22 Things I Love about My Husband - Happy Anniversary, Ed!

22 years ago I married the most patient and supportive man on the face of the Earth.   

We don't normally spend a lot of money on each other as gifts, etc...I'm not a jewelry person nor do I want flowers, etc. We just don't need a lot of "stuff," and if either of us needs something, we just go get it. 

He is not a regular reader of my blog...I don't think so anyway...but I decided that for our anniversary this year as my gift to him, I would write about him :)

I honestly do not know how my life would have turned out had I not met this man when I did.  While I have always loved him, I am amazed at how much stronger that love becomes each and every year we're together.

We don't have a perfect life by any stretch of the imagination, but it's ours...

22 Things I Love about My Husband

1.  He has a nice chest - We are married, you know...and we have three children so I'm assuming most people would be aware that I've seen his chest, ahem.

2.  He smells good - When he's not home, if I miss him, I just walk into his closet or lay down on his side of the bed...it's not a cologne smell...it's just him.  When we were dating, we lived in two different cities so I used to steal his shirts so I could smell that smell through the week.

3.  He reads - I'm sure I could be happily married to someone who didn't read...but I don't have to wonder.  He likes to sit quietly on our bed and read...the last year or so he has started wearing reading glasses so he looks very distinguished while he reads ;)

4.  He loves me - a friend guessed just yesterday that when I was in high school I was "hell on wheels."  The truth is I really wasn't...but I could and can be difficult and I know it.  He just shakes his head and loves me anyway.

5.  He loves our children - now, I know all fathers are supposed to love their children...but my husband grew up in a house of boys...and then we had 3 daughters.  It is difficult at best to love a wife, two teenage daughters, and a sassy 7 year old daughter day after day after day.  But, he does.

6.  He quietly notices important things - One year he planted gardenias for me at our new house; gardenias are my favorite flower...I even had them in my wedding bouquet.  When we moved from that house, the lady who moved in behind us pulled the gardenias up.  I had to drive by every single day on my way to work and look at that horrible flower bed.  Those were my flowers, they were beautiful and he had given them to me.  It was honestly almost more than I could bear.  After our new house was built, he was working in the yard one day and I noticed him planting something in the front.  Guess what it was?  Just for me.  He never said a word...he just knew I needed my gardenias back.

7.  He is honest - he won't tell anyone something just because he thinks it what they want to hear...if you ask him, he's gonna tell you his opinion.  I'm the same way, so this works well for us :)

8.  He is dependable - If he tells you he'll take care of it, he will. 

9.  He makes me feel safe - It's not a "he'll can beat people up if they try to hurt us" kind of safety; it's deeper than that.  He's smart and prepares for things. 

 

10.  He makes me feel beautiful - When we were dating, he would tell me all the time how beautiful I was...he doesn't "tell" me as much as he used to, but more meaningfully he shows me in quiet ways that he is proud that I am his wife. 

11.  He stands back and lets me do my thing - I've heard a lot of academic folks talk about the struggles that occurred in their marriages when one or the other partner was working on his/her Ph.D.  We simply didn't have that.  He is confident enough in his own skin that he is genuinely proud of any success that comes my way and is willing to more than pull his weight and mine if it's necessary for me to be what I want to be.

12.  He doesn't expect everything to be perfect - Thank goodness...because there's always laundry to be done, dishes in the sink, and supper not on the table "on time."

13.  He doesn't need shiny sparkly things - This works both ways for us as well...we'd rather have things for our house, a pallet of grass, a vacation with our kids.

14.  He loves family - This also is an understatement.  Family is everything.  It's how he grew up and it's how he feels about our little family now.  Our extended families are still an incredibly important part of our lives as well.  He honors and takes care of his own.

15.  He doesn't always understand me, but he tries really hard - I have to bless his heart on this one...because it's probably an understatement.  Once I asked him if I looked fat.  He said, "Uh-uh, I'm not answering that...there is no right answer to that question and I'm not even going to go there." 

Smart move.

16.  He's a good guy - There are some guys in this world who would take advantage of a gal at every possible moment.  Mine was a good guy when we were dating, has been a good guy while we've been married and continues to be a good guy.  Not just to me either...to everybody...he's just solid...I think his mama taught him that...but don't tell her I said that ;)

17.  He likes to be outside - He gets this from his mom also.  He likes to work with his hands...putting plants in, mowing, building me a little brick patio, sitting outside, etc. 

18.  He likes to do his own thing - I think this works for us both too.  Everybody needs their own space. Period.  Everybody needs things they do that just belong to them. Period.  It makes that person a better partner when he/she is a strong individual person.  I think we do this for each other.

19.  He's a music lover - Our house is full of music, guitar, rock bands, flute, piano, singing...all of us girls tend to slow down and quiet down a little when he starts playing his guitar...just so we can listen.

20.  He thought it was fun to have a squirrel running around in our house...and even took videos :) - Yes, we had a squirrel in our house. 

21.  He puts up with my cats who periodically walk around on his head early in the mornings - When I say "puts up with" I mean he doesn't kill them. :)

22.  He fusses...and then he moves on - Sometimes he's just had enough...and he'll say so.  He fusses a good bit about our rescue dog.  He calls her the Hellen Keller dog :/  She sometimes has trouble at night holding her bladder, and for some reason chooses his "man cave" as her potty spot.  Of all places.

Anyway, he'll say, "That's it!! She's got to go!! Don't let her in the house anymore!!!"

And, then he'll just go on...and forget it...till the next time.

Is it any wonder that I love this man??

I am blessed!

Happy Anniversary, Ed...I love you :)