Gathering Pieces of Love
Their hand he holds, his heart he gives, our children he always thinks of
A “good morning sunshine”, a tender kiss…Gathering Pieces of Love.
He shares his knowledge and teaches them kindness these little ones sent from above
A fishing trip, a football game…Gathering Pieces of Love.
He’s a gentle, loving, spirited soul beyond his own accord
A snuggle, a story, a loving smile…Gathering Pieces of Love.
Side by side he walks with them, so many questions they can think of
A treasured memory of a dad and his children…Gathering Pieces of Love.
By Julie Neerings
Our world is an ever changing place filled with the continued advancements of technology and resources that have become available to us and with that have come many opportunities for families to follow a very non -traditional standard such as:
- Working from home
- Women working outside of the home
- Dad’s who have the greatest experience of all by being a stay-at- home dad
So to you, our stay-at-home dad’s (SAHD) you are my focus in this post. What a commendable job you have and how admirable that is to see that there are so many great men out there that have taken fatherhood to the next level. I went on a search to find all the dad's groups available in Utah and yes, there was success.
With your days being filled with changing diapers, preparing bottles, wiping away tears and receiving sweet butterfly kisses, that moment comes when you just need to be around another human soul that relates to the very challenging and rewarding job of being at home all day with your children, being a stay-at-home dad.
Being a mom of 3 beautiful children and having this experience in our family of having been a stay-at-home mom and with my husband having been a stay-at-home dad, I completely understand how hard this job is. I spent the first 6 years of my twin boys’ life’s being at home to nurture them and
teach them all the many amazing lessons required to be productive in this world. I will always cherish those moments with my boys and truly believe in my heart that there is no other job in this life that is as rewarding and challenging as being at home all day with our children.
Later in our lives the tables turned. My husband and I decided to have another child and just after our little princess was born we found out that the company my husband was working for, was closing in Utah. That’s when I decided to, with great persistence, rather than quitting the job I was going to quit prior to the announcement, I would stay there and have my husband be the stay-at-home dad. His pride got in the way and with much reluctance he tried in every way possible to get out of it. Little did he know all the blessings and challenges that were ahead of him.
Although my husband went back out into the outside- the- home working world since then, he often mentions that he enjoyed that time so much and wishes he could go back to being a stay-at-home dad again. You may not get paid monetarily for that amazing job you do, but you do go on a daily journey of gathering pieces of love.
So here you have it dad’s…this one’s for YOU! When you find yourself singing a song from the Wiggles over and over or you look in the mirror to find a clump of play dough in your hair, you just may need to get out and be with other stay-at-home dad’s and their children in a group set up here in Utah to bring dad’s together with their children and have some fun. Jump in, connect and join the stay-at-home dad's group here in Utah.
I wish for you many, many more days of baseball games, fishing trips, zoo trips and the everlasting sweet tender kiss and words of "I love you daddy". Thank you all for the amazing work you do to love and care for your children each and every day. What a gift that is...Gathering Pieces of Love.
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**Please note: The photos and clip art in the collage are courtesy of photobucket.com. This is a tribute to fathers all over the world and the beautiful gift they give to our children**
The photo at the top is from my personal collection.
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If you are considering buying or selling a home in Utah, you deserve local expertise and advice to be provided by a professional in real estate. Julie Neerings, GRI is a Utah REALTOR® providing full time, professional real estate services to home buyers and sellers in the cities of Layton, Bountiful, Woods Cross,Murray, West Valley, West Jordan, South Jordan, Riverton, Herriman and all surrounding cities in Davis County and Salt Lake County.
You may be relocating to or from Utah due to a military relocation or civilian job transfer, if that is the case, when searching for a real estate professional outside the state of Utah, please feel free to Contact Me or call me at 801-859-9381 as I am more than honored to provide to you the contact information of exceptional agents across the U.S. and Canada.
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JULIE - What a great tribute to your husband. I can tell you that I'm only partially in this situation, but it is much more work than I ever would have imagined. It can be challenging at times, but in the long run, I think that it helps to build a bond with the children that may not have otherwise been built.
Julie,
This post is so cute and sweet! When my husband was able to be home with the kids, I used to say that he was a much better "mom" than I would ever be! He was such a great dad, loved being with the kids!
Now that was a wonderful story of the challenge and rewards of being at home with the children to experience the things that so often slip by with them growing up so quickly. I was a stay at home mom until I wanted them to go to pre-school to socialize with other kids...so I went to work to pay for it. Funny, I think back to how I missed them for those couple of hours and couldn't wait to go pick them up. I stil remember the name ...Humpty Dumpty Pre-School LOL~!
Thanks for sharing that....your husband got what many do not....time.
Julie- The trend for guys to stay home can mess with the ego of many as you said, but once they do it, then as your husband saw....it is priceless. You put this into a lovely Post, and the poem fits in with the beautiful graphics. All in all a very nice way to let Dads know about the Group. Good Job.
Julie, this is incredible!!! I am amazed at everything that is offered to residents in your area. Including SAHDs is a fantastic idea and one that other cities should take note of.
Julie - what a BEAUTIFUL post. My husband was always involved with our children and they talk of that often today, even now that they are in their 30's and 40's. He wasn't a SAHD but when he was at home he was always with them at football, baseball, school and church activities and always involved...what a great tribute to your hubby!
Awesome post ! I have to get mine up. I started it for the men for local expert but haven't finished it yet ! This is truly a masterpiece Julie ! Great job !
Julie your work just keeps getting better and better! Love all the pictures, graphics, and the way it all blends together. Your husband sounds like a great guy :)
What a great post and a wonderful poem. Your children are truly blessed to have a mom and a dad to love them ssooo much. My wife stays home with our three boys but I try to "help out" as much as possible. :-)
I found something else we have in common.. Twins! How cool is that?!?! Thanks for sharing!
Julie,
A wonderful post and the poem is lovely. I know a couple of SAHDs and they do a terrific job and treasure their time with the kids.
Julie, sometimes troubles are blessings in disguise. When I was out of work for a long period of time due to a layoff I learned to relax more and take things in stride. It also was a solid lesson to me to prepare for rainy days because you never know when a big one might hit you. Stay at home Dads are great and in general are more under appreciated than Stay at home Moms. Thanks for the tribute to hubbie.
Julie...It is a wonderful thing when you see not just your daughter become a wonderful, caring parent but your sons as well. I have only one son-in-law but he is terrific.
Thank you.
Kathleen
Julie,
Your poem is so beautiful...
I stayed at home with my sons until they were all in school full-time and I will never regret having done that.....it gave them a secure and loving start in life and I believe the fine young men they are today has a lot to do with the security and consistency they felt while they were very small.
The first 5 years of a child's life are the most important....
Wonderful post!
Jo
Adam: Whether you are in this all the way or part of the way, YOU my friend know the importance of fatherhood and grew up with a wonderful dad yourself. I have my office from home and as I'm working, I love it because my little girl is right here in the house, I can run to her and give her hugs and kisses, play, read, and be with my children. My boys tell all the time they are so happy I work from home. It does come with it's challenges, but I prefer it this way. Thank you for your wonderful comment my friend and for being such a wonderful example to all dad's. Many blessings to you!
Jan: From the stories you have shared, I'm sure your hubby was a wonderful dad and your children have that foundation and example to carry on throughout their lives. You my friend, you radiate with love and I can only imagine the wonderful mom you have been as well. Many blessings to you always!
Sally: You certainly get it my friend and that's why your children love you so much. I completely understand you on the pre-school time away. With my boys I would volunteer to help out a lot so I could be there with them. I missed them horribly when they were gone. I wanted every moment possible with them, but they still had to grow and learn social skills. With my little girl, she has had such a bond with her daddy because of him being at home in the beginning. I always feel like Jan mentioned, he does it better than me. She and I have a lot of mom and daughter days and I'll tell you, she just loves that. Thank you for your great comment and blessings to you.
Kathy: It was really hard for my husband because he felt like he wasn't "doing his job". He was in many ways and he deserved that time to be with our children all day everyday. Not only that, he has always said that because of that experience, it truly gave him the appreciation of what I did all those years. Thank you for commenting and blessings to you!
Lisa: I'm so glad you liked this and thank you so much. I can't wait to see your post on the same topic. You will do a fabulous job as always. There are so many resources throughout all of our communities and just the opportunity to make the difference for somebody will be all worth it. Have a wonderful week and many blessings to you.
Mary: Thank you for sharing your story of your husband. That does go to prove what a wonderful impact that has on our children. Your children will never forget those moments with their dad and he will always remember them too. Have a wonderful week and many blessings!
Melissa: Thank you for such an incredible comment and I do look forward to seeing your post on the same topic. It makes such a difference to people in our communities, because you just never know what their needs are. Have a great week and many blessings.
Bill: Thank you for your wonderful comment. My hubby is a sweetheart and I'm so truly grateful for him in my life. Nothing is so comforting as the feeling of my children being loved so much by their dad and for him taking in every moment possible to just be with them. I hope you have a fantastic week and many blessings.
Nick: Twins are amazing and that bond they have is incredible. I remember reading in one of your posts that you have twins. I can only imagine that you take a great part in being with your children. Your sweet wife does have a job that fills her day with so many blessings and challenges and the appreciation you have for her and what she does means so much. Have a wonderful week my friend and many blessings to you.
Cynthia: Thank you for your kind comment. I think there are a lot of men who are SAHD's and the fact that they have a support group to go to for outdoor adventures or indoor adventures with their children is fantastic. I hope your week is wonderful and many blessings to you.
Gary: You know, the wonderful attitude that you have and the incredible way that you share yourself here and give everybody that uplifted feeling, you truly do follow in His ways and the lessons you have learned along the way stand out and make a difference for all those that have had the opportunity to cross paths with you. Stay-at-home dad's don't get as much appreciation as they should. I know when my hubby was home with our children for those 8 months, some people made comments that were inappropriate. We just laughed because more than anything that was between us and our decisions in life. For him and our children, that is a time that they will always cherish and still talk about. Ultimately, I would love to see that opportunity come his way again. He deserves it. Have a wonderful week and many blessings to you!
Kathleen: Thank you for your kind comment. I'm sure that brings you so much comfort to see your children become such wonderful parents. Have an enjoyable week and many blessings.
Jo: I think I barely made it to get this post in, but it's there and I pray that it makes a huge difference in somebody's life. I can truly imagine of what a beautiful foundation you set for your children and what wonderful adults they have turned out to be. You have such an amazing way of reaching out to all people and with those little ones by your side, that journey must have been filled with pure beauty. Thank you for your kind comment and many blessings to you my friend.
Hey Julie, Love it!! This is a wonderful post. I love the tribute to your hubby and all the at home parents and it is so important to appreciate the work they do. I consider any family who has the luxury of a stay at home parent a very fortunate family and the schools, girl scouts, 4H clubs and organizations love how the stay at home parent is always on call. It is a busy wonderful time in the life of families. Thanks for bringing back memories for me.
Your take on your hometown is truly a "heart of Utah" and so appropriately named!!
Karen: You are so welcome! Thank you my friend for your wonderful comment. I'm so glad you enjoyed this post and there is so much appreciation for those who stay home and take care of their children. No, not all people have even one person in their family to grasp a hold of that opportunity, but like you said if a family is fortunate to have a parent stay at home that is wonderful. Many blessings to you and I hope your week is wonderful.
What a cool post, honoring those un-sung heroes who stay home with their kids in spite of peer pressure! Honestly, my son is hoping his company will sell while his baby is still an infant so he can be a stay-at-home dad - wait 'til he finds out how tough the job is, albeit rewarding.
Julie, what a neat story. Being a stay at home mom was something I was privileged to do. I had the option of going out and working, but opted to stay at home and raise my children "my way." I think dads do miss out. ;-)
Julie, how in the world did I miss this one??? What a beautiful tribute to fathers. I think they are so underrated. It's been proven that a lot of the problems in society today is because of fatherless children. How sad. What a wonderful post that's written with love from a mother's heart. Simply beautiful, Julie, my friend!
Man or woman- anyone who stays at home to take care of the children is a hero in my book. It is a TOUGH, TOUGH job. Lovely.
Margaret: Thank you for your wonderful comment. I do hope your son is given that opportunity to be home with his little one. That will be a treasure memory always. Have a wonderful week!
Teri: Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience. I'll bet you baked lots of bread for your children when they were growing up. Those were the times that I jumped in and did that more often. Now my baking consists of Betty Crocker and a 1,2,3 and it's done! LOL
Linda: I knew you would make it here, no worries my friend. Thank you for your wonderful comment and oh yes, I truly believe that having fathers involved will build so much confidence in a child. I'm so impressed by the involvement my hubby has with our children and I am more than grateful for that. I didn't have that privilege growing up and knowing my children do, makes me float on a happy cloud. Big hugs to you!
Ginger: Thank you so much and yes, I truly agree with you on that statement. That job is tough for sure. Have a wonderful week.
What a great tribute to all those hardworking stay at home Dads. I know a few first hand and they are incredible individuals. Kudos to all those SAHD and to the women who married them and allowed their gift to shine!
Martha: What a beautiful comment and Thank YOU so much. SAHD and SAHM should always be noticed for the incredible work they do and what a big difference it does make for our children. Have a beautiful week!
Hooray for the DADS out there. There are lots of sperm donors but it's a true testament to be a DAD.
Robert: Thank you for your kind comment on our Dads Clubs. They deserve a lot of credit and support as well. Enjoy your day!