daddy's little girls

Wasn't General Conference amazing? It was great. The questions I had going into it were unsurprisingly all answered. One question in particular, which had been on my mind a lot, was completely answered in Sister Dalton's talk. I know it was meant for dads, but it very much pertains to mothers as well and to what I needed to hear. I immediately started crying when within the first sentences she said, "How do I raise a girl?" Wow. Complete answer to my prayer. This talk was written for me. The Lord and his tender mercies.

The talk also reminded me of my own daughters and their complete adoration for their daddy, even though they have been pretty cheeky with their daddy lately. How lucky they are to have a daddy like they do.

Here is a very typical evening in our house:

• Tim buzzes in.
• Natalie yells out first, "Is that daddy!? Mommy, that's not groceries?"
• I confirm that it is not groceries in which both girls then go into hiding.
• Tim walks in pretending to have no idea where the girls are and goes on a man hunt.
• Both girls scream in delight when found with Marisa also yelling, "Daddy!" and Natalie pleading, "Prince, dance with me?"
• The Prince then dances with Princess Natalie.
• Then both girls physically cling on to him all while daddy is eating his dinner.

I must say, not a bad way to come home! Like I said, the girls absolutely adore their dad. And I adore their precious relationships.

Their love for him is not only evident in the evenings but throughout every day, all day, as well.

-If you were to ask Marisa who she wants to marry she will always reply, "Daddy."
-Even Marisa's teachers know Tim's name.
-I picked up Marisa after school one day to have the teacher hand me about 10 drawings she did that day and every single one, except 1, had daddy and her. Here is the only drawing with me in it. (T is for Tanya and N is for Natalie. I'm holding Natalie in my arms.)

-She also tells her teachers that she is making decorations for daddy's birthday, every day. (His bday isn't until January.)
-Marisa decorates the house for Tim's birthday every day. One time she was even so excited that she even paused in the middle of decorating and yelled so loud, "I LOVE DADDY!" while jumping up and down.
-Natalie will ask at random times during the day, "Where is Prince?"
-One time on the bus while eating an orange Marisa saved the very last slice, cupped it in her hand carefully, and told me she was saving the last slice for daddy.
-If at home we are eating a treat, she will also take one and put it aside on the counter for Daddy for when he comes home.
-Marisa especially wants to always be near daddy, walk by daddy, copy daddy, wrestle with daddy, be just like daddy.

Even on the tube she wants to read the paper like daddy.

You can see their eyes literally light up when daddy is around.  I'm so thankful for Sister Dalton's talk to guide me in raising girls in this life, but I'm even more thankful that I have a husband who is one rockin' dad.