My Boys

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Melissa Berschens

I live in a house filled with four boys, three of them teenagers and the other the biggest kid of all (although old enough to be my husband)! I talk a lot about my boys in my book Berried in Chocolate and I want to brag just a little bit more about these amazing guys.

It’s an appropriate time to brag, because today April 11^th is our Twentieth Wedding Anniversary. (Clay said “Hmm, feels like 30” – the brat!)

We can’t officially celebrate it though. We were going to go out the Saturday before I left on my mission trip but I didn’t feel well, so we decided we would celebrate it on the actual day – but Clay got sick. I had a little pity party until Clay decided it could be our ‘Anniversary Month’ just like I seem to milk my ‘Birthday Month’ every September!

Clay is always coming up with some new hobby or hidden talent. He’s really a man’s man even though he loves to laze in his recliner with Max and watch the cooking channel. Last summer we were at a fair and I had the latest craze of feather extensions put in my hair. It only cost $20 for one long strand. Clay was quick to announce that ‘he could do that! – he even had the correct feathers at home in his fly tying kit.’ He watched closely as the girl put them in my hair and then bought some of the little round trinkets they used.

After we got home he asked me to buy him his own box of silicone hair extension beads (I got them at Sally’s Beauty Supply) then later at a church youth party at our house he had a long line of all the girls and their moms and even some of the guys waiting for their extensions to be put in! His lucky recipients chose from a wide variety of colors – green, pink, red, black, grey, yellow -- and length and size of feathers – long, short, wide, or skinny. Check us out having fun!

Above: Clay putting feathers in Gena's hair. Read more about Gena, the funniest person I know, on page 111 of my book!

Above: Clay putting feathers in Mike's hair. We were on our way out for a special dinner. Too fun!

Above: Gena and Rick showing off their new doo's at Fitzpatrick's Winery!

A few nights ago we were in the emergency room with Max. While he was up to bat at his baseball game, the ball hit Max in the chin, splitting it open. Blood began pouring out the bottom of his face. Oh no, I thought, not the teeth! We took him to the hospital right away, and when we walked into the ER the receptionist asked me if I’d been there before. I had to laugh. I’d been there too many times to count – broken arms, poison oak outbreaks – I had boys, after all!

As we waited for the Doctor to come and sew him upm Clay said, “I don’t want a chair, I want to stand behind the doctor and learn how to do stitches. I’m always out with the guys hunting or camping and someone is always getting hurt. I really should know how.” When the doctor came in and offered Clay a chair I opened my big mouth to announce that he didn’t want one and why. So there I was curled up in a ball, peeking out between my fingers as the doctor explained in detail what he was doing with Clay’s head was right next to his. “See this blood vessel coming out here, we’ll work to stitch it back up inside…” Then just as the doctor was getting ready to finish, he said to Clay, “If you’re serious get scrubbed up!” Clay couldn’t get to the sink fast enough! The doctor told him how to properly put on his sterile surgical gloves – what a hoot! So there is my husband stitching up my son in the ER. Afterwards he told Max, “That was great! Made it all worth it!” Max responded, “Wow Dad, now you know how to do feathers and stitches!”

I told you he was amazing.