I Love My Husband

I am not ashamed to say this:  I love my husband.  I am amazed at how rare this is.  I am blessed to be surrounded by people that can say the same, but looking at the world in which we live, I appreciate the rarity of the relationship that I have with my husband.

Before we moved to Maine I could have made the same statement, but looking back now I realize that I overwhelmingly love him more now.  I'm not completely sure why I felt the need to blog about this realization, but I hope that it will offer encouragement to those of you that feel the same way about your spouse and hope for those of you that are on the fence...

I'm not big on "top 10" lists, but I feel the need to limit my reasons because of my time constraints and the fact that when you love someone so completely, words cannot express the width or depth of that love.  This list is not  an "all inclusive" one, but a few of the highlights:

1. He makes me smile. Anyone who has met Daniel knows that he is a cut-up. He is unintentionally funny and likes to see humor in all things.  I don't just smile because of his humor... I am just generally happier when I am with him. I smile because I am proud of him. I smile because of a million different reasons.  I smile because he gives me no reason not to. 
2. He is real. With Daniel, what you see is what you get.  He is his own man.  He is unpretentious and honest. He is loyal and true.  He is not one to change based on the weather or whichever way the wind is blowing.  You either love or hate that about him, but it is one quality that I have always admired.  He has never played games with my emotions and I have never wondered where I stood with him. Because he is real, I have always been able to count on the love he has for me.
3. He is unselfish.  He genuinely puts others ahead of himself.  He wants his family and friends to be the best that they can be and will do what he can to help. 
4. He is a wonderful father. When I see Daniel with our children I love him even more. He is patient when my patience is wearing thin and he loves our children deeply and completely.  He is firm and kind and helpful and has never shied away from diaper duty or anything else that our children have needed.  
5. He is fun. We can be doing the most mundane, everyday thing and have fun doing it.  He loves to travel, even if it is just the country back-roads close to home. 
6. He is good with money. This is a huge weakness with me. I am a horrible manager of my finances and have been incredibly insecure in that area.  Instead of making me feel incompetent, he encourages me and we now communicate about money in a way that I was always terrified of in the past. We now have a plan and with any luck will be completely out of debt (minus our mortgage of course) by the time we celebrate our 10th anniversary.  Not working has, at times, made me feel as though I was not "contributing", but he has never made me feel that way.  We make decisions together and are carving out our own future. 
7. He is practical.  No, Daniel is not a roses and jewelry kind of guy.  That is ok with me.  He is a warm coat and good shoes kind of guy.  He takes care of the practical needs of our family and of others.  He makes sure the house is warm, the trash is hauled off, the bills are paid, and that the cars are running.  
8. He is smart. He probably wouldn't agree to this, but he is incredibly intelligent. He is a history buff and makes the topic interesting in conversation.  He knows a lot about guns.  He plays a mean game of chess.  He reads everything he can get his hands on. He inspires me to do the same. 
9. He is straightforward. You definitely don't wonder where you stand with Daniel. If you do wonder, all you have to do is ask. He will tell you. 
10. He is always helpful.  It is not unusual to see Daniel washing dishes or doing laundry. He is not one to think that because I stay at home all day that the entire burden of housekeeping is in my hands.  He is very helpful and shares all responsibilities with me. 

My hubby is almost too good to be true... and sorry ladies, he is mine.  I hope I didn't bore you but I just felt the need to get this out into the open.  I love my husband. I have never felt better about our future than I do right now because I feel completely and utterly loved by him.  Thanks for indulging my need to brag on him just a bit...  He deserves it!