the man i love

while reading a fave blogger's entry about her husband, and how incredibly proud and in love with him she is, it occurs to me how much i adore and appreciate my husband nate.

i tell him all the time. every day, multiple times a day.

but sometimes, its good to see those words in print. to set wings to the words and let them be free to touch people outside my four walls.

so i'll start as she did, and then do my best to do my man justice

:eh-hem:

"there are many things you don't know about my husband, but there aren't too many that I don't know."

i know that he has more strength and love than any man I've ever met. i can thank his momma for that. she raised him right, and showed him that men don't have to choose between being strong and being kind.

i know that he too, cannot, sleep without checking on all the kids, even our fourteen year old. and he can't sleep unless he's checked every door, because i don't sleep well unless he does.

i know that learning quickly and being naturally gifted at EVERYTHING he touches is his gift. i used to resent him for it, but now i appreciate his ability to do all things well, and right the first time. :)

i know that he holds his tongue more than anyone i know. not just around me, but others too. he doesn't hold it because he's a coward, but because he's learned that saying nothing speaks volumes, more so that a rambling fool.

i know he hurts sometimes, and he doesn't trust himself to open up. so its up to me to help him find the words.

i know he's sacrificed a world of opportunities to make my dreams a reality, from day one.

i know the minute i fell in love with him. sitting next to him at a high school friend's wedding, i wondered why it had taken me so long to see this man sitting next to me. four hours later, in a run-down denny's, he told me he loved me, and knew we'd be together forever.

he's handsome and funny, and if you're lucky enough to hear him laugh, you can't help but be caught up in it too.

he snores.

he hates reading. a lot. to the degree that i ADORE reading, he hates it.

he is an amazing dad, with more wisdom than i'll ever have. when days were the darkest, and with one foot out the door, i knew he was the reason our kids would be okay, and felt okay with leaving. but he asked me to stay, and then he had the amazing ability to teach me to parent the way he does, so i could be around to see all their happy days.

he likes clutter.

he was born to be a teacher. i hope someday, he is able to work in a classroom, because all kids adore and respect him, and he has a way of connecting to them.

he says yes to me even when he should say no to me, and i know it.

he smiles in his sleep, but never remembers his dreams.

he and i laugh about how long it took us to find the road that started our journey together. there were so many missed opportunities, but i see now that we weren't ready to be "us" yet.

i never knew how to be loved, and how to love, until i fell in love with nate. i didn't know that i could be someone's everything. and i didn't know how to fully love someone until i saw how effortlessly he loved me and "m", and how he made us a family.

it's a wonderful life, when you get to share it with the one you love.