Today is Dedicated to My Husband

Today is a really special day for me and for Pete. No, not our anniversary - that is this Sunday. Today is the culmination of 5 long years of hard work and dedication. Today is Pete's last class of a 5 year sheet metal apprenticeship - GRADUATION DAY!

Back in 2004 Pete and I decided to join a small group at church. We walked up to the table and told them our interests and they assigned us to a group and put us in contact with Carl & Amber Simon. We didn't know a single person and had no idea what to expect. As we bravely knocked on their door we were greeted with warm, smiling faces. Over the next year that group grew to over 6 couples and we met some of our best friends there. All friends of a lifetime. Four of the men in that group were sheet metal workers and they convinced Pete that it was a great career filled with promise and great provisions for a growing family (we were expecting Jordan).

Pete decided that it sounded like a good gig. Who doesn't want a free education and a $45 an hour paycheck after 5 years? Not to mention wonderful benefits and a semi decent pension. Needless to say, he studied hard and passed the entrance test. Let me preface that by telling you that Pete always told me that growing up he was not a good student, made mediocre grades, and essentially hated school. So for him to take that first step, study for this hard test, and pass it, was an accomplishment in and of itself. Not to mention the endless school work and tests he'd endure over the next 5 years.

When we lived in Vegas he had to be at work at 5am, work all day (mind you - this is HARD physical labor - no desk job here) and then drive across town and sit through 4 hours of class EVERY NIGHT of the week. This was a continuous cycle until we moved to Seattle in April of 2008. At that time, he transferred to the school in Everett. Here they do the apprenticeship differently. Every few months the apprentices have to go to school all day for one week at a time. Mind you, they miss work for that week, therefore, missing a whole paycheck. To say it has been an adjustment is an understatement but has been well worth it. At least he's home with the family every night.

The road to becoming a sheet metal journeyman has been challenging. I don't think anyone (except fellow trade workers) understand what it's like to work in a Union Trade. It definitely isn't the cushy concierge desk job that Pete came from. He's on his feet all day, lugging heavy materials, keeping a fast pace, working with sharp metal (if only I had a dollar for every cut he's had - I'd be rich), working with employees who are lazy, rude, belligerant, and could care less about others. Always busting his butt to prove himself so he can keep his job. It was an adjustment. We've had experiences I can't even begin to describe. One cut finger led to an office visit where the doc sterilized his instruments with water ran through a coffee pot to get it hot as they didn't have running hot water in the building. And we don't even live in a 3rd world country here people!  That finger took many painful office procedures and months to heal. Hammers falling from 40 stories above and landing 10 feet from you. Wind storms blowing debris off of a 30 story high rise - basically turning them into deadly projectiles. Falling off ladders, crawling in tight dark spaces, drilling your fingers. Watching co-workers get injured, crushed, airlifted from the job site - knowing that could be you. Multiple layoffs due to lack of work or politics. The latest was the day before Christmas. Did I mention this has been a WILD ride?

Not all of the experiences of the past 5 years have been bad. Actually, MOST of them have been good. We've made great friends, Pete's had the opportunity to minister to people in ways you couldn't imagine. He's known for getting people to come check out church with us and then they never seem to leave :) We've had wonderful family time, he doesn't have to travel for work, he gets paid a great wage and it's been steadily increasing every 6 months for the past 5 years. We have good insurance. Most of all, it's afforded him the opportunity to spend quality time with his family, which to us, is the most important aspect.

Looking back, very seldom have I told Pete how much I appreciate his hard work, dedication, and perseverance. The sacrifices he has made have not gone unnoticed. Today I celebrate all that he has done and all that he has accomplished for the sake of bettering himself and providing for our family. I look back and realize how far we've come and how blessed we truly are. Most of all I give thanks for being privledged enough to have this wonderful man as my husband, my partner, and my best friend. I couldn't have planned this journey better myself nor could I have picked a better person to share it with.

Thank you Pete, from the bottom of my heart for being the best example of what a real man is. Your love, guidance, strength, and courage is an inspiration to me. You are an incredible human being. Today I celebrate YOU and all you have accomplished. Congratulations baby! I love you!