Aging with Jack has been a lot of fun. Though he continues to joke about me robbing the cradle (fourteen months apart and he loves to tell people I’m waaaaay older than him), it has been a blessing to know him as a scrawny, fun-loving sixteen year old that was constantly running his cars into things to now, a mature, fun-loving husband and father who runs his cars into things with less frequency and really, is still a mischievous boy at heart.
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| Jack makes EVERYTHING fun, especially if it’s a chore. |
He is always quick to smile and laugh, is frequently telling me not to sweat the small stuff, looks for adventures in just about everything and isn’t afraid to try new things. I will readily admit he is the “fun one” and makes life a joy.
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| Spur of the moment horse trainer. |
Even though he is perpetually young at heart, he often displays virtues that take decades for people to cultivate (I should know–I’m older than him and still working on most of them). I’ve watched him calm a man screaming obscenities at another man with one pat on the back and a gentle reminder that the girls and I were standing close by. The man went from roaring lion to sheepish, apologetic lamb in an instant. Jack is one of the hardest workers I know yet knows when and how to relax, when I keep pushing to do more. He honors me as a woman and values my role as mother and homemaker, never making me feel less than full partnership even though it has been years since I’ve brought home much of any metaphorical bacon. He teaches the girls how to use tools and work on cars and to love the natural world and in the same day will kiss their baby dolls and dance with them and praise them for their small accomplishments. He serves selflessly and never complains when the opportunity arises. And he’s a man of his word. We’ve been having some trouble with web worms in a tree of ours and half an hour after discussing it with me, he was outside and had the entire tree cut down and sawed into usable pieces for the wood burning stove. Jack is a real man.
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| More fuel for next winter! |
…the next he was on his feet, snorting at the giant, blowing bouncy house that he was certain eats horses.
Stoney kindly indicated he wanted to be put away in his paddock to get away from the thing and the girls and Jack played for over an hour, jumping, play-acting and tossing each other. The evening wound down with some cake, ice cream and candles. We were all happy to excited to celebrate this milestone and another year with our Jack.
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| Going wild and crazy, celebrating turning 30 with a bouncy house. |
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| Animals can’t help but be drawn to Jack. |
