A tribute to my husband

When I was about 20 years old, and just getting into dating, a woman named Diana suggested to me that I write a list of all of the qualities I would like to find in my future husband, and that I never settle for less than what I put on that list. I did it.

I don't have the list anymore, but I remember the obvious ones, which are still at the top of my list:

1) a Christian
2) a church-goer
3) likes to travel
4) is intelligent
5) is going to be faithful
6) values family highly
7) treats his mom well
8) wants to have lots of kids
9) has at least one hobby
10) likes watching movies

That's the majority of them.

From the first day that I met him, I realized that David met everything on my list, at least as best as I could tell from what my brother knew about him and what I could glean from that first introduction. I met him on a Saturday and went to work the following Monday telling my friends at work that I had met the man I was going to marry. And one year from the anniversary of our first date, I did it.

A little over ten years later, I know that I made a good choice all those years ago. Even after getting to know David so much better, I am able to say that he indeed meets all of those qualities that I put on my list. And I certainly do thank God for him.

I probably complain about him too much when I shouldn't. There are many days I'm sure he feels underappreciated or even maybe, although I hope not, unappreciated. He is, after all, in charge of the everyday at home. The routine. The "mundane" (in quotes because life with four kids really can't be mundane). And what a blessing he is to me. I mean, for one thing, our kids are good. They're really good, I would even say, and I attribute that largely to David. For another thing, he is willing to do just about any task I ask him to do (just about, but not quite!). He does almost all of the food prep, dishes, laundry, and other things that many men would refuse to do. He also kills the big spiders and takes the trash out which, as stupid as it may sound, was something I looked forward to the entire time I was a single adult. We watch movies and TV together, we travel together, we have had kids together, we used to (and I hope will again someday) backpack together, we go to church together, he plays guitar (sometimes for me and sometimes for Jesus), and we are in general, very compatible together (is that redundant?). I love him.

Oh, and the other thing that's really great about David that also tells me how well-matched we are: Did you read my blog about going up to the Baltic Sea, when I forgot the kids' suitcase and had to buy enough clothes for all of them for the long weekend? Well, that's typical of me. I'm always leaving my purse behind or losing my phone. And David is so patient about it and never gets upset or chews me out because of it. Thank God. As if leaving behind the luggage isn't stressful enough, right?

I'm writing this tonight because it makes sense to me. I've been blogging for over six months, now. I've written about myself and my kids a lot. I haven't said much about David, yet he's the other half of our foundation. So I thought I would tell the world (or at least 15 people) how thankful I am for him. Sure, we have our difficulties. Marriage is NOT, at least in my experience, bliss. Sometimes it pretty much sucks, and sometimes it is so rewarding it's hard to believe. Sometimes the reward is just in the fact that I have a good man with whom to grow old. Thank God for that.