Saturday, November 08, 2008

Of Home Improvement and Fathers

The day after our wedding, my dad fell from a hotel balcony onto his head. He fractured several vertebrae, and is now paralyzed below the chest. Elizabeth and I didn't find out until we got back from our honeymoon. Our families, after much deliberation and prayer, had decided to keep the news from us during our honeymoon, since the danger of him dying had at that time passed, and they didn't want our honeymoon to be cut short or tempered by worry. They took us off of all the church e-mail lists, which were abuzz with prayer requests and updates. We are very thankful for their decision. It was a hard one for them to make, but it was the right one. My dad's injury prevented him from traveling home to California for several months after the accident, and so during that time he and my mother stayed here in Washington. Elizabeth and I were able to see my parents, visiting them in the hospital, and later on the rehab facility as often as we could. Elizabeth and I were thankful to be able to spend so much time with my parents, despite the circumstances that had effected their proximity. My dad taught me everything I know about home improvement growing up. Not only did he show me how to work all the tools in the garage, he also showed me how to use the ones at work, since I worked under him for a few years in college. Our roof was leaking the other day. The water was coming through the ceiling in the living room and dripping all over the coffee table over night. In the morning, I put a bowl under it, and then headed off to work. Thankfully, it didn't rain much that day. That evening, I went up into the crawl space, but I couldn't see any obvious leaks. I called my in-laws, and my father-in-law went up there to have a look. Scott knows a lot more about leaky roofs than I do (we didn't get much moss on our roof in California). He and I went to the hardware store and got some roof patch (tar, basically) and after sweeping the moss and pine needles off of the area above the leak, we applied the patch. The next day while I was at work, he and my mother-in-law came over and swept the rest of the moss off of the whole roof! Without being asked! They're awesome. Today, thanks to Scott lending me some tools, I was able to get a few things done around the house that I've been meaning to do. We have two cats: Bow is a tuxedo cat who's been Elizabeth's, and Zoe, a grayish black kitten is the daughter of Elizabeth's sister Katherine's cat Sam. I installed two cat doors, one so that the cats can get from the kitchen into the garage, and the other so that they can get from the garage outside. This will enable us to put the litter box in the garage. I also installed a doorknob on our bedroom door. Zoe has a habit of clawing at doors, and without a doorknob, we've been having to wedge it shut with a hamper to keep her out (and even sometimes that doesn't work). I have a no-cats-in-the-bedroom policy (it's because I'm mean and I hate them). The third father I wish to mention is someone who is also helping to improve our home: our heavenly Father has given Elizabeth and me a child, due in June, which brings us to the fourth father of this post: me! I know that there will be challenges ahead that I am not prepared for. Thankfully, I have two sets of wise parents, and a heavenly Father who holds me in His hand. He knows how, He is able, and (wonder of wonders) He cares enough about me, his child, to help me grow into the husband and father that He designed me to be.

3 comments:

  1. Well that didn't take long. :P

    Congratulations! I will pray for a safe and healthy pregnancy for both mom and baby. :)

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  2. Hooray and congratulations! When in June? Grow baby grow!

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  3. Congratulations!!!!!! We'll be praying for y'all! Our God is amazing, isn't He?!

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