My Poor Husband

Sigh....

Is that any way to start a post?

Well, here's the deal. As you can see in the mosaic post, I have a stubborn streak about as wide as the Mississippi River. There has only been one person I've met who's more stubborn than I am (maybe I just haven't tried everyone's stubbornness out yet), and that person would exist in my own family. I'm sure the stubborn genes run deep thanks to me alone. Well, that person is NOT Zan. Zan is the perfect person to dwell with such as I--kind, patient, giving, loving....You get the idea, the list goes on and on and on and on.....

Gannon has spent this past week at Camp Baldwin for Scout Camp. I've missed him greatly. He's peaceful and gentle and sweet, much like his dad. (His poem and slideshow are on their way).

While calling kids to dinner last night, Teagen started calling "Nana...Nana!" Which, needless to say, is his name for Gannon. I asked him where Gannon was, and he replied with something that sounded like "room." Not sure if this is what he meant, I inquired further. He finally retorted with a very clear "bed." We started laughing, and I said to Teagen, "Wow! Gannon's been in bed for a very long time. It's probaby time he got up."

Oops, tangent....

All the boy's dads were asked to go up and stay for at least part of the week. Two dads were staying the entire week. Zan's plan was to go, but he found out he had a number of classes to take in order to keep his certification up to date. Hmm. Scout camp or job? Not a hard decision, right? The only class he could sign up for was a Monday thru Thursday, 4-8pm, 2-weeker at Portland State. It happened to be last week and this week. He finished it last night.

The day before the scouts left, I realized that Zan could probably go join in on the fun Friday night and Saturday. Yippee! Perfect solution, right? I mean, I go to Girls' Camp, why can't he go for an overnight at Scout Camp? Okay, so here's where stubborn meets all those wonderful traits....

I introduced this idea to Zan. He paused and said, "Maybe." I should know by now, this means, "No." But "Maybe" is just the word that brings out the stubborn in me.

I never got more of an answer than maybe (he is a wise man, who hates contention) until last night after returning from class. Zan, standing in the kitchen , eating marionberry cobbler, resting against the counter, says, "I think I'm staying home this weekend." Can you feel it coming on? My reply, "Oh?"

"Yeh, I have a lot of work yet to do for my lesson and talk for Sunday."

Okay, so you'd be proud of me. I said, "Oh, that's right," and let it go. Well, to be honest, the wheels started turning. I just felt very strongly that if all the other boys got their dads up there for a few days, shouldn't Gannon have the same? The wheels kept turning.

Suddenly, in the middle of the night, there it was, while I was sleeping. I rolled over and said, "Zan, Gannon is ours for eternity; the people in the ward you're speaking in and in the Sunday School class aren't. I think you should go."

'Nuf said. No reply. Just a soft grunt.

He'd lost again, and he knew it. He knew he'd be heading to camp in the morning. Poor guy. But, I guess this is why he's mine. He can put up with me like no one else could, I'm sure. Any other guy would have kicked me out a long time ago. Sixteen years. The guy's a saint.

Zan's a great natural teacher. It's in his blood. I have no doubt that he will do wonderfully on Sunday on both of his assignments. But, when he woke this morning, before he packed, he made me promise that he could have Saturday evening, after he returns, to finish all that he needs to do. What a GREAT guy!!!

And so, he's off......