My dad is coming today!

Well, I don't know that I'll have much time to keep you all updated this weekend. My dad should be getting in sometime today with his new wife. Actually, I don't think they're married yet, but she'll be his wife soon enough I suppose. I can't wait to get to know her. From what I've read in her e-mails I think she'll be really good for my dad and will really get him involved in our lives. She doesn't have any grandchildren of her own and she's always wanted some, so marrying my dad gives her an instant, huge family (my baby is grandchild #17 for my parents). She's already talking about coming down after the baby is born to see it and she's invited our family to join them at her timeshare in Virginia for week this summer.

But thinking about my dad's new wife brings me to thinking about my parents and thier marriage. I was 12 when they got divorced. My dad wasn't really around much when I was growing up. He was in the house, but he wasn't mentally present. He was always in his workshop or reading a book. As I've gotten older and learned more about marriage and how it should be, I understand why. My mom walked all over my dad. She didn't respect him and she certainly did not submit to him. She did what she wanted. 3 of my siblings are adopted and my dad will tell you, if it had been his choice, they probably never would have adopted. He did it for her. There is one thing that speaks the most to me though. The last time my dad visited he started talking about our old house. Now I don't remember this house, we moved around my 3rd birthday. It was obvious in hearing my dad talk about it that he loved that house. But alas, my mom was not happy with it. So they ended up moving. You can hear the sadness in my dad's voice. He would have been happy in that house for his whole life. He'll tell you himself, something broke in him when they moved and their marriage was never the same again. I'm sure to my mom it was no big deal. It was just a house and she wanted something bigger/better for all the children they had. To my dad, it was obviously more than a house. I sometimes wonder if I do things like that, without even knowing. Is there some issue that is no big deal to me but big to my husband? Am I tearing down our marriage without even knowing it? Just something to think about at the beginning of this new year.

And in case you're wondering, I don't feel any closer to having this baby then I did last time I blogged. Ask me again after my dad leaves ;)