FATHER'S DAY 2021...

 Father's Day is always a little bit of an emotional day for me as the rest of my family gets to celebrate and honour their dads.  I miss that I no longer have a Dad living that I can bless and honour, although he is never far from my thoughts.  I do however, feel extremely blessed that I was raised by the most beautiful loving parents and I am so grateful and thankful for them and the influence they have had not only in my life but also their grandchildren's life also.

So firstly today, I want to honor my Dad.  He was one of the most generous persons I have ever know.  I remember see his example of generousity throughout my entire life.  When I was little, we would come home from church on a Sunday and would stop at the corner store to pick up a few things for lunch.  If he saw a homeless person sitting on the bench outside the store, he would always come out with a big box of groceries for them.  Even in his later years when he had very little, his generosity was still there.  Even when we would give him a monetary gift for either Christmas or his birthday, he would end up giving most of it away to someone whom he thought needed it more than himself. 

He lived is life not only serving and providing generously for his family, but he lived to serve others and that has been an example to me my whole life whether it was serving in his local church, through Gideons, or through his business and even serving his community when he was Mayor of Bundaberg for six years.  His life was always about service..   He was always positive, always saw the bigger picture and even when times were tough, was always thankful for the blessings in his life, especially family and the relationships he had with others.  He was a true friend, always looking for ways to bless others..

You may not have left us a material inheritance but faith and values you lived out daily is the richest inheritance you could have left us and it is worth way more than any rubies or gold. Your inheritance to us is eternal. We are rich beyond measure. You have left a huge gaping hole in our lives but oh how blessed I have been to be one of your daughters.

Dad, on days like this I really miss you.

Although I really miss my dear Dad, I do like to celebrate the other wonderful Men in our family, my amazing husband who has been a fantasic Dad to our three children. He has loved them unconditionally, been there for them, helped them with their studies, camped with them, played with them but most importantly prayed for them and supported them in what ever endeavour they have undertaken.  They have been so blessed to have him as their Dad.  His own childhood wasn't the easier but it made him stronger and made him determined to be the best Dad that he could for his kids.  

Today we celebrated him by having a picnic afternoon tea on the banks of the Brisbane River at Southbank.  It was a lovely relaxing afternoon, even Mia the dog came with us also...

Chloe with her puppy Mia...

The kids had a ton of fun just running around and cartwheeling on the lovely soft grass..

Setting up our picnic spread..

Daddy and daughter...

Celebrating my wonderful Man and their amazing Dad....

When it was time to go home, whilst Steve and Sarah walked down towards Kangaroo Point to collect the car, I decided to have a little wander through the grounds of the Maritime Museum.

It is situated just near the entrance to Southbank Parklands near River Quay.  It is one of Australia's largest maritime museums and has a large display of historic vessels of all shapes and sizes.  There is plenty to do and see there and is a great place for the whole family to visit as you are able to enjoy and explore their big exhibits such as the warship Diamantina and the lugger Penguin. The Queensland Maritime Museum was founded in 1971 and is run by a self-funded voluntary Association.  The Museum also contains extensive collections of historical maritime artifacts, books, documents and photographs. The collection is displayed to the public in the galleries and grounds of the Museum under the broad headings of Navigation, Lighthouses, Ship Models, Marine Engines, Vessels, and the Dry Dock.

In the grounds is the ex-Bulwer Island Tower which came to the Museum from its location near the Brisbane River mouth where it operated from 1912 to 1983. The Tower is a perfect example of the type of construction unique to Queensland.

 

 

As Chloe was on crutches and not able to walk to far, she remained at the entrance to Southbank Parklands with the children whilst I wandered. 

Whilst we waited, Steve and Sarah enjoyed other wonderful views of the Brisbane River and some of the lovely pieces of sculpture along the river bank.  They also enjoyed a different view of the Maritime Museum being able to observe it from the back end...

The iconic Brisbane River

Some of the wonderful sculptures that are scatter along the riverside walkway.

A back end view of the Maritime Museum in Brisbane..

Once we got home, we had a little rest before dinner.  This little treasure of Chloe's is so loveable and definitely thinks she is human as she just loves to be near you.  She gets so excited to see you and the moment we lay down for a half hour kip, she was there with us...

Our beautiful Mia puppy.

Mia is up there with us having a little rest also...

Happy Father's Day to the other dad's within our family...

Whilst it isn't Father's Day in Denmark, we still like to think Pete, that we can celebrate an Aussie's Father's Day and acknowledge the wonderful Dad that you are also.  This son of ours adores his little boys and is such a hands on Dad.  You are doing a fantasic job of being you and because of that, you are one of the most awesome Dad's and fantasic sons on the planet. What you are doing in the lives of your children will pay off in years to come.  You are a wonderful example for them and a father that anyone would be proud to have as their own.   We are so proud of the family you have started for yourself, we will forever love you and could not have dreamed of having a better son.  Happy Father's Day Pete.

To our son in law Colin, you are loved, respected and admired more than  you'll ever realize.  You are a wonderful addition to our family and we couldn't imagine life without you. We are so proud to have you as part of our family and as the father of our wonderful grandchildren. Happy Father's Day.

And although our son in law Dan is not a Dad yet, we can see that he is going to make a fabulous one when the time comes.  He dots on his fury baby, so can only imagine what he will be like when their own little child arrives.  We are so blessed to also have you as part of our family and feeling extremely blessed.

So thankful and so blessed...