The three boys mentioned in this blog…. and whom the blog is titled after…. they are the loves of my life. But of course, there is one other boy in my house who usually gets overlooked when it comes to cute little quotes, memorable pictures and those special, scrapbook-worthy moments. I’ve been working on this blog for awhile now and after adding, editing and eventually writing this part, I’m ready to post.
Today marks a very special time in my life. 10 years of marriage! Many thoughts and emotions have been going through my mind here lately. Could be harmones, of course, but I really think they’re sincere this time. This man is mentioned a few times in this blog in the course of baseball stories and perhaps fit in on a ‘list’ somewhere. But the FIRST love of my life, who shall never go overlooked even though it seems he does… Jake.
Most of my posts are for the most part dedicated to my wild hair moments as a mom and the funny and memorable moments in my kids’ lives. But, let’s be real here. None of these moments would be possible if it weren’t for his presence in my life for the past, ummmm, well since 1994 1985. My very first entry in my diary in 1988 was all about ‘Jake Jackson’ and how much I loved him and how cute he was. Yes, I still have all my diaries. How sappy is that? I have memories of Jake being in my life for as far back as I can have memories. I have been absolutely beyond blessed to NEVER have the feelings of loneliness, fear or lack of self-worth. As a teenager, young woman and now whatever title an early 30-something phase gets, those three feelings are inevitable; usually. I’ve always had confidence, will-power and a positive mind. And although part of those qualities I can give credit to my loving mother, they’re also due to having such a wonderful, supportive guy with me.
The day Jake went over to my parents’ house to ask my hand in marriage (I was away for the summer in England), he said my dad gave him one of the best compliments anyone ever has. After asking to marry me in his well-thought-out speech while nervous I’m sure, my dad first said, “Well, about time!” Then my dad got up from his recliner and gave Jake a big hug. First he told Jake ‘Thank you.’ Then he told him that he never had to go through what most dads do worrying about the well-being of their daughter; Who’s she dating? Is she safe? He said he never ever worried about my safety as long as I was with him. My dad, the casual, down-to-earth man he was, had a very serious moment when he told him that. Jake said it was pretty profound. I didn’t hear about this until a couple years into our marriage.
It’s not in the nature of a man to be at home, taking care of kids, doing housework, running from activity to activity. I know that as I’ve been reminded of it many times in my 7.5 years of having kids. Men need time away doing their ‘man thing.’ No husband/dad is better at splitting these times than Jake. He genuinely loves being with his children. Yes, they’re rowdy, sporty boys who happen to love the outdoors, so you’re thinking, ‘well, yeah, of course he doesn’t mind being with them!’ But I’m pretty sure he’d just as well play dolls with his daughter.
Jake is everything I want in a man, friend, husband and father to my kids. He’s patient, kind and always puts others first. I’ve always joked and said that it took me 8 years to mold him into the man I wanted before I could marry him, but I couldn’t be more wrong. Jake is Jake. No one is like him and he isn’t like anyone else. You can’t change a man or make him into someone he’s not. I just lucked out and grabbed this perfect one that God made.
Some men possess the gift of gab and make great businessmen, politicians or entrepreneurs. Jake is a man who relishes each and every relationship he has. He sometimes has few words, but what he says is genuine, not gab. God put him here to be a leader; to work in the lives of children. He’s here to make a difference. The Three Boys, our soon-to-be Little Lady and I are the ones who are blessed to be a part of his life.
So as these first 10 years come to a close, I can only dream about what the next 10 will bring. It’s hard to imagine how they’ll ever be more exciting than this first decade. Here’s a list of some of our milestones:
1. 2002- Leave the city of Houston with our things piled in a horse trailer heading to East Texas where we’ll live for 6 years in Jake’s great grandparents’ old home.
2. 2002- Jobs at Chapel Hill for one year (Jake’s 90+ weekly coaching hours almost ended it quickly)
3. 2003- Jobs move to Winona
4. 2003- I explore jobs outside education and work for a magazine in Tyler while also teaching at Winona
5. 2003- Great family trip to Kansas and Colorado and Palo Duro Canyon
6. 2004- March 2nd Find out we’re pregnant!
7. 2004- April- We get a puppy! Sunni Lou is 8 weeks old!
8. 2004- I decide teaching is my calling
9. 2004- William Paul is born at 7:50 in the morning on Tuesday Nov. 2nd, Jake coaches against his Dad that Friday. Jake’s new name of Daddo is invented by Will.
10. 2005- Leave Winona. Jake heads to Troup, me to rival Arp.
11. 2005- November 13, find out we’re pregnant again!
12. 2006- I decide to stay at home and not work
13. 2006- Cole Mccoy is born on June 19th, 6 weeks early! My dad went and picked up Jake from working at his dad’s and told him, ‘Boy, you better get in this car.’
14. 2006-08- I run a tumbling company while staying home with the two boys.
15. 2007- My dad dies. Jake is there for me more than anyone.
16. 2007-08- Jake goes back to school to get Masters.
17. 2008- I go back to work, we buy, renovate and move into my parents old house all in 4 weeks (during HS football 2-a-days and Hurricane Ike).
18. 2008- Jake is promoted to HS Assistant Principal at Troup.
19. 2009- I go to my current job at Leverett’s Chapel where the boys attend Pre-K.
20. 2009- Find out we’re pregnant again!
21. 2010- February- Jake gets Principal position at WRHS, our alma mater!
22. 2010- June 26 at 2:15 in the morning Rhett Henry joins our family! We have three boys and our family is complete!
23. 2010- First day of Kindergarten at WR for Will
24. 2011- March- Officially become members of Calvary Baptist Church after attending there for 7 years. Wonderful church family.
25. 2011- May- Grump has brain surgery and Rhett has surgery on an abdominal hernia….
26. 2011- September 21- I wake up Jake at 5:30 in the morning with a positive pregnancy test…..
27. 2012- Jan- Find out a GIRL is joining our family! She also has some medical issues that will require surgery and hospital stay when she’s born. We experience hospitals and specialists for the first time and worry about the well-being of our child.
28. 2002-12- Make and keep many, many friendships with people we love. Watch our children grow and play and make their own relationships.
This list reminds me of the movie Marley and Me, when it quickly goes through milestones in their life together. I wish I had a video of ours. But just making this list and reminiscing about all of these wonderful moments makes me realize how blessed we have been.
Thank you to everyone who has put up with our ridiculous love affair all these years. You have ALL been a part of this life we have together and have made it even better.
I love you ‘Ub.’
1988
WR Sports Banquet 1997
WR Prom 1998
2000
March 16, 2002, A Wonderful Day!
Our marathon day of college graduations.
Jake at Rice at 10 am and me from U of H
at 2pm. Our parents, brothers and grandmas
all attended! The night before at Joe’s Crab
Shack with all of us was so much fun!
Honeymoon in St Thomas, US Virgin Islands
The life of a coach’s family!
Our only ‘Just Us’ trip since our honeymoon
…. Boston and Cape Cod, June 2009.
One of my favorite pictures of all time. Rhett
meets his big brothers for the first time and Jake’s
exhaustion is evident in the background. Poor Daddo.
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