Happy Fathers day Bob. I want to honor my late husband Bob on this very special day set aside to tell dads just how special they are. Who would have guessed that these two at the young age of 17 and both still in high school would get one day get married and have four beautiful children? I mean really??? look at us. We barley look old enough to check out a library book on our own.
Bob and I did get married at the age of 20 and enjoyed 14 years of marriage before the Lord called him home. Together we adopted our oldest son and had three more children together. Bob was an awesome husband and father to our children. Bob was a romantic kind of guy. An example of one of the many ways he showed me he cared was when he came home to visit during one of his internships. I knew he was coming home that day but was not sure when. The doorbell rang and when I answered it there was no one there. I looked down and on the step was a small pile of Heresy Kisses and a trail that lead away from it. I smiled and followed it around the corner and at the end was Bob with a bouquet of carnations for me. Bob did these acts of romance frequently throughout our marriage. Bob went to College later in life after we had all of our children. Bob spent many nights studying in our room or at the library to become a Physical Therapist. On weekends instead of saying I need to have me time I have spent time all week studying he would take the time and spend it with the kids. He knew that me having the four children all day and into the evening can at times become exhausting. More times then I can count he would give me Saturday to go and shop or what ever I wanted to do. He in turn would take the children and take them on bike rides, play basketball with them or go down to the river in Sacramento. He would do a mad sweep through the house tackling any left over dishes, laundry, what ever needed tiding up and although (sorry) he was not what you would call a cook per say he would make us dinner to enjoy.
Bob had a heart for Jesus. He loved to spend time learning about what the Lord wanted for his life. I can remember him spending countless hours talking to my brother Gary or my friend Keri's husband Russell about what does this mean or what does that mean. I know Bob walks with Jesus in Heaven today this I am sure.
This is a glass picture I gave Bob one Fathers Day. I do not remember the year I gave it to him and I never knew how much the statement would be true so early in our life. It is a little fuzzy but this is what it says. If I could sit across the porch from God, I would thank Him for lending you to me. I do sit with Jesus and I have and still thank him for Bob.
You know, one of the greatest complements my son Nathan has ever said about Bob and I relationships was this small conversation he had with a classmate one day at school. Nathan was talking with a fellow classmate whose parents were unfortunately in the middle of a separation. The classmate said to Nathan, "Nathan what did you do when your mom and dad would fight?" " I just can not stand it anymore." Nathan responded to the classmate with this. "I don't know my parent s never really fought." WOW !!
Any way we are talking about Fathers Day. So here are some things that Bob did as a father that drove me insane at the time but I look back at them now and laugh and they are now great memories. 1. He took the older two children out of school every now and again to just go watch a movie one on one. 2. He allowed the children to have ice cream right before dinner. Not often but it did occur once in a while. 3. He left Lego's laying around after building Lego monuments and I would step on them Ouch! 4. I am not sure how he did this maybe it's genetics or something but Bob never used a glass to drink water, he always just drank out of the faucet. Guess what? My youngest son Matthew does the exact same thing AUGGGGG!!
Yes, Bob was a fantastic husband and father. This day is one of those days that bring joy and sting to our hearts around the Bean home. Below is the last Family portrait taken of us all together. It was taken two years before his death. We miss you Bob and will always love you. You were a committed, loving and funny husband and father to our children.
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