Jay had woken up with a bad sinus cold. By mid-afternoon he was starting to have chills and a headache. He's mostly been in bed since 3:30:(...not the best way to spend Father's Day.
Yesterday, Jay and his dad spent from 7am until 8:30pm building a pool deck. Last week they had dug the holes and poured cement. Jay really wanted to finish building it yesterday as a birthday present for me...one more thing completed to make our backyard even better! The deck came out great!
The only thing left to do is trim the boards over the pool. Jay's circular saw wasn't strong enough so he had to borrow my brother-in-law's. He was going to take care of it this afternoon, but that didn't work out because he was feeling so awful. Other than that and putting some water seal on it, (which Jon will be doing), it was built in a day.
Peter already tried the deck out even though the water is freezing! Luke keeps calling the deck his tree house. Luke was underfoot most of the day yesterday "helping" to measure and drill. Luke loves doing projects with Jay...it's SO cute!
My husband has many talents! Most importantly, he is a GREAT dad! He not only meets their physical needs, but their emotional and spiritual needs as well. He is thrilled each time we add a new baby into our family. Even after all the children we have had, he still gets incredibly excited and nervous whenever it gets close to the arrival of a new little blessing! He is the first one to get teary eyed as a new little life emerges and we get to meet him, or her, for the first time.
Jay cuddles babies, changes diapers, plays on the floor with toddlers, plays games with grade schoolers, goes to countless games and meets and practices, spends hours talking and, more importantly, listening to teenagers talking about their hopes and their struggles, plays basketball with teenagers(and still refuses to let them win...though Mike has managed a win or two in the last couple months for the first time), and teaches teens to drive.
I remember the day Michael was born and Jay became a father for the first time. We were very young and had no idea what we were doing! But Jay was so proud and so full of love for his baby boy! The afternoon Mike was born, Jay went down to the gift shop and got Mike a small stuffed alligator.(Then looked at me sheepishly and said he forgot to buy me flowers!) He was just so happy and so excited. Jay had never really held or cared for a baby before. That didn't matter. He jumped right in, even in the hospital. Jay wanted to give Michael his first sponge bath. He loved holding him, feeding him, and cuddling him.(He did lots of diaper changes, too!)
For 19 years Jay has been, and continues to be, a great daddy! I am so blessed...and so are my kids!
Happy Father's Day!
