Him is my father in law Rex.
Yesterday was his birthday.
We are jerks.
Let me tell you about my father in law.
He is kind. He is giving. He is generous. He is a good man. He is a hard worker. He is good natured, funny, and loving.
I asked if he would help tear down the wood paneling in my basement bedroom. He redid the entire room, complete with tiered ceiling and new light fixture and paint.
He drove 45 minutes one way to attend Donuts with Dad with Lizzie at her school. After she specifically asked for him. Because he is very favorite Grandpa.
When the kids sleep over at their house he's been known to share the bed with a kicking, fidgety Lizzie or has been kicked out entirely by her and had to sleep in the guest bed. And he does this without complaint.
He married Leslie (my wonderful mother in law) even after meeting her teenage boys. And having at least one of them kinda suck in a few big ways (shooting his car with paint balls).
He called more than anyone else checking on the status of William when I was in labor. He could not wait to come see him and would have that night if that baby had not waited until after 11pm to be born.
He works hard, morning till night, in construction to contribute and lead his household.
He is an excellent and experimental cook. He always makes my steak well done, which is tough to do when everyone else is content with medium well or less.
He is patient.
He does not believe that biology has anything to do with family. He loves my husband as if he were his own son and my children as if they were his biological grandchildren. And has from the moment I told them I had kids. He has cared for Jenny (my husband's paternal grandmother) and has treated her with kindness, respect and dignity. Jenny loves him more than she loves Micah's birth father.
He loves his daughter and has always looked out for her best interests.
He thinks William looks like him.
He has forgiven Micah and I for not telling him about our secret wedding and making sure he could be there. We still feel like jerks for that too, by the way.
He roots for the Denver Broncos but is not a crazy fanatic.
He lets me play with his accounting software.
He shows me his plans and drawings that he does for people for construction.
For awhile he was the only person who could make William stop fussing during a holiday party. He held that over Leslie for a little bit and then dropped it.
Happy Birthday Rex. I hope you didn't work too hard and you had a great dinner. You're a blessing to our lives and both Micah and I feel like we don't need any other father because we have you in our lives. You have taught us both what it's like to have a "Real" father who loves unconditional and treats others with love and respect. Thank you.
1 comments:
Oh, no! We missed it, too. Argh. I knew it was sometime in April. I second & third & fourth everything you said in this so eloquently written post. Rex is amazing, and we are lucky to be part of his family!
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