This picture is significant for multiple reasons. Jake was there at that party Saturday.
He has been under some intense writing deadlines of late, and we have not seen much of him. Last weekend was really vital writing time for him, but that man chose to keep his commitment to go to a men's conference he signed up for back in December, join us for the last part of that birthday party Saturday, and go to Sunday school yesterday... even though it would have helped him immensely to have just worked on school.
Before we had kids, I thought I wanted a houseful of cute, football playing little Jakes. The Lord evidently had more pink than blue in mind when he created our family, and my man truly loves being THE man for his four girls.
He's not afraid of being left with all three little ladies and never was, even when they were brand newborns. He's confident going anywhere with them on his own.
I can throw a dress, a pair of tights, a bow, and a kid to him, and he can give me back a neatly dressed young lady ready for church.
He can tie a mean bow.
He bathes all three in the bathtub simultaneously and successfully cranks out three squeaky clean, non-drowned little girls. I only bathe the girls myself in dire circumstances- that's really Jake's rodeo.
He's king of our family dance parties and definitely the most popular partner.
He knows to ask what I'd like different people to wear and doesn't get frustrated with "complicated outfits."
He walks in the door from work and jumps immediately into "play" mode. Somewhere in between his office and our front door, he very successfully switches hats and is totally in the "Daddy" zone when he gets home, every time. This is especially significant because Jake's true personality is to be re-energized by some downtime. Downtime doesn't happen until after bedtime in the Gross household. But Jake comes straight home from work anyways.
He doesn't throw situations on me because he doesn't want to deal with it- he handles discipline issues head on and is a proactive, involved Daddy.
Every night, he prays over his children.
Jake does not back down, ditch out, beg off, or avoid any part of being the girls' daddy and my husband.
Not that he hasn't had a million excuses to do all of the above with everything he has on his plate and all the pressures of getting a doctorate.
But he doesn't make excuses. When he has to be away, he truly misses the girls and wants to come home for dinner- which is usually a bit chaotic- when he can, because he loves being in the circus that is our family.
I think about how flattered and flabbergasted I was (I think there was even a little hyperventilation involved there), when my friend Michelle told me that JAKE GROSS had been asking what my dating status was and if he could have my number. Even after I went on our first date, I remember being just encouraged that there were MEN out there like him, even if he never asked me out again.
I think how everything I knew then was just the tip of the iceberg. Jake Gross is a great man, I respect him above any other, and it's an honor to be his wife and the mom to his kids.
4 comments:
What a beautiful post, Emily, about an amazing guy! Love to all of you from the Strawns!
Your Dad is smiling, sweet girl... Jake's everything he could have ever asked for, for your husband and life partner. You both are quite amazing. You both have substantial personal resources from which to draw, and I know that the rest comes from the Lord, on whom you both rely utterly and completely. It's a sweet thing to be a happy bystander, Grammy and witness.
In the past year and a half since we found out you were expecting twins, I have known three other families who also found out they were going to have twins. They usually ask me, “How does your sister do it?!” And then if they can have your number… I should just say, “Well, first you get a Jake Gross. And then…” Jake is your secret weapon and I don’t think many people realize how much he does to make your family a happy, functioning family. There are definitely some things he does that I could not handle (bath time with all three for starters). I’m so thankful that he is your husband and the father of your girls. Although I cannot say he is the World’s Greatest Dad (since that title is taken by my husband), I think he is way up there!
I think Jake and Jeff could be happy co-laboring daddies of little girls. I echo all you say about Jake for my own husband and am so happy to be able to do it because I know how much easier it makes my job. Don't you love that bathtime is Daddy's Magic Kingdom? I love that there is a part of our daily routine which I know very little about because Daddy is the true expert. God bless those fabulous husbands.
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