[I love my husband]

I have to admit, I was taken aback by the title of a blog I saw recently. It can be found by searching for "I Hate My Husband" on Google. What a sad story! Yet, just this morning I found myself thinking more negatively than positively about my own relationship with my husband... so I decided, then and there, to put into action a thought I had regarding focusing on the good things. It's all about perspective. So, it's time for some serious reflections on the man I married... and why I CHOOSE to LOVE him! Sometimes I just need a motivational "kick" to finish what I started.




I love the way he lights up when he gets home from being on the road. Frank is on the road a lot.. it's the nature of his job. Whenever he puts that key into the lock and walks into the house, he can't hide the excitement of being home and with those he loves. Every time we are met with the same enthusiasm and same excitement as the time before.

I love the way he takes pride in his work and finds joy in being a good provider. We have struggled in the past with making ends meet, and Frank has always wanted nothing more than to be able to provide for us all of the things we want and need. I have never seen him as happy as he has been these last few months. It is truly a blessing to watch him succeed at and find such joy in what he does.

I love the way he takes good care of himself physically by eating right and exercising. We both used to make poor choices in regards to what foods we would eat and what we allowed into our bodies. Since we both made the decision to live healthily (both in body and mind) it has made a huge difference in our lives. I admire him for sticking to it and for encouraging me to stick to it as well. I love that he is worried about my health and has said "he doesn't know what he would do if he lost me."

I love that he has always thought of and treated Trey as if he were his own. The bond they share runs so deep that I believe with my entire heart that Trey was born to be Frank's son, and that Frank was born to be Trey's dad. They walk the same, talk the same, and they even look alike. It's as if God reached down from Heaven and arranged this for us. It's beautiful.

I love how he has a special relationship with each of our children. Each relationship is as different as they are. He makes sure to spend 'one on one' time with each of our kids at least twice a week, even if it's just 15 minutes to read a story or 20 minutes of wrestling/playing on the living room floor.

I love him for having the strength and courage -when we were facing hard times in our marriage- to take responsibility for his actions and make changes to become a better person (while I did the same)... and I love him for working hard to stick to the commitment he made to continue to put us first.

I love how Frank puts our family ahead of anything else. Whenever he isn't at work or held away from home, he spends that time with us as much as possible. He knows what's important.

I love how he cares what I think about things and how I feel about things, and he always takes those thoughts and feelings into consideration when making decisions. We are a team.

I love how he always has my morning coffee, mug, spoon, and creamer ready for action when I wake up a few hours after her does! I love how most mornings he has my grapefruit sliced or my oatmeal prepared as well :)

I love how he is extra quiet in the morning/middle of the night so I can sleep while he gets ready for work. This includes shaving in dim light so the bathroom light does not wake me up. *But he always makes sure to kiss my forehead or give my leg a light touch before he leaves... just to let me know he is thinking about me.*

I love the way he supports me and boosts my confidence in myself. He might not constantly throw compliments around or shower me with affection every waking second, but he knows exactly what to say and when to say it, and those special moments mean the world to me.

I love the way he lets me know that someday he will support me in my career... and he will always support my need to do what I love even if it doesn't pay the best. He insists that me being happy is more important than what I will make.

I love how he always makes sure that the water bottle by my bed is filled so I won’t run out in the middle of the night :)

I love the way he supports me when I have to face my own demons in my life... and how he provides encouragement and unbiased feedback to help me through.

I love how he insists that we eat dinner as a family around the kitchen table every chance we get. I also love that when we eat together he always starts the meal by asking that we go around the table and tell one another what we are thankful for.

I love the way he is whole-heartedly committed to the Flyers and the Eagles... and supports them each year whether or not they have winning records! I love how he will jump around and cheer loudly every time they score... and he doesn't reign himself in at all. All of his joy and passion just flow out of him. It's magic.

I love how much of an ACTIVE and ENGAGED parent he his. He tries to be there for every game, every practice, and every meeting. He works on homework with Trey, flashcards with the girls, and he is always worried about whether or not we are doing right by our children. He wants to be the best dad in the world *and he is!*

I love the way he tells me that he loves my hair short when I cut it short, or that he loves it long when I grow it out, or he loves the color when I get adventurous with highlighting. He loves it whichever way it ends up... because he loves me :)

I love how he loves to share the responsibility of running errands on the weekends and taking care of household chores. He looks at it as a way to spend time together. (which is good, because our free time is usually spent grocery shopping and cleaning up around the house!)

I love that he makes me laugh every day. Not just a chuckle here and there, but REAL, DEEP, from my HEART laughter... every single day :) There is never a dull moment around here, that's for sure!

I love that he showed such saintly patience as I struggled with hormonal changes the two years I was pregnant with our girls. *Two years, back to back!*

I love how he apologizes when he is wrong or when he accidentally says or does something that hurts my feelings. He pushes his pride aside and takes a moment to look me in the eyes and say he is sorry.

I love the way he supports my relationship with my family (parents / siblings) and respects how close we are.

Finally, I love the way this man I am blessed to call my husband has enriched my life. I love that (even though at times it has been hard) he has made me a better person. He has made me a stronger and more confident woman. He has given me our beautiful children, and knows everything about me but chooses to love me anyway :)