I Love This Man

I have a story. It's how my hubby & I met and married and have lasted for 15-1/2 years. That's quite a length of time. In fact, in these modern times I think 15-1/2 "marriage years" may be the equivalent of say 30 "pre-divorce-is-common" years. Or something like that.

Anyway....

I had dated pretty seriously one particular boy in high school & on to college. We were even engaged. Then I realized what kind of person he was & broke it off. Best thing I ever did. As a result of all that turmoil though, I ended up taking a year off from college, living at home with my parents, and working at a local wood mill to support myself & earn money to go back to school.

All during that time my best friend was still in school and planning to marry her long term boyfriend. But, he had this friend she told me one day. And she thought we'd be perfect for each other. She was right.

I had started going back to school but I was now doing a two year program & I was commuting from my folks house which was an hour one way to school five days a week and I had 8am classes. You all wonder why I've never been a morning person.

Every Thursday night there was a Campus Crusade for Christ meeting and Rhonda invited me to stay the night, go to CCC with her and meet "the guy." I figured why not. I trusted her judgement so I went. I wore my cutest outfit too. In fact, if you ask my hubby what I had on, he can still tell you to this day so I guess it worked. Oh wait, you want to know?? Well, from the head down...a black felt hat (love hats!), um....white shirt or was it black?? and white & black polka dot pants and black boots - I think. Shoot - you'll have to ask him after all I guess.

So anyway, I seriously believe I fell in love at first site. He was seriously cute. I mean seriously cute. He had a trim beard (love beards!), dark hair & eyes, tall. Yeah....cute with a capital C!

So we kind of eyed each other a lot that night. Talked a bit. I knew why Rhonda had introduced us and apparently so did he. And then I did some things I never dreamed I would do. I called him to see if he wanted to get together & "do" something. I never called boys - ever! Certainly not ones I had just met. But he said yes so we "did" something.

You see he worked in the big city & spent a lot of time at the area parks during lunch hour. So we went to all these different parks & talked. We got to know each other a bit more.

Then I did something else. To this day I'm still amazed at myself. I kept complimenting him. He kept blushing (loved that!). But you see, he had this beard. So his cheeks above his beard would go red every time he blushed. I thought it adorable so I kept complimenting so he would keep blushing. Finally, near the end of the day I said something like, "I can't take it anymore" & leaned over & kissed him on the cheek. Right where he was blushing.

Yup, that was it. I was a goner and he was close to be a goner. I think. I don't know. You'll have to ask him. We began seeing each other pretty seriously so he was a goner there at some point. We had some ups & we had some downs, but by the end of that school year I was sure I had found the man God wanted me to be with for the rest of my life.

By the middle of that summer we were married. We went back to school married. We left dating. We came back married. Yes, there were some whispers behind our backs (apparently) but baby #1 didn't show up for three more years.

So in honor of Valentine's Day...here is why "I Love This Man."

• When he makes a promise (or life long commitment) he keeps it.
• He makes me feel loved each & every day.
• He meets me where I'm at & makes me become a better person for it.
• He loves our children with a passion that amazes me at times.
• He loves me with a passion that amazes me always.
• He works hard each & every day to provide for us.
• He willingly admits his wrongs.
• He is willing to follow Christ wherever He leads him.
• He's logical enough for both of us (even when it makes me furious).
• He's more handsome to me now than when we married all those years ago.
• He's mine.

Happy Valentine's Day hubby!