Happy Father's Day!

On this very special day, I (Kathleen) want to give a special shout out to Justin: father of four, husband, my partner in life and business, and the talented woodworker behind Smiling Tree Toys. 

Justin is kind, outgoing, passionate about social justice, committed to caring for the earth, and a true kid-at-heart.  He was born in Thailand, grew up in suburban Maryland, was charged by an elephant on African safari, discovered his love for nature in Colorado, and has created his little slice of heaven with our family of six on thirteen acres in rural southern Minnesota. 

This man has the amazing ability to approach someone he's never met, and with a warm smile and friendly greeting, genuinely connect with that person, no matter how different his/her life path may be from his own.

Justin's a dreamer and a doer.  This summer, one of the dreams he's had since the day he became a father nearly eight years ago is finally becoming a reality: designing and creating a tree house in our backyard. Here he is with the "Smith Family Tree House Extraordinaire".  It's still a major work-in-progress, but you can see our kiddos already love adventuring on it.

So while we celebrate this guy in particular today, we want to thank you for letting our family play a small part in creating childhood keepsake toys for all you fathers and your children to enjoy. And to all you dads out there, know that you are loved, honored, admired, and appreciated for all you do!