I'm telling ya-  I am so thankful for the early morning.  (even if yesterday I totally overslept).... it is SUCH a productive and profitable time.  

I love having my quiet time (even if that means beating my little Rebekah up at 6:30!!) with the Lord, and making a nice breakfast (right now there is cinnamon bread being prepared) for everyone when they awake.

My first encouragment to make the most of my early mornings, actually came from my mom.  I don't ever remember waking up with out finding her in the kitchen reading her Bible.   (no matter what time I awoke)  She was always there reading---and studing and praying.  (Well occasionally I would find her on her knees in the livingroom-- then I knew I must have done something...and if you knew me THEN, you would agree).  

My second encouragement to make the most of my early mornings came from Laine-- what a way she has with words-- to DRAW you-- to help you SEE the benefits....

Early Morning

Let the Summer Teach You

My Morning Joys

Questions on the Early Morning

And alas-- I am now reaping the fruit of those early mornings.  I must admit I wish I were more like my mother, and my boys found me in His Word every morning (and not on HERE) but I am thankful for those times as well.

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A second thought I wanted to share came from my MOMY's board-- it is a terriffic, heartfelt, frugal Fathers Day gift (especially if your husbands Love Language is Words of Affirmation).

Several years ago, we started a new tradition. My dh's love language is words of affirmation, and while he enjoys seeing pics of the dc, he rarely looks through our photo albums. So now he has a "Daddy Album."

I just took an ordinary photo album with cardboard pages and give each child a full-page spread every year. On one side, I place two characteristic pics of that child taken sometime since last year's Father's Day. On the facing page is something they wrote alone or with my help.

The first year, I gave each dc a paper with these words across the top, "What I like best about Daddy!" The second year the oldest four dc had a paper that said, "If I could give Daddy anything in the world, I would give him...." and the younger ones had this at the top of their paper--"My Daddy smiles when...." Now this year their papers will all say this, "My Dad (or Daddy) is good at....."

If the little ones are old enough to talk, I pretty much write down whatever they say when I ask them the question. For a baby, I write what is the most appropriate for that dc. For instance, the year the twins were 6mo, I wrote from XXXXX, "Thank you for being glad I came tagging along behind XXXX!" and from XXXXX, "Thank you for helping Mommy so she has time to feed me good milk!" (If he hadn't picked up a lot of slack that year, there's no way I'd have been able to nurse them so long and so thoroughly. He did not let me quit.)

It is just amazing what the older children will write to their father. These honoring words mean a LOT to my dh.

I always have trouble finding cards that are just right for our dc to give him, so I usually skip it, but I found one this year I liked. The front says, "Do you know what it takes to be a great father?" And inside, "Of course you do! You prove it all the time!" The five oldest dc each contributed some cash to put inside the card, and I glued the envelope front-side down right onto an album page. The facing page has the dates 2008-2009 and a pic of all the dc sitting on the couch last Thanksgiving Day (remember it?).

I keep the album on the stand next to his side of the bed.