Today is Family Day for the NOLA Oettles.
I learned a LONG time ago that families in the ministry suffer by default--unless you prioritize time away just for them.
My wife--the textbook definition of a helpmate--has forced me to live by that principle over the years. And I am NOT complaining! Her insistence that we dedicate a day each week to our family has done more to keep us close than any of my "parental heroics." I love & appreciate her for that!
One of the things she got me to do while the kids were still VERY young (I think we started with each of the girls when they turned 5) was Daddy-Daughter Dates. If you & I are facebook friends, I'm sure you've noticed how important those are to me. Oh... Did I mention that those were Jen's idea?
I guess at this point that any remnants of thought that I'm a great dad are now giving way to thoughts of giving credit (to Jen) where credit is due (to Jen). I'm happy to have busted your bubble, if you had one. ;)
Anyway...
So, we started the day with Faith helping me make chocolate-chip pancakes, scrambled eggs, & bacon. (I LOVE bacon! I asked Jen to choose another insult this morning when I was eating too much; "pig" made me feel a little too canabalistic!)
After some clean-up, we were off to the Children's Museum. It took us FOREVER to get downtown (there's ANOTHER festival/parade in N'awlins--just like every other weekend, it seems!) and we found a spot right in front!
I should've listened the spirit of pessimism that was riding in the truck with us because we spent about 10 minutes putting money in the meter, piling out of the truck, & walking inside only to find that they were closed for a special event. Ugh.
Jennifer--never one to miss an opportunity for retail therapy--commented that Urban Outfitters was just a few blocks away in the French Quarter (Vieux Carre if you're from N'awlins) & [Gasp!] they were having a sale that she'd been wanting to check out anyway! Honestly, if going to the Children's Museum had been her idea (it was Faith's), I'd have been REALLY suspicious.
So, we made our way over to the Quarter & dropped Jen off while the rest of us parked the truck. We went up to the Riverwalk so the girls & Judah could play. (Fortunately for me, the girls haven't yet caught their mommy's shopping bug. Don't misunderstand me, though: they can hold their own in the mall!)
Mommy came out with her bag of loot & her excursion into bargain hunting had apparently given her quite an appetite. The kids were hungry, too (they always are!), so they were THRILLED to hear that she wanted to eat.
And [another gasp!] Hard Rock Cafe just "happened" to be right there.
So we enjoyed some food, enjoyed our family, and enjoyed our Family Day.
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