10 years ago …

Yesterday marked our ten year wedding anniversary. Woo hoo! We had a quiet evening in, keeping the celebrations low key:

What could be better than strawberries, champagne, and the season finale of LOST?

I always stated I wanted a big “to do” for our tenth anniversary, but since we got to go to Hawaii last summer, I considered that an early anniversary present and had no expectations for a big shindig on the actual day. We are going out for seafood in Annapolis tomorrow, which will be a nice night out.

Now, I need to brag on my hubby as he is typically more creative and good about making me feel special than I him. This is what he left for me on the counter when I came downstairs yesterday morning (he had to leave early for work).

Love notes AND chocolate! What could be better? Unfortunately, I failed to match his creativity, so let me take a moment here to extol his virtues here.

Ten Things I Love About Mike:

10. He’s creative.
It’s hard to be creative when you’ve got a job, a wife, and kids and a long to do list that never gets done. So I don’t expect creativity from him (heck, I barely exude any myself these days). But every now and then, he makes the effort and I am always touched by his thoughtfulness (see the chocolate heart above).

9. He takes great care of himself.
Sometimes, I’m a tad jealous that he has the freedom to work out at lunch and bike to work and what not. But really, I’m thankful that he eats well, takes care of himself, and has not let himself be ensnared by the many addictions out there. I only really appreciate this when I have conversations with friends whose mates are not as … clean, and then I realize what a wonderful trait this is.

8. He’s not afraid to be silly.
I often tease him that his jokes aren’t funny, but it’s all part of the dance. I love his humor and the fact that he is goofy and never mean-spirited.

7. He is tender-hearted and compassionate.
We often joke that our roles are reversed and he is the “woman” of the relationship and I am the “man” (case in point — our anniversary presents to each other were just what we wanted: I got more memory for my pc, he got a bread maker). But really, what a wonderful quality to have in a husband. He cares deeply about people and looks after others. I am much more likely to be insensitive and step on someone’s feelings, including his. I almost take this for granted at times, so let me say it here – I LOVE this quality in Mike.

6. He is good at fixing things.
I love that he can tinker with something and figure it out. It’s a great ability and I’m glad our kids will grow up believing “Dad can fix anything.”

5. He is fiscally conservative.
Every relationship needs a spender and a saver. Guess who’s who in our marriage?

4. He is a GREAT Daddy.
I LOVE that he loves our kids. He is not only a fun daddy, but he has patience and teaches them things that I lack the patience to do (like how to unload the dishwasher). He is also committed to raising them with discipline and is a fully invested in shaping their character. More than just making sure they mind their “Ps and Qs”, he is concerned that they grow up knowing who their true Father is and how much He loves them. His desire to instill faith in our kids and help them learn about Christ is one of his most attractive qualities.

3. He is a great lover.
I’m going to leave the details of this one to your imagination.

2. He loves me.
He is loving to me even when he doesn’t feel like it. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about love in ten years of marriage, it is that love is much more than a feeling. Marriages work because people work hard at them, even when they don’t feel like it. I’m so thankful that Mike is committed to our marriage, regardless of how he feels. (Cuz trust me, there a plenty of times when I am not very loveable).

1. He is a godly man.
You can say this a bunch of different ways (“man of character”, “man of faith”, etc.), but it all boils down to this. Mike loves Jesus, and has put Him first in his life. His other positive attributes all stem from this. He could never be as good of a father, husband, lover, etc. if it weren’t for his commitment to Christ. Thank you, honey, for loving Christ and being an example to me to follow in this.

I could go on an on, but I’ll wrap it up here.

Honey, thanks for a great ten years. There is no one else I’d rather be married to and I look forward to many many more!

ps – I also wanted to brag on Mike for another accomplishment. He recently got his performance review at work and was awarded an “excellent” grade on his review. Not only that, he was one of the few people in the company who achieved this rating for the second straight year. Way to go honey! Your character and hard works shines brightly everywhere! I’m so proud of you and the man you are.