New Home Projects...

There's nothing that can bring out the fangs like home projects.  Shannon and I learned long ago that anytime we move, put together a new toy, or simply put up some blinds....it's likely we wind up yelling at one another and our toes aren't exactly touching in bed that night.  It's just how it is.

I've been nagging him for months to plant grass seed.  I wanted to plant it prior to winter, as I'd heard it came up nice after the snow melted.  Shannon likes to really think things out; he's a planner while I'm more impulsive. So rather than give in to my demands, he thoughtfully came up with (and didn't communicate of course-he is a man) a backyard plan even I couldn't have imagined coming to fruition.

I generally hate to admit when I'm wrong, but this time, I nearly knelt to my knees and bowed down to him when I saw what he'd put together.  He spent an entire weekend this spring adding a border around our new rock retaining wall-that way there will be less weed eating when we do have grass to mow.  He talked to some guys at work and got both the wood and wood chips that will align between the rocks and the wood border, for free.  He then went on to build me two beautiful flower beds; and I didn't even ask.

If we would have planted the grass like I'd pushed and pushed for, we wouldn't have this new, beautiful border or flower beds.  If he would have gave in; his creative juices wouldn't have been flowing and he wouldn't have been as driven to be outside, working every weekend, like he has been.

I've learned from this project (not after seven years of marriage), that I need to simply shut up and let him do his thing, at his own pace.  He's quite the handy man and if I let him just do it his way, it always ends up better.

As difficult as is for me to shut up at all, you can picture me this time silently on the sidelines as he puts together the huge wooden playset we purchased for the kids, even though I think we should have put the sand down first, rather than after it's put together.  Hey, I'm keeping that opinion to myself!

~Trina