The guilt never really ends

Last week I went to young men's camp in the thriving metropolis of Orderville, Utah. It was actually a really great time, and it's a really pretty area. There's a German bakery there that wasn't bad, though admittedly I don't know a lot about German bakers. I hate German chocolate cake, but that's about it. Had the opportunity to drive through Zions Canyon which I haven't done in a long time, and went to see Solo in Hurricane (we weren't in a hurricane watching Solo, we watched Solo in Hurricane). Also found a Fizz in Hurricane, so I count that as a good day. Update: Jim Bob and I were in charge of the shuttle, so the boys and leaders hiked, and we had 8 hours to kill until they were done with the hike, so went to see Solo. It was ok.
The issue is how upset it made my daughters that I was leaving. Literally I was gone for 1 full day, but it felt like I was getting on the last plane out of Vietnam the way my girls were acting. And I fully understand. I love that they love to be around me, but I don't think I was prepared for the level of guilt that I would feel as a parent when you have to leave your kids for a period of time. Priya burst into tears at the mere mention of me leaving, and any time I talked to her she would start crying. It's hard trying to explain to a three year old that I needed to go, but in the end I came back home. As I drove up to my apartment, I realized that they were out on the deck watching for me as I hear squeals of delight and Mirinda singing "I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home" at the top of her lungs. You need to remember times like that when they're throwing an hour long tantrum, or when they're teenagers telling you how horrible you are.
I did bring them a present from my travels, however. They got rocks. Yes, I spent $10 on rocks, but they were cool rocks, and those two love rocks. I probably could have picked up some rocks in the parking lot, but I can just see them sitting in a therapists office years down the line wondering why their dad brought them parking lot rocks as a present from his trip. I felt $10 now was better than thousands of dollars down the road.
After I got home it was a Father's Day celebration which started off by a trip to the carwash. That's the best $7 I've ever spent for their entertainment. It was one of those self service places, and they were giggling the entire time watching me wash the car.
Next we ate our own weight in meat at Tucanos. Priya has really come a long way with what she will and won't eat. When we first got home we were really concerned because she wouldn't eat much, and she definitely wouldn't eat meat. Now she's realized the wonders of meat, though we always have a fruit and veggie to go with it, and she's starting to gain a little bit. I tried to get Mirinda to eat a chicken heart, but she wasn't going for it. Next time, next time.
We had a great Sunday for Father's day. Amy and the girls made me breakfast and they gave me a shirt and a present they made.
Father's day is a good and a bad day for me. I miss my dad a lot. We went to his grave and left flowers, but it does make me sad that he isn't able to spend time with Mirinda and Priya in this life, cause he would have got such a kick out of those two. They would have loved him too. I always like to tell stories to them about Grandpa Bob. He was an incredible man, and he was my best friend.
It's been really nice to have a break in doctor's appointments for Priya. We did that on purpose. Not only did we need a break, but she needed a break, and needed a chance to have fun in the summertime. She absolutely loves the splash pad a Lagoon. She'll put her face right over it, and then laugh as it sprays her in the face. Mirinda tolerates the splash pad, and is more concerned about getting on a ride. If you're at Lagoon on a Saturday, know that we'll probably be there at some point.
My recommendation for the week is Fizz. I absolutely love that place, and that's my treat every Saturday for surviving another week. There are a lot of drink places, but Fizz really is the best because they do mostly real fruit puree's in their drinks. Swig drives me insane because every freaking drink has coconut in it. Coconut doesn't go in every freaking drink. Stop putting the coconut in every freaking drink. That's another reason to like Fizz. They do have coconut in some drinks, but not every freaking drink. If you haven't tried, I definitely recommend it. Here are some of my favorites: If you're a coke or diet coke fan, get an I Love Lucy or and I Love Leia. It's rasperry, cranberry, and cream. (I love Leia adds lime). It is seriously the best tasting drink. If you're a Mountain Dew fan, I recommend Timber, Jar Jar Drinks, or Spider Monkey. All of those are actually good with Diet Mountain Dew, and it works out nicely cause it covers up the taste of Diet Mountain Dew.
Thanks for reading! As always feel free to comment or share this with anyone who might be interested!