Sam's idea for a Father's Day Present

A couple of weeks ago, Sam and I are in the car by ourselves.

Sam:  I have an idea for a Father's day present for daddy.

Me:  Oh, what is it?

Sam:  Let's get dad a dog!  We will surprise him with it.

Me:  Sam, I love where you are going with this, but remember, we won't be around on Father's day.  We are leaving early in the morning to go to NYC.  And Daddy will be home without us.

Sam: Yes, that is why its perfect.  We give daddy the dog and then we leave.

At this point, I think Sam wants a dog more than I do.  As far as plans go, Sam's is pretty well thought out.  We all know Jeff does not want a dog.  With Sam's plan, we don't have to hear him yell about it.  By the time we get back into town, the little guy will have already grown on him.

A picture is worth a 1,000 words

As I sit here and try to do justice to describe the type of father Jeff is, I realize I will come up short.  No amount of flowery adjectives can adequately come close to demonstrate the amount of love Jeff has for his children.  Raising kids is a team effort and I couldn't think of a better partner to be my side in this journey called parenthood.  Happy Father's day Jeff.  You may be one of many fathers out there, but in my eyes, you are one of a kind.  We all love you so much. 

Moments after Ian was born...first bottle

Moments after Samantha was born

Samantha's 1st birthday - after eating cake.

To the best there is....

Happy Father's Day to the guy I married. I am beyond blessed at the father this guy turned out to be. He is a most dedicated, caring and loving father to our two kids. Jeff can be firm and a softy, all at the same time. He loves to give hugs, kisses and say I love you for no reason at all. He will go that extra mile and continue being a fabulous parent, when others may have thrown in the towel and turned on the tv.


It is so wonderful seeing Jeff in action; working with Ian on his letters and reading, trying to teach Samantha her alphabet. And, I am not sure who is having more fun when Jeff and Ian are playing a wii game together. Jeff can play dress-up with the best of them and understands Sam's need to pick out her own clothing -- something I haven't quite mastered yet. And, I challenge anyone to find a better father to play play-doh with.


I am so fortunate that I married a guy who truly loves and enjoys being around his kids. He makes sure he is home for dinner each night and is constantly looking in to fun activities to do with the kids on the weekends. Jeff gives me the freedom to go out with my friends or away for long weekends and seamlessly takes over without complaint.


Happy Father's Day Honey! I absolutely love and adore the father you are.

You can never have too many

Less than a month ago, Ian celebrated his birthday and was showered with presents by his family and friends. The other day we were in the car discussing what we could do to make Father's day special for daddy today. After tossing around a few ideas, Ian then asks "When is it going to be Kid's day? Because I could sure use a new toy."

All my life I've been surrounded by amazing fathers. My first experience came from my own father, Jeff Mazer. No topic was off limits on what we would discuss and time and time again, he came through on always being there for me. I never questioned who would be the first parent to show up if they needed to come to our rescue. My dad may think he has a tough exterior, but my two sisters and I know that he is a huge softie in the inside. He is the first one to go to bat for us and will not stop checking in if something or someone is causing you pain. My dad has a wonderfully wicked sense of humor and enjoys a good laugh. He gave me my first American Express Card (age 15!) and will do his best to give you the moon if that is what you desire. I couldn't have asked for a better childhood and half of that is due to my dad being my father.

About 6 years ago, another father came into my life and that is my father-in-law, Harold Toppall. The love Dad Toppall has for his family runs deep. I've seen his sensitive side and his ability to tell a story that keeps you interested until the end. Dad Toppall is an incredibly warm and caring man and makes you feel like you've always been a part of the family. You don't just marry the guy, you get the whole kit and caboodle, I got very lucky.

My husband is the latest version of what it means to be a father. I've never seen a more passionate or proud daddy when it comes to his kids. When he is spending time with Ian and Sam, he gives 200% of himself and nothing else in the world going on at the moment matters. He is a big kid at heart and wants more than anything to do the best by them. Jeff has achieved a great work-life balance and makes sure he is home each night to have dinner as a family and put the kids to bed. As Forrest Gump says in the movie, "Mama said life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what your going to get." I had no idea what kind of father Jeff would be and my expectations have been far, far exceeded. He is good guy through and through and an excellent father. If anything ever happened to me, I know the kids will do well being raised by their father. However, I hope for Samantha's sake, she would know how to dress herself by then, because Jeff has this knack for putting all her clothes on backwards and not realizing anything is wrong.

Happy Father's day to all the amazing dads. I feel fortunate to have you in my life and love you very much.