Stay-At-Home Daddy
5:16 PMFrom January 1, 2000 to the end of 2006, I was a full time employee of DD&F Consulting Group - a top-ranked bank advisory firm in the US that happens to be owned by my father. Detect any hint of pride???
DD&F is a company that is literally in my blood. I remember distinctly the day my Dad came home and he and my mom sat down with us kids and announced that things in our life would be a little tighter for an unforeseen time because they were stepping out in complete faith and obedience to the Lord for my Dad (and his two partners) to begin DD&F Consulting Group. During the company's first days, they rented office space in the building where my Dad and his two partners were previously employed. And during the summer, I was their little fledgling secretary. I made copies, ran errands, answered the phone, made coffee, and basically did whatever I could to be helpful. During my lunch breaks, I would run across the building's parking lot, across the busy downtown street and grab three crunchy tacos with extra cheese from the restaurant across the street. I later spent summers there as an intern, learning the business. And as I contemplated medical school in 1999, my Dad offered me a job, I took it, loved it and never looked back.
I remember the day they moved their office from that temporary post to an old historic house just off downtown on 6th & Rock Street. I remember seeing the house, a three story, yellow-painted wood historic beauty and knowing with a deep certainty that this house would become the new home of DD&F. At the time we saw the house, I know my dad wasn't quite so certain. But my feeling proved correct. And in the next months that followed, the building was purchased, renovated as much as they could afford, decorated by talented friends and the stage was set. The Lord provided the business and over time, the employees, and has continued to richly bless the company and its employees.
The company has since grown to fill not only that house at the corner of 6 & Rock, but the adjacent two historic homes on 6th street and an enormous historic home across the corner of Rock. What blessings these houses have been. And unique places to work. Not everyone has floor to ceiling windows, original wood plank floors and a fireplace in their office!
The only downfall to the separate houses is that the DD&F employees work in their different groups in their different houses doing their different tasks and it can become a challenge to maintain unity through the company over time. So, for the first time ever, a DD&F Annual Retreat was planned and executed this past Thursday and Friday.
And although I have been technically a contract employee since stepping back to stay home and raise my daughter and now my son, I was invited to participate in the retreat. As much as I love what I do and my role as wife and mom, I just have another feeling of certainty that DD&F is always going to be part of my life. I don't know all the details or how things will play out, but I know I love this company, loved every second of working there and am honored to be part of it in whatever capacity I can, now and in the future.
In order for me to attend this overnight retreat, my precious husband volunteered to take off work and be Daddy for Thursday and Friday! He knew that I would rest 100% easy knowing the kids were in his care. And that the kids would absolutely LOVE the chance to just soak up some exclusive Daddy-time.
So while I was away having just an absolutely incredible time with the DD&F team, reconnecting with people and meeting new ones, working with the other employees to plan and hopefully improve an already amazing firm, my husband was having picnics in the backyard with Brooklyn and August, taking them to pick out books from the library, giving baths, making beds, vacuuming, staying up late with them reading, playing for hours in the backyard on an unseasonably warm day and just generally doing a great job.
It was also my first night away from August and only my second away from Brooklyn. Truthfully, I only considered going on the retreat b/c I knew they'd be with him and it would be like I was still there, sort of.
It's times like this when you just have to praise God for the wonderful man He's given you, take advantage of a unique opportunity and enjoy yourself. And I did and he did! And boy, were those hugs and kisses from my babies so precious when I walked in the door Friday evening.
1 comments
I completely agree with you that DD&F is an awesome company. I miss my days there and absolutely loved working with you, your dad and the others. You, especially, taught me so much about taking pride in my work and being the best employee I could be. I am so thankful for my time there. The floor to ceiling windows and fireplaces were nice, too :)
ReplyDeleteKyle and Chad sound so much alike as dads. Chad loves his girls so much. One of the highlights of my day is Ashlen running to the door with open arms when he gets home from work. It melts my heart.