A Spring of Joy

This weekend is my hubby’s birthday. I can’t tell you how much I love that man! Here’s a start… just a start… there’s so much more I could say. (WARNING: Extreme sappiness ahead!)

1. I love his smile.
2. I love the twinkle in his eyes when he’s teasing me.
3. I love his laugh…the way it rolls through his whole body.
4. I love the curls and waves in his hair.
5. I love the feel of his arms around me.
6. I love the safe and secure feeling he gives me when we’re together.
7. I love it when he sings along with his ipod in the car.
8. I love his voice…singing, talking, laughing…anything.
9. I love watching him play guitar.
10. I love his quiet resolve and ruthless trust.
11. I love the way he finds crazy excuses for not doing work around the house.
12. I love hearing him call our daughter Bella (Italian for “beautiful).
13. I love eating Dairy Queen Butterscotch Dipped Cones with him.
14. I love the way he loves our children.
15. I love the way his eyes change colors with his moods.
16. I love the way no one is a stranger to him.
17. I love his loyalty to his friends.
18. I love the way he loves the beautiful things in nature.
19. I love the way he looks at his empty plate hoping for seconds.
20. I love how he makes grilling a huge production every singe time, because, well, it’s manly.
21. I love how comfortable he is being who God created him to be. He doesn’t try to be anyone or anything else.
22. I love when he calls me from work just to say, “Hi.”
23. I love the way he loves to surprise me.
24. I love watching him tease my mom.
25. I love hearing him pray.
26. I love his heart…for God…for me…for others.
27. I love long walks with him.
28. I love holding his hand.
29. I love leaning against him, feeling his heartbeat, knowing that it gives him life, and remembering how much I love his life.
30. I love his giggle. Yes, he giggles. But it’s adorable. He’s going to hate me for using the word adorable to describe him, but I couldn’t think of any other words.
31. I love his dedication to his work.
32. I love his little boy excitement over life.
33. I love quiet pauses in our day for bear hugs.
34. I love his “big toy” fixation, and trust me, there are lots of them.
35. I love watching him lead worship, completely given over to His Lord.
36. I love traveling with him, reading together, talking, singing, or sitting quiet just watching the road go by.
37. I love the way music is such a part of his soul, and because of him our home is always full of music.
38. I love the homemade cards he gives me.
39. I love his family.
40. I love driving back roads on random drives…my head on his shoulder.
41. I love how he’s made so many sacrifices for me and truly embodies the love of Christ.
42. I love the memories we’ve made together.
43. I love when he speaks in an Irish brogue, or at least tries to.
44. I love hearing him play trumpet.
45. I love sitting close and not saying anything.
46. I love his unconditional love. He loves me faithfully even when there’s a whole lot of yuck to love.
47. I love when he reads to our children, all snuggled together with good books.
48. I love coffee on Saturday mornings.
49. I love doing the dishes together.
50. I love how his trust in God is so solid. He rests sure in knowing God will provide.
51. I love the way his eyes crinkle when he smiles.
52. I love singing with him and harmonizing together.
53. I love going to Jazz in the Park and just being still, enjoying being together, being outside, and listening to good music.
54. I love holding hands in church when we pray.
55. I love the way he puts his arm around me in public, claiming me as his prize.
56. I love being his prize.
57. I love watching him set up and run a sound board, head bent, fingers flying, ears listening. It’s like second nature to him.
58. I love his car savvy, and how he always thinks he can fix it in a few minutes and then it takes days. But he gets it fixed.
59. I love picnics with him.
60. I love the way he’s never afraid to try something new.
61. I love falling asleep with my head on his lap.
62. I love family worship with him.
63. I love his attempts to be funny that fail miserably but make me laugh anyway.
64. I love swing dancing with him, even though I don’t know what I’m doing. It’s the complete trust that he has me in his arms and won’t lead me wrong.
65. I love going to weddings with him and remembering ours.
66. I love doing nothing on lazy Sunday afternoons.
67. I love the way he always knows what to get me for Christmas.
68. I love his spontaneity.
69. I love when he sings in the shower.
70. I love how he’s always there for others whenever they need him.
71. I love the way he refuses to grow up.
72. I love the way I can come to him for advice and trust his wisdom.
73. I love that he is humble enough to learn from his mistakes.
74. I love watching the sunset with him.
75. I love to hear him say “I love you.”
76. I love the goofy names he makes up for me.
77. I love walking on the beach holding hands and imagining our beach house together.
78. I love when he quotes Monty Python even though I’ll never get that stuff.
79. I love how he makes special time for each of our children when I know he’d rather have time to himself.
80. I love the way he works day in and day out to provide for us.
81. I love coffee dates with him, hearing him critique the new flavor as if he were a true connoisseur.
82. I love watching the fireworks on the Fourth of July with him and seeing his patriotism.
83. I love the fact that I can talk about anything with him, and I truly mean anything.
84. I love his steadfastness.
85. I love how we are so different, each unique creations, and yet we meld so easily.
86. I love his commitment.
87. I love that I can trust him implicitly.
88. I love sunny days playing or working outside together.
89. I love what an amazing father he is.
90. I love his dedication.
91. I love how he tries to understand me, even when he can’t.
92. I love his leadership, how I can look to him for guidance when I am struggling.
93. I love the way his eyes light up and his heart melts when he walks in the door and glimpses our children each day.
94. I love dancing in our kitchen together.
95. I love his quirks, because, face it, we all have them, and it’s all part of who he is.
96. I love his honesty.
97. I love just about anything as long as we’re together.
98. I love off-roading with him, the way he delights in every hill we topple and muddy ditch we ford.
99. I love the way he makes me laugh, out loud, every single day.
100. I love how he is completed devoted to His Lord and his family. We are everything to him.

Happy Birthday, Baby!