Chicken Coop

Tonight my boys and I started our first project at the Bunny House. It's a very simple chicken coop. Emphasis on the simple part. Hopefully it will be portable and we can move it around the yard. We are raising 8 chicks in our garage and they have quickly outgrown their current home. So far the coop looks pretty good but I do have to admit that we were working under the light of a few garage bulbs and an overhead light pole outside.

As we worked, I was reminded of a few other times that I worked under the light of a light pole or a few bulbs in the barn. One of the great things about my dad is that he was always willing to work. The not so great thing is that he would always work until the job was done and so would his boys.  It wasn't like we had a choice. I remember a number of times when I would be standing around out in the snow, my toes numb with cold and my fingers frozen in my gloves because there was still work to get done. And Dad never quit until the job was done. I remember loading hay bales on the hay wagon by the light of the moon because there was still more hay to get in the barn. It was past midnight but Dad didn't quit until the job was done. I remember driving home from the Cow Camp in the middle of the night because we just had to get the salt blocks out for the cows. And Dad couldn't quit until the job was done. And I definitely remember putting together a doll house which was to be a gift for my sister, Kelly, until the wee hours of the morning because Dad wouldn't quit until the job was done.

Now this may not sound like much fun to some but I will never forget those times. More important, I will never forget the fun we had as we worked together and the closeness we felt as we finished the job. I certainly remember sharing ice cold lemonade between trips to the hay field. And the laughing and joking and kidding that went along with the work.

Now you probably assume that I am writing this at an incredibly late hour because my boys and I just had to finish the chicken coop. But to be honest my boys suggested that we stop at a reasonable hour and get home in time to read scriptures with the girls. So I learned something important tonight. You don't ALWAYS have to finish the job. But I also noticed the same closeness with my boys tonight that I used to feel while working with my Dad. As one boy cut boards and the other one screwed in screws, I sat back and smiled. And I'm glad they didn't notice the teary eyes. I began to wonder if maybe one of the reasons Dad always wanted to finish the job was just because it meant more time with his boys. I think that may be something else I learned tonight.

Dad, thank you for all the times that you finished the job. I will always be grateful to you and the wonderful childhood I had.

Michael and Jacob, thank you for being the best sons I can imagine. And thank you for being willing to try this new adventure with your mother and me. We are grateful for the men you are becoming. Oh, and thank you for being willing to teach me that I don't always have to stay up late just to finish the job.

Posted by:  Rex