25 years.
Twenty-five years ago today, I walked down the aisle and married the boy, man of my dreams.
Twenty-five years.
Wow. At the risk of sounding old, where has the time gone?
Okay, that sounded old.
But seriously.... 25 years of marriage.
We have had ups and downs like any couple, but one thing that always prevails is our love for our God and our love for each other.
In honor of the day that my man calls his "favorite day of the year", I thought I'd tell you 25 of my favorite things about him:
25. He loves being a Father. He is a hands on Daddy that jumped in from the very beginning. He didn't miss out on the diaper changing, the potty training, the middle of the nights, the basketball games, the tea parties. He wants to make memories with his kids. What could be more handsome than that?
24. He teaches his children to respect their mom. You have never seen him mad until you disrespect his wife. Seriously. He is not prone to anger, but that will drive him through the roof.
23. He listens. He wants to understand where I am coming from and how I see things. Even when he can't because I'm a woman and he is not. He still tries. I love him for that.
22. He is nurturing. He wakes up at night to cover my shoulders. He knows what my favorite things are when I am sick and he loves to get them for me.
21. He is loyal. He lets very few people in to REALLY know how he ticks, but when he does, you are in for life.
20. He has brought me coffee in bed every single morning he has been in town for 25 years. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that: A) I am not a morning person. (I think grumpy may have been used once or twice to describe me). OR B) I make horrible coffee. I told him I would bring coffee to him for the next 25 years and he politely declined. HA! It's THAT bad.
19. When we were dating, he noticed my grandfather put gas in my grandmother's car. He loved that sweet gesture and has purposed to always gas up my car for me, even if he has to go out late the night before I need to be somewhere. He always makes sure I have gas in my car and don't have to pump gas myself. What a thoughtful gesture that could have been lost in the hustle and bustle of life, and yet he still does it for me.
18. He loves deeply. His God, his wife, his kids, his family. He is an "all in" guy.
17. He is faithful. He won't even watch a suggestive commercial. He always wants me to know that he only has eyes for me.
16. He is forgiving. He is always the first to apologize and he overlooks my many faults.
15. He is stubborn. And I mean that in the best of ways. He is stubborn to make our marriage work-he will dig his heels in and demand we work through a conflict because it's the right thing to do, even if it's not easy.
14. He is romantic. He brings me flowers, not because it's Valentine's Day and Hallmark said so. He brings me "just because" gifts. I love that.
13. He lays down his wants for us. He sold his favorite car to fund one of our adoptions and though he drools at every cool Mustang out there, he joyfully sets aside that desire to own another muscle car for the ever-so-cool Swagger wagon. True love right there.
12. His hobby is his wife and kids. He would love to be a golfer-but only with his boys. Any hobby he might have is one he wants to include the rest of us on. Because he works ridiculous hours, he wants his hobbies to be family-friendly. He is self-less in that way.
11. He laughs at my quirks. He knows I don't put lids on tightly and laughs when he is helping clean up sprinkles from the jar that spilled it's contents all over the entire kitchen. He doesn't do the "I told you so" routine- which would be his right. He cooks the shrimp, because he knows if I see those ugly grey raw creatures, I won't eat them when they are pink and yummy. He doesn't mind that I am weird-he finds it endearing. Or at least he makes me think that. Either way, he gets props.
10. He knows my favorite food, my favorite color, my favorite song and my favorite bible verse. Even when they change. I love his attention for detail to my womanly whims.
9. He told his best friend when he was just 17 years old (and we had only been dating a month) that he was going to spend the rest of his life with me. And he made it happen.
8. He still writes me love notes.
7. He confidently leads our family in the path he feels God has for us. When I waiver, he does not. He is calm, cool and collected in trials and it comforts my feeble heart.
6. He is calm. When I get hysterical (did I just type that out loud???) he is not. He is my shelter during the storms of life.
5. He is human. He has his faults like we all do, but he wants our life to be the very best it can be. He strives to change those areas of "human-ness" to be the husband/father/leader God called him to be.
4. He is my secret keeper, my confidant, my very best friend.
3. He gives me "brave awards." Last week, he bought me an expensive watch I have been wanting because I "braved" Snowmaggedon with 4 girls alone while he was out of town.
2. He is humble.
1. He loves me. Despite all my short-comings, and faults-HE LOVES ME! He picked me to be his soul-mate and life's partner and 25 years later I am still pinching myself to see if I am dreaming. My handsome prince charming loves me, is growing old with me, and it really doesn't get better than that.
Twenty-five years.
Wow. At the risk of sounding old, where has the time gone?
Okay, that sounded old.
But seriously.... 25 years of marriage.
We have had ups and downs like any couple, but one thing that always prevails is our love for our God and our love for each other.
In honor of the day that my man calls his "favorite day of the year", I thought I'd tell you 25 of my favorite things about him:
25. He loves being a Father. He is a hands on Daddy that jumped in from the very beginning. He didn't miss out on the diaper changing, the potty training, the middle of the nights, the basketball games, the tea parties. He wants to make memories with his kids. What could be more handsome than that?
24. He teaches his children to respect their mom. You have never seen him mad until you disrespect his wife. Seriously. He is not prone to anger, but that will drive him through the roof.
23. He listens. He wants to understand where I am coming from and how I see things. Even when he can't because I'm a woman and he is not. He still tries. I love him for that.
22. He is nurturing. He wakes up at night to cover my shoulders. He knows what my favorite things are when I am sick and he loves to get them for me.
21. He is loyal. He lets very few people in to REALLY know how he ticks, but when he does, you are in for life.
20. He has brought me coffee in bed every single morning he has been in town for 25 years. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that: A) I am not a morning person. (I think grumpy may have been used once or twice to describe me). OR B) I make horrible coffee. I told him I would bring coffee to him for the next 25 years and he politely declined. HA! It's THAT bad.
19. When we were dating, he noticed my grandfather put gas in my grandmother's car. He loved that sweet gesture and has purposed to always gas up my car for me, even if he has to go out late the night before I need to be somewhere. He always makes sure I have gas in my car and don't have to pump gas myself. What a thoughtful gesture that could have been lost in the hustle and bustle of life, and yet he still does it for me.
18. He loves deeply. His God, his wife, his kids, his family. He is an "all in" guy.
17. He is faithful. He won't even watch a suggestive commercial. He always wants me to know that he only has eyes for me.
16. He is forgiving. He is always the first to apologize and he overlooks my many faults.
15. He is stubborn. And I mean that in the best of ways. He is stubborn to make our marriage work-he will dig his heels in and demand we work through a conflict because it's the right thing to do, even if it's not easy.
14. He is romantic. He brings me flowers, not because it's Valentine's Day and Hallmark said so. He brings me "just because" gifts. I love that.
13. He lays down his wants for us. He sold his favorite car to fund one of our adoptions and though he drools at every cool Mustang out there, he joyfully sets aside that desire to own another muscle car for the ever-so-cool Swagger wagon. True love right there.
12. His hobby is his wife and kids. He would love to be a golfer-but only with his boys. Any hobby he might have is one he wants to include the rest of us on. Because he works ridiculous hours, he wants his hobbies to be family-friendly. He is self-less in that way.
11. He laughs at my quirks. He knows I don't put lids on tightly and laughs when he is helping clean up sprinkles from the jar that spilled it's contents all over the entire kitchen. He doesn't do the "I told you so" routine- which would be his right. He cooks the shrimp, because he knows if I see those ugly grey raw creatures, I won't eat them when they are pink and yummy. He doesn't mind that I am weird-he finds it endearing. Or at least he makes me think that. Either way, he gets props.
10. He knows my favorite food, my favorite color, my favorite song and my favorite bible verse. Even when they change. I love his attention for detail to my womanly whims.
9. He told his best friend when he was just 17 years old (and we had only been dating a month) that he was going to spend the rest of his life with me. And he made it happen.
8. He still writes me love notes.
7. He confidently leads our family in the path he feels God has for us. When I waiver, he does not. He is calm, cool and collected in trials and it comforts my feeble heart.
6. He is calm. When I get hysterical (did I just type that out loud???) he is not. He is my shelter during the storms of life.
5. He is human. He has his faults like we all do, but he wants our life to be the very best it can be. He strives to change those areas of "human-ness" to be the husband/father/leader God called him to be.
4. He is my secret keeper, my confidant, my very best friend.
3. He gives me "brave awards." Last week, he bought me an expensive watch I have been wanting because I "braved" Snowmaggedon with 4 girls alone while he was out of town.
2. He is humble.
1. He loves me. Despite all my short-comings, and faults-HE LOVES ME! He picked me to be his soul-mate and life's partner and 25 years later I am still pinching myself to see if I am dreaming. My handsome prince charming loves me, is growing old with me, and it really doesn't get better than that.
Happy 25th Anniversary to us, baby.
I have loved dancing through life with you for 25 years.
I love you forever.
You know, when you were dating and early in marriage we used to say "If we could just clone Greg...."
ReplyDeleteAnd um, darlin'? Grumpy is an understatement. Godzilla is grumpy.
Love you both, and am so thrilled for your 25 years. May God bless and preserve you for another 50 or more :)
I would never have imagined that I could possibly be this in love! I love my bride so much more now that I did 25 years ago! God has blessed us with more than a lifetime of amazing memories.
ReplyDeleteI love you babe!!
So beautifully written and congrats on finding your soul mate and a wonderful man. Can't wait to read your 50th.
ReplyDeleteWell said, dearest daughter-in-law! We are proud to call him our son, and proud to call you our daughter. We love you eight so much, and we thank the Lord for the way he has blessed your marriage in direct response to your faithfulness and total reliance upon Him. We can't wait to see what He does for the next 25 years (that will be a lot of coffee, Greg!)
ReplyDeleteHappy anniversary from thankful parents!