He's An Alright Guy...

It’s hard to believe it’s been 12 years since Lance and I were married. Although I’m a day late (our anniversary was the 12th) I thought I’d celebrate our marriage by listing 25 things I love about my wonderful husband (in no particular order):

1. His sense of humor. I love that he tells a joke and laughs harder than anyone else he’s telling it to.

2. That a lot of folks don’t ‘get’ him but I do. I like that I can know what he means and is trying to say when other people still have a puzzled look on their face.

3. He’s a great Dad and by far our boys (and soon our daughter’s ) fiercest protector.

4. That he let’s our boys be boys. Although sometimes I can get a little irked when he gets them all excited with a father-son wrestling match 10 minutes before bed time, I know it’s times like that my boys will forever remember. Horse-playing with their Dad.

5. That he’s not too proud to stay home with our boys. He’s taken his share of criticism for it and I know he’s put off things he’s wanted to do so he could be home with them. Instead, he’s persisted and done a great job with them at home.

6. That he loves and serves the same God I do. We can pray together, worship together and
love our God together. We both understand that we have to put him before each other.

7. That his jet black hair is turning a ‘distinguished’ salt and pepper. I love it! No fair that gray is not as ‘distinguished’ on women!

8. That I can finish his sentences and he mine. I know it probably drives him crazy sometimes but I love that we know each other that well.

9. The freckles on his shoulders.

10. The huge personality and non stop energy my boys have that has to have come from their Dad.

11. That when my boys scrape a knee or get hurt, they want their Dad. They know he’ll be much more concerned and sympathetic than Mom.

12. That he loves and is genuinely concerned about our country’s future. I love that he watches every debate, scrutinizes every candidate and can talk so intelligently about politics with just about anyone.

13. Just like with politics, he loves to watch the stock market and is always ready to recommend a good stock purchase or talk investing with anyone interested. I love that he can surprise people with his knowledge of the market.

14. I love the photographs he takes. Both the ones of our beautiful boys and those of a more ‘artsy’ nature. He’s good at what he does and I’m so proud of him. Check out the photo's on his blog.

15. His entrepreneurial spirit. He loves to brainstorm about possible business ventures for his and our future. We have fun brainstorming our future together.

16. That we talk and communicate well, even after 12 years of marriage. If he’s busy working outside doing something or even in the bathroom shaving or getting ready for church, he call me to come sit and talk with him. He likes my company and I love his.

17. That he’s so protective of our family, our boys and me. There are times I accuse him of being over-protective and we often disagree on how much freedom to give our boys. But I love that he cares so much and wants above everything else, to make sure they are safe. He still meets Riley’s bus at the end of our driveway every afternoon.

18. I love the wanna-be-farmer I’ve discovered in him since we moved to Locust Grove. He loves his garden and his chickens and would love nothing more than if we could afford lots more land and he could farm full time.

19. That he’s my one and only. We started dating in 9th grade and he’s been my one and only since then. How many wives can say that about their spouse in today’s world?

20. Although he would disagree, Riley is his little clone. I love looking at Riley and seeing Lance.

21. And even though he and Owen don’t share a lot of the same physical traits, they share a lot of the same habits and mannerisms. I love seeing Lance in Owen.

22. I can’t wait to meet our sweet baby girl. What will a female Lance look like or act like?

23. Maybe it wasn’t a good attribute during his school years, but I love that he has a short attention span. I love that he is always ready to finish one project and move onto the next one.

24. That he’s a careful spender. He doesn’t make many hasty purchases. It took us almost a year to replace our totaled Explorer after our accident in 2001. Not because we didn’t have the means, but because he had to find the perfect vehicle. He carefully researches all our big purchases with consumer reports and online consumer guides. Does it drive me crazy sometimes? Yes! But it has paid off with every purchase!

25. Finally, I love our compatibility. Although we may look like complete opposites on the surface, we fit perfectly. He’s good at what I’m not and vice versa.

We’ve learned to look to each other and depend on each other to fill in each others gaps. We click. We work well together and I love that we are us. I love the beautiful family that we’ve made and look forward many, many more years together. I can easily imagine us rocking on our porch one day waiting for our kids and grandkids to pull down the driveway for a visit.

I love you, Lance! Happy Anniversary!