For Brett.
Eight years ago, I watched you in the parking lot from my chair behind the window of a nail salon. I didn’t know you yet, but I knew I was supposed to. Without you even knowing, I witnessed a tender moment between you and your boys and I’ll never forget smiling, slayed by the kind of father you were.
Little did I know you’d one day be the father of my own children. For all the years I dreamed of being a mother, I couldn’t have picked a better mate to share the journey with me. I love our wild ride of parenthood, and when the steep hills come, I’m so glad you’re by my side.
We are far from perfect, yes. But for all the times you drive me crazy, I am so quickly reminded of the treasure you are. To be your child is to be lucky…so very lucky.
Happy Father’s Day.
Speaking of lucky, I have five father figures to love today. Happy Father’s Day to Brian, Roly, George, Gary and my dad who I love so very much.
Go hug a father.
Beautiful!
Love it! All of it! Beautiful tribute, my friend!Xo
So so gorgeous.
There’s no better trait in a man than being a committed, courageous Father.
🙂
Happy Daddy’s Day! Your little one’s are blessed to have him for their daddy.
Beautiful Kelle!
Happy father’s day, Brett!
<3
This is beautiful. I love that the first thing that drew you to your husband was his love for his children. Something so touching about a man who adores his children.
Love all of the pictures! You can feel his love!
Wishing Brett a very happy day!
xo
That last picture of Brett and Nella is priceless. I never loved my husband more than when he became a father.
Oh what a beautiful post!! I love all the pictures and the one on the left his son looks just like his dad!! What a wonderful man you have!! You are all so Blessed:)
Dads are the best, aren’t they?
sniff…sniff….Brett’s a keeper for sure! xo
I would love to hear more of the story about how you guys met. Sounds really awesome.
Can I just say, the middle picture on the first row and a tiny Lainey sleeping next to her daddy…. she looks so much the same today as she did little bitty. How sweet!
And that last picture is just awesomeness!
awww you can see the love he has for his children in all those pictures. Happy Father’s Day Brett!!
What a beautiful post! Nothing that makes a pregnant woman cry more than seeing a man who loves his children!!! Happy Father’s Day to your awesome husband!!
Happy Father’s Day to Brett! 🙂
Have you ever shared the story of how you and Brett actually did meet? 🙂 Jodi http://www.CFClassroom.com
I think this is the perfect opening to a story about how you and Brett eventually met. 🙂
It’s so obvious that all the kids love him. I think it’s fabulous that he can switch from a game of basketball with the boys one minute to a tea party with the girls the next. The sign of a great daddy!
Great pics! hapy father’s day to all dads!
Is there any picture sweeter than a sleeping papa with a sleeping babe on his chest? I think not. Great post Kelle!
oh i love that you spied a secret moment with him and his sons before you knew him. that is really cool.
such sweet words! I love the look of love on my husbands face as he looks at our girls. Pride, love, awe…its all there.
Beautiful words and pictures.
Happy Fathers Day!
Oh Kelle, this is just an amazing post. All of Brett’s kids certainly do love him, it’s so obvious and so beautiful.
I’m gonna go visit my dad today, and give him a hug, even though it’s not Fathers Day in Australia until September 🙂
Amazing photos – you can see so much of the love and tenderness in each one. This post totally gave me goosebumps.
Beautiful. Wonderful.
Nice hearing about the parking lot and nail salon 🙂
Good chioce!
Salute all the great and caring fathers out there!!
Lucky kids to have such a loving dad! Thanks for letting us be a part of your guys lives!
How did you and Brett meet? Love to know the whole story!
What beautiful and tender photographs of a father and his children!
Wow – what beautiful photos! You have an amazing way with capturing moments and using the right words to go alongside them. What a beautiful life you have xx
Love from Renee (New Zealand)
Absolutely beautiful.
Lucky girls!!!
🙂
XOXO
Brett rocks. If my own husband weren’t the perfect husband and father to our amazing kids, I might be jealous. 😉 Awesome pics. I love a man lovin’ his kids…perfection.
Happy Father’s Day, Brett. You are a fantastic Dad!
Gorgeous photos of you with your children. You can tell that you love them a lot and vice versa.
Happy Father’s Day, Brett! It is so obvious what a tender daddy you are…hope your day was the best.
I just love reading your blog- you write beautifully and your pictures say a thousands words by themselves! That last picture melts my heart. :swoon:
There is nothin like watching your man be a Dad- a really good Dad-
When I met my Kris I had no idea what kind of Dad he would be: The Lord blessed me big time and I am so thankful. How special that you were able to spy on your man and glimpse into your very own future- How perfect! I appreciate your open heart.
Happy week to you,
Sandy
Happy Father’s Day, Brett!! Enjoy =)
What amazing pictures and words. You can see the love they have for each other
You do Brett proud and he you…..
xoxo, Terri
Sweet. 🙂 Hope you all had a great day!
so so sweet that his parenting first attracted you. 🙂 love that!
Beautiful. I love seeing a man with his kids 🙂 My dad flew home today, but it was nice spending half the day with him! xx
he truly does look like he was BORN TO BE A FATHER/DADDY!!!
they are some lucky/blessed children!
tara
All of those pictures are SO amazing, they tell such a lovely story! PLEASE, PLEASE tell the whole story about how you and Brett met. I would love to hear it! (I am sure we all would!)
ok I think I’m about the third one to want a story of how you guys met and fell in love! It would seriously make a beautiful post! Pretty please??
What a lovely post in tribute to Brett. And what delightful pictures to document it!
That last picture almost made me cry. And I’m not PMSing or drunk, even!
Brett makes a great father and he has an amazing mother to share the journey with…I hope you enjoyed your day!!! ~CC
Happy Father’s Day, Brett!
Great post Kelle! 🙂
Great pics, Kelle. I did a flashback tribute to my hubby today on my blog, too. 🙂
Beautiful indeed.
What a sweet tribute! All of those pictures are great, but the one of your hubster with all four kids (the bigs and the littles) is tops… What a wonderful moment!
what a guy. happy father’s day, Brett.
What a sweet tribute!
My hubby was a “Happy Father” today (and always). So grateful for playful, positive, involved dads!
(p.s. Was that a Guns n’ Roses song? 😉
Kelly
Dear Kelle,
I’ve been following your blog for a little while now honestly? It is my favourite blog to follow and to read. I log on to my Google Reader each morning on my way to work and the excitement I feel when I see “Enjoying the Small Things” bolded up indicating a new post is there for me to read? – I just can’t explain it. You’re amazing. Your family is amazing. This coming from an almost thirty year old who’s almost married and yet to become a mum myself. I dream of the day I become a mother and your writing, your pictures, they just SO make me look forward to motherhood like you wouldn’t believe. Your girls are beautiful.
I learn so much from your writing, your photography (which by the way is STUNNING!), your values, your belief system – everything. I don’t see myself as the most articulate person I know… sometimes I find it hard to put in writing what my heart is feeling – but when I read your posts – I think that your writing is magic because what you write? Speaks volumes. The depth of your writing is magical. And in so many ways, describes so much of what I feel inside of me too.
I love your optimism, your outlook on life. It INSPIRES me. Some nights when I’m lying in bed wide awake with worry on my mind, in need of a motivation boost or a little pep talk – I scroll through your past blog posts and just read them – take in your words wisdom – of what gets you through your life, or heck your day. And it helps. You may feel like your words have no effect – but they do – they have great, positive effects on me. And I thank you for being you. For writing like you do. For photographing like you do.
Keep up the great work you’re doing! And have a wonderful day 🙂
Lots of love from Down Under
Janice xoxoxoxoxo
You have such a beautiful family and I’m so glad I found your lovely blog.
It was so nice to read about the time you first saw Brett.
Great pictures!
such a beautiful tribute. bless you
So lovely!He does look like a wonderful Dad. I love that he caught your eye in a sweet moment he shared with his boys.
Another beautiful post! I feel the same way about my husband. My own father is not exactly a role model in that department, and neither was my husband’s father, but he is terrific with our children. He is crazy about them, and they are crazy about him! It’s so wonderful when the babies you love so much can have such a wonderful man to say is their father! Have a great week!
Another wonderful post.. thanks for sharing with us , its always a big plesure!
Dana , Israel
I love that last picture! SO sweet!
How sweet.
Great post! It is a blessing to have a husband who loves his children, I have one myself.
I am dying to know how you actually met Brett. Did you have any idea who he was when you saw him out that window? Did you determine to meet him after that day? So curious:)
God has really blessed your life in so many ways:)
Such a sweet post — loved it!
That was perfect. Thanks Kelle.
Yay for awesome daddies!
Love this. So much!!
Beautiful, beautiful Fathers’ Day post. In my opinion there is nothing more attractive than a man being a father.
Adele
Sweet, and such great pictures! 🙂
I just love this post! What an awesome Father’s Day collage! On a side note–love the Guns N Roses string quartet! I’m going now to look for this on iTunes.
Have a happy week!
What a sweet way to celebrate your hubby on Father’s Day! Love the collage!
Beautiful post! As always, you nailed it. My fave pic is the one where all the kids and Brett are laying in a circle on the floor. Gorgeous. I also agree that you should tell the story of how you both met. You’ve started it and piqued everyone’s curiosity. Now inquiring minds want to know : )
I have been devouring your blog for a long while now, Kelle. Your angel Nella was born five short days before my third child, a daughter. Joy of joys. You are an inspiration and I often reflect on your words when I wish to be more positive still in my everyday mothering life.
Thank you and belated Happy Father’s Day to Brett all the way from France.
Simply gorgeous!
Yes, I would say that your kids, all of the kids are blessed to have a dad like Brett!! My dad died 9 yrs ago and I so miss him. Yes, hug a dad today and every day!
Wonderful post.
I love everything about this post! I love my own hubby more and more everytime i see him with our babies. I agree, let’s hear the rest of the story about how you guys first got together.
How could I read like 1 sentence in and already have had tears well up in my eyes? Your words are so beautiful…comes from the overflow of a beautiful heart. Thanks for sharing.
What beautiful tender moments who captured of your hubby being an amazing daddy…it’s like falling in love with them all over again when they become these amazing Dads to your babies…and how wonderful that you had a sneak peek at how terrific Brett already was…it is all magical…the love that is shared between the man you love and the kids you are crazy about…
thanks for sharing your magic, your family…
Happy Daddy Day to Brett and all your Dads 🙂 6 men that are lucky to have you as such a loving member of their family…
Monique
I’d like to put in another vote for you telling us the story of how you and Brett met. Love all of the pictures, beautiful!
This post brought me to tears. It’s so intimate but I get it so well because I see those same things in my son’s father that you see in Brett. Just truly a great tribute to your children’s father!
so sweet! i’d really love to hear how you met after seeing him in a parking lot thru a window.. sigh
So beautiful. Good dads are great treasures.
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There is nothing better than seeing your husband being the BEST daddy he could be. It melts my heart to see my husband with my boys. He is so present in their lives and to me, there is nothing better.
Sounds like you have an Amazing husband and the way you capture him with the girls and his sons is breathtaking.
Happy Father’s day to Brett…
you guys are just so damn cute!! happy fathers day to brett!! that last pic of him & nella sleeping made me tear up a little…so sweet.
Beautiful! We need a post on your love story 😉
Yikes! I missed so much! Fun to catch up. Adore that photo montage. Can’t wait to meet your man. xx
Hi Kelle – Would it be OK if I post the picture of Brett and Nella napping together in this post to my blog at http://lifetoheryears.tumblr.com? If so, let me know if you’d like me to link back to this specific post or just your blog in general. Thanks a ton for considering it!
-Michael