| | Thurs. Nov. 3 2011
(Morning Haven was born - I found him staring in wonder at his new baby daughter.)
There is so much I love and appreciate about my husband. His birthday gives me a good excuse to write just a little bit about the most wonderful man in my life. He's not perfect, thank goodness, 'cause neither am I. But he is perfectly made for me and I believe that with all my heart.
What God has done and is doing in him has not only built my faith, but has challenged me in my own relationship with the Lord and drawn me closer to my heavenly Father. The last two days I've not had much time to blog so I've done it here in bits and pieces. . .
Starting with just little fun things I've appreciated - to deeper things that have not only impacted me for eternity, but our children.
Robert,
For silly starters, thanks for introducing me to good ol' 80's love songs since I was really too young then to know any of them. It's grown on me ~ and now it holds such cool memories for me too. You'll always be my inspiration. 
Thanks for dancing with me in the kitchen to Bruno Mars, "You Can Count On Me" when everything around us is chaotic and crazy -- and we just ignore it all and get in our own little world and just slow dance and hold each other. You have proven to me time and time again that I can count on you. It's because of what God has done in you that makes it that way, but it's also because of heart decisions you have to make each and every single day.
Thanks for being so romantic in a very real way. . . like washing dishes with me late at night, texting me love notes, changing diapers, and all the little things that just tell me every day that you care and love me and want to help.
Thanks for being just majorly romantic in the romatic-y type of way. Since I'm not the gushy type, this use to kind of amuse me that you were way more romantic than I. . . but wow, after 15 years, you've not slowed down the romance and it's sure appreciated and enjoyed!
Thanks for being you.
So friendly, you know no stranger.
I not only find you intriguing and an interesting person, I like you. I completely love you just like you are.
Thank you for working so hard for us. You do hard physical labor day in and day out. Then you come home and you work more helping me. I never feel like I'm all on my own finishing up a long day because you are right there making things happen just like I am. We're a team all the way. This amazes me, this means the world to me.
You've come a long way from the days when we first married and you didn't know how in the world to fix a meal. You fix awesome meals. I love the casual way you throw out the silverware and pour sugar in the kids home made lemonade you make in the blender. You make me smile. The kids love how you are the dessert king. Way more fun than me.  But I don't mind. I love that they love you and I like our differences.
I like how you like seafood and I don't. I like how you pull out the shrimp, or crab, or whatever and show our kids how to eat that stuff. I love that they are like you.
Thank you for being such an awesome encourager. . .
It's why I've survived pregnancy, labor, delivery. LIFE in general.
Thanks for helping deliver our babies - for being there through them all, by my side, holding my hand, praying for me, holding me, crying with me, rejoicing with me - right there very much a part of and active in the middle of it all. You are so caring and compassionate. I love that you love our babies so much. It's one of the most precious and tenderest things I've been able to witness in this life.
Thank you for playing. I love how you are such a kid at heart! Love, love this about you and I know very few people like you are in this way! We have both always related to each other in this way. One day maybe we really will ride bikes across the USA, jump off waterfalls again like we did before we had kids, and all that other silly stuff. One day maybe the kids will do it with us. I am sure one of the main reasons we love being parents so much is because we are getting to relive our childhood all over again with them.
You like simple things. You find joy in the mundane. Your love for life is contagious! Thank you for being the ultimate optimist even when we both know it's probably not realistic. It keeps me dreaming, hoping, praying. It keeps you loving, moving forward, forgiving, and hoping. I admire you so much in this.
Thank you for putting down new roots - new branches, beginning a new life for us five years ago. Thank you for not being afraid of change and for being willing to do it.
Thank you for choosing our marriage over your family. Thanks for ending the cycle . . . what the enemy of our souls wanted to use for harm, God has used for good in us both and continues to. Thank you for making decisions that were difficult but best and right. Thank you for following God over man. Thank you for going to God and seeking His will. You have demonstrated love for me through this more than you will ever know.
Thank you for your faithfulness. All that we've walked through together - all that I've seen you go through, it reminds me of this song here.You have amazed me as I've seen God - GRACE! - plant new seeds, grow a new man, and start a new family for us. Thank you.
Thank you for striving for authenticity.
Thank you for holding up the name of the Lord when I thought I was going to drown.
Thank you for your tender and passionate physical affection. It's awesome. You are my #1 hobby all the way.
Thank you for wanting to grow and helping me to grow.
Thank you for dreaming with me.
Thank you for being a man of prayer - for real. Your persistence in prayer challenges me so much.
You are one of the most patient people I have ever met in my life. Hands down. Some people call that a personality thing, or laid back. But you are not laid back - in fact, you are so high energy and extroverted I can hardly keep up with you! You are patient.
I love your personality. I love who you were when we first married, but I love even more who you have become as we both have discovered who we really are.
Thank you for making life adventuresome. I love that it's been bizarre, out of the ordinary, yep - crazy in most people's eyes - but really, I prefer that over "regular" any day. Thanks for not being "normal." Ha, being abnormal together has been awesome.
Thank you for being willing to go to our kids when you make a mistake and be honest about it with them. Thank you for telling us you aren't perfect and for not pretending to be. The children love and respect you not because you are perfect or do it all right or because you are really spiritual or something. . .
They love you because you have loved and accepted them for who God made them to be - all different then you - yet, you love their differences. You are slow to find fault. You are quick to forgive. They love you because you are not an angry person. They love you because you delight in them and they know it. They can't wait 'til you get home from work. I love hearing them and seeing them run out the door when you pull up.
I'm not far behind them - I've got to really run to be in front of them! It's my favorite part of the day when you return. It's what we all wait for.
You've learned that it's not, "My way or the highway" type of fathership or husbandship you are after. You strive to be gentle, patient, and tender with our children - and with me. I adore that about you. It makes me fall in love with you over and over again.
I appreciate you.
Thank you. Thank you for running the race with me - hand in hand. Thanks for not leaving me behind. Thanks for all your hard work and for how much you serve. Thank you for your appreciation of what I do. Thank you for being a loving friend. There is a connection that God has built between us that can't be explained except that it's alone by His mercy and all His doing.
Thanks for hanging in there tight amidst the trials, the heartaches, the difficult days. Thanks for sticking with me in all my imperfection. Thanks for honoring marriage.
Praise God. Looking forward to the next 44, 54, 64 years of your life - and eternity with you too.
Happy 44th birthday!
("Welch party of ten" - went out for seafood late last night for Robert's birthday - it was COLD! ~ our first time out to eat since Haven was born. Great celebration together! I wish I could have frozen some of the moments, instead I just kinda froze lol!)
A. Ann |
| | Posted 11/4/2011 1:26 PM - 2440 Views
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