How to Bond with Your Husband
There are positively hundreds of ways you could choose to spending quality bonding time with your husband.
I always choose the extremes. Like roofing our farm house while Katrina was in full force a few years ago - of course, we only received the rain and some high winds, but still. My husband is a tad bit afraid of the combination of rain, roofs, 70 m.p.h winds and ladders - we had a swimmingly good time on that little project. Wish I had that to show you in pictures.
Another time, we decided to save ourselves $1800 by putting up a chain link fence around our yard. We dug no less than 50 post holes and filled them with quikrete and uprighted aluminum poles over a period of one weekend and then strung up the chain link the next week. In the summer. Let's just say the sun wasn't the only thing that was hot during that time.
I'm trying to be better about documenting these really special times of "bonding" as we like to call them. Doesn't every couple have moments of intense frustration when they are working on something together? We have certainly had our share over the last seven years, because we are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to tackling projects.
I always assume it can be done with "no problem" and a "just do it" attitude, while he's...well, he's the opposite. I tend to look on the bright side and he...well, he's the opposite. You get where I'm going with this right?
This week, we decided to add some precious memories to our "bonding time" album by attempting to repair a loose connection on the instrument panel of our 11 year old Dodge Caravan. Three weeks ago, we lost all power to the instrument panel - no odometer, no speedometer and no gas gauge. It has always been my secret fear that I'd run out of gas in the middle of nowhere, so imagine my horror at not ever knowing how much gas was in the van at any given moment and you'd understand why it took me four weeks to renew my drivers license. I had lost all desire to drive.
Now, I won't lie - yes, it would be much easier to take it to a mechanic and have it repaired. But - we have spent over $1500 on van repairs in the last three months and we've had all we can stands and we can't stands us no more. (that was Popeye, by the way). Besides, my husband was convinced by someone who had googled all the possible options regarding said instrument panel failure that it could be "easily repaired". (note to self: quit using google to diagnose car problems) We even printed out 8 pages of step-by-step instructions telling us how to "fixit".
Photographic evidence that we bonded follows. After the first photo, hubby said I wasn't allowed to take any more photos with him in it, because he is shy like that. (Really, it's because he wanted to get a haircut and was embarrassed for y'all to see it)
The dash - a tad bit daunting:
We had to remove all the crap in the way, which, of course, was MY job. After removing the junk, I realized how badly the van needs a good detail. Egad.
My kid's favorite tape at the moment. We have listened to it no less than 142 times:
It's starting to get complicated now, requiring more than just one hand and one person. Going to have to set the camera down and call in the big dog:
Eww. Our van is sure dirty. Side panel off, check.
At this point, hubs said "No more photos - are you blogging or are you going to help me fix this van?" Tee hee. I love it when he gets that look on his face. Putting the camera down, honey.
When we got to page 5 of the instructions and read "If equipped with a mechanical transmission range indicuator, perform the following..." Um, honey? Maybe we should just put all this back together while we still have a clue how where the bolts go.
So we did. This is what we saw when hubs reconnected the battery and I started it up after a small prayer and slapping the dash:
Yes, photographic evidence that Jesus healed our van. Oh sure, we were willing instruments, but we can't take any credit - all we did was take it apart and put it back together. Apparently, all it takes is a "just do it" attitude and a willing spirit.
Thank you Jesus, I can now drive again. (and yes, we have over 200K miles on our van - we really need a new one, don't we?)
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I always choose the extremes. Like roofing our farm house while Katrina was in full force a few years ago - of course, we only received the rain and some high winds, but still. My husband is a tad bit afraid of the combination of rain, roofs, 70 m.p.h winds and ladders - we had a swimmingly good time on that little project. Wish I had that to show you in pictures.
Another time, we decided to save ourselves $1800 by putting up a chain link fence around our yard. We dug no less than 50 post holes and filled them with quikrete and uprighted aluminum poles over a period of one weekend and then strung up the chain link the next week. In the summer. Let's just say the sun wasn't the only thing that was hot during that time.
I'm trying to be better about documenting these really special times of "bonding" as we like to call them. Doesn't every couple have moments of intense frustration when they are working on something together? We have certainly had our share over the last seven years, because we are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to tackling projects.
I always assume it can be done with "no problem" and a "just do it" attitude, while he's...well, he's the opposite. I tend to look on the bright side and he...well, he's the opposite. You get where I'm going with this right?
This week, we decided to add some precious memories to our "bonding time" album by attempting to repair a loose connection on the instrument panel of our 11 year old Dodge Caravan. Three weeks ago, we lost all power to the instrument panel - no odometer, no speedometer and no gas gauge. It has always been my secret fear that I'd run out of gas in the middle of nowhere, so imagine my horror at not ever knowing how much gas was in the van at any given moment and you'd understand why it took me four weeks to renew my drivers license. I had lost all desire to drive.
Now, I won't lie - yes, it would be much easier to take it to a mechanic and have it repaired. But - we have spent over $1500 on van repairs in the last three months and we've had all we can stands and we can't stands us no more. (that was Popeye, by the way). Besides, my husband was convinced by someone who had googled all the possible options regarding said instrument panel failure that it could be "easily repaired". (note to self: quit using google to diagnose car problems) We even printed out 8 pages of step-by-step instructions telling us how to "fixit".
Photographic evidence that we bonded follows. After the first photo, hubby said I wasn't allowed to take any more photos with him in it, because he is shy like that. (Really, it's because he wanted to get a haircut and was embarrassed for y'all to see it)
The dash - a tad bit daunting:
We had to remove all the crap in the way, which, of course, was MY job. After removing the junk, I realized how badly the van needs a good detail. Egad.
My kid's favorite tape at the moment. We have listened to it no less than 142 times:
It's starting to get complicated now, requiring more than just one hand and one person. Going to have to set the camera down and call in the big dog:
Eww. Our van is sure dirty. Side panel off, check.
At this point, hubs said "No more photos - are you blogging or are you going to help me fix this van?" Tee hee. I love it when he gets that look on his face. Putting the camera down, honey.
When we got to page 5 of the instructions and read "If equipped with a mechanical transmission range indicuator, perform the following..." Um, honey? Maybe we should just put all this back together while we still have a clue how where the bolts go.
So we did. This is what we saw when hubs reconnected the battery and I started it up after a small prayer and slapping the dash:
Yes, photographic evidence that Jesus healed our van. Oh sure, we were willing instruments, but we can't take any credit - all we did was take it apart and put it back together. Apparently, all it takes is a "just do it" attitude and a willing spirit.
Thank you Jesus, I can now drive again. (and yes, we have over 200K miles on our van - we really need a new one, don't we?)
Comments
There is a little something at my blog for you!
Where in Texas are you? I'm near Kemah.
Lori
Jesus has healed many a mechanical doodad in the Clem Domicile, for which we praise His holy Name.
I leave the county when dh tries to wallpaper.
Happy bonding :)
I think we drive nearly the same vehicle, but ours is 12 years old. My instrument panel went out recently - including power windows and locks. I freaked. No AC and not windows down in summer is terrifying. Sounded like it is a fuse that only the dealer can change. But next time I drove, everything worked again. It's happened one more time, but not since.
I am currently trying to convince him that I need a raised garden bed and that I'm totally willing and able to help him do all the work to build it.
notesfromthecookiejar(at)yahoo(dot)ca
If we can survive that, then we can survive anything.
I can't think of any projects we've done together except build our house. That was FUN. =)
YAY for running vehicles.
But we've survived somehow.