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I nod, I’m not a man to get emotional, my daughter is right, I am tough and stubborn, but I feel everything to my core. Though I may not express myself often through words, they are all my reason for breathing.
“Now if you’re done being such a girl, we could use some help,” she leans back when I try to rough up her hair, laughing as she scurries away. “I could get you some tissues maybe,” she shrugs and I stand acting like I’m going after her.
She is down the steps and out in the yard running toward her husband like her ass is on fire.
That’s my girl, she’s always known how to get me moving.
Gran Gemma
“What are you digging for?”I don’t turn around at the sounds of Bud’s voice as I continue sifting through the totes buried deep in the spare bedroom closet. “It looks like a bomb went off in here.”
“Ornaments,” I say, moving aside another tote, and grabbing for the next one.
“Darlin, there's enough ornaments to decorate half a dozen trees.”
“But not the ones I’m looking for,” the man forgets that I do have half a dozen trees. Two outside, one small one for the entryway, the large one is the family room where we all gather to exchange gifts. Then there is the kids tree, to which I let all the littles place their decorations however they’d like. Last but not least I have the sixth tree, smallest of them all, in the corner of Bud and my bedroom.
“I’m looking for the box that has all of Kori's handmade ornaments from when she was little.”
“We haven’t put those up in years.” I glance back to find him sitting on the edge of the bed, looking around the room.
“Kori asked for them,” I explain. “She wants to start a tradition with all the great grandkids, letting them make one each year. Most of them are still a little young, but she has Blake and Brynnlee tomorrow night and she wanted to start with Blake.”
I continue to dig, feeling frustrated that I’m yet to find them.
“Here they are,” I spin around to find Bud holding up a small container, with the lid lifted as he peer’s inside. “Oh wow,” he tosses the lid and suddenly he is lifting something out, turning it around for me to see.
“The first one she brought home,” I watch as my husband gets lost in his memories. “I’m still not exactly sure what it is.”
He chuckles, allowing it to twist on his finger.
“A snowflake maybe,” I can almost picture how excited she was when she ran up the drive toward us, as we both waited for her with open arms.
“Snowball is more like it,” he’s right, it’s a bunch of cotton wadded up, with ribbon around it. It isn’t anything special, but precious at the same time.
I kept everything, much like I do now whenever little Blake or Sarah draw me a picture. I don’t have the heart to throw anything away, finding each one to be special in its own way.
“We’ve built one hell of a family,” I look up to find Bud watching me. “It’s strong and beautiful, and we built it.”
There is nothing but love in his eyes, like he is lost in thought.
“We have an amazing family,” I agree. My heart is so incredibly full and I have this man to thank for that. Bud Jackson has such a big heart; he loves hard and he loves big. He finds a place for every person that enters his life and though we may have only created one daughter, we’ve built the biggest best extended family any one person can ask for.
rhett and aj
one
AJ
Standingin the doorway that opens up into our large living room, I watch in awe. I still can’t believe this is my life. I think back to before Rhett and I were an us and I never could have imagined we’d be where we are now.
Married, with two children, a son and a daughter. We live in a big, beautiful home that he himself designed and spent countless nights doing all he could to ensure it was as perfect as it could be. He was so meticulous and even then I thought he was being obsessively compulsive. Yet, now I see it, I see the details and I’m amazed at the man he is.
I know I have Kori and Reed to thank for that, but I also have every other member of his family. Each one of them took part in Rhett being the perfect man he is today. I have never in my life witnessed the kind of love and devotion this clan has for each other. Now, my children are growing up receiving that same kind of love and I can truly say it warms me to the depths of my soul. I know without a doubt in my mind they will never be left behind, or forced to face any obstacle alone.
Blake, our son, is curled against Rhett’s side, his head tucked into the side of his chest and holding onto his daddies shirt. Almost like he’s afraid he'll leave and wants to ensure he’ll know if he makes an attempt. Brynnlee, our daughter is belly to belly with her daddy, her sweet little chubby cheeks squished just over Rhett’s heart.
I find myself wondering if she’d fallen asleep to the soft gentle beat. The twinkling lights of our Christmas tree reflect off the floor to ceiling windows that line the back of our home.
