to breakfast. My step-dad and my husband were showered with hand-decorated cards from the kids and an all you can eat breakfast feast. After our bellies were stuffed, we said our good-byes to my parents and then headed to the river. It took what seemed like days to get everything ready once we arrived. Sunscreen had to be applied, swimsuits & water shoes put on, poles put together, tackle boxes arranged, restroom break, etc,...

Once we were ready, the fun began. We walked down to the river to witness a snake swimming happily along the bottom between rocks. Yikes! We were greeted by nature right away! I'm trying to get over my fear of snakes but I can't help but feel creeped out when I see them slithering along. We decided that we'd walk down along the bank a while before getting in and getting our feet wet. (I was VERY happy with that decision. lol)
After walking for several minutes we found a great spot. It even had a tiny little beach. Mitchell fished for a little bit before giving up to chase tiny fish with his net. Mallory started singing to herself and gathered mud & shells to play with. We spent at least four hours in the water and everyone was happy. No one screamed that they were bored. It was soooo peaceful listening to the water that I eventually gave up on fishing to sit and relax in the sun.

We eventually hiked back to the van and got our picnic stuff out. We spread a blanket out under a tree by the river and ate cold pizza. Then we changed into dry clothes, packed up and headed home.
It was a wonderful day. I can't wait to do it again.