Life Lessons From Jake

We have been working on our front yard {post to come} and yesterday my sisters came to help. While they were there, Jake kept giving them "life lessons from Jake" - things that he thought they should make sure to know in life. We all laughed {some of them were silly things like "make sure you always have shoes with you" - my sisters are anti shoes} and joked about them, but in reality Jake has taught me SO many "life lessons" in the few years we have been together.

He has taught me that stability at a job can happen at any age. You don't have to be old to say that you have stuck with a job for years - you can do that starting right out of high school. Jake is coming up on 8 years in September at his job. 8 years! I don't think I've done ANYTHING for 8 years!

He has taught me that hard work, no matter how you feel, sometimes needs to happen. He got SUPER sunburnt yesterday working in the yard and still got up and worked on the yard again today. By himself. No complaints. And because of his hard work, our front yard looks amazing.

He has taught me how fun life can be. It doesn't have to be this super crappy stressful dramatic event. Life is meant to be enjoyed, not just endured. And he is a PERFECT example of that. He is SO good at getting things done that need to be done, and then finding energy for doing fun things.

Even though I didn't drive this car, this is one of my favorite moments in my life. Seeing his face, hearing his reactions, was one of the most rewarding experiences ever.

He has taught me the importance of laughing at situations that suck. I heard this expression once that you should laugh so you don't cry. Jake is great at that. Everything just rolls off of him, like water on a duck. He can shake everything off, no matter how bad it sucks or how unfair it is and find a silver lining. We were talking last night about one of our biggest fights we ever got in, in our first year of marriage {seriously, I am SOO happy we never have to go through that year again} and how we fought because I got mad that he was laughing off a situation when I thought it was an absolute apocalyptic-end-of-the-world situation. He is amazing at being upbeat when I just want to curl up in a ball and give up.

That smile is worse than puppy dog eyes. I'd give him the world if I could every time he smiles like that

He has taught me what a really good "dad" can look like. It doesn't mean you make a million dollars and have the best house with the most gorgeous baby clothes and toys. And yeah, I know Kaycee isn't here yet. And Max is only a dog. But sometimes, the things he does and says with Max just make me melt. And seeing him with our nieces just kills me. Watching him play with them, or talk to them, is adorable. Seeing him talk to my teenage sisters about awkward situations so that they know there is a guy in their life that cares about them is earth shattering for me. Seeing him make faces at the baby in front of us at church just melts me.  Seeing him say and do things for our princess, already, seriously makes me cry. Seeing him work in the yard or fix the car and do "dad" things just amazes me every time. I have a great dad - I love my dad. But those aren't things I remember seeing my dad do growing up. And my kids will have a dad that knows how to do those things. That can show them how to check their oil or change a tire. That can help them do things themselves to help them save money in life.

 

He has taught me how worth it is to serve and work hard for other people, especially people you love. I would move heaven and earth for him. He is that person that pulls over on the side of the road to give gloves to a homeless man in December, or a $5 bill to someone in need of help. The guy that will work an extra shift to help out when they need it at work, even when he isn't the lead for that crew. The guy that will stay late at church cleaning up the building when everyone else left. The guy that shovels the driveway at the crack of dawn so that I can make it to work safely.

And I can tell it's true what they say about having kids - you don't have to share your love, your heart gets bigger and it can just handle loving more people. Finding out we are having a baby has been so fun, and I love Kaycee already. And I feel like, if anything, my love for Jake has only increased. I don't have to love him less because someone else will have my attention. I can love him even more.

I am so grateful for you, babe. For how hard you work for our family. For the income you provide for our family. Especially since I will be able to stay home with Kaycee once she is here. For how hard you worked to go to the Temple. For how diligent you are in fulfilling your calling each week. For the fact that I haven't had to sit alone in Sacrament Meeting for a very long time. For waking me up when I'm sleeping on my back to make sure that I don't hurt me or Kaycee. For all your help around the house. For how you treat my sisters. For how you keep our cars running. For making me smile. For letting us go all the way to Idaho to get our practice child Max. For being my rock and my everything. You're amazing, and I love you so much.