Love is.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

I've always loved this passage from I Corinthians....apparently a lot of people do as well because you can find anything from pillows to coffee mugs with these words emblazoned. But how often do we really take these words in and scrutinize our lives, our actions? When I read this passage I immediately think not of myself, but Dan. Maybe at times I demonstrate these definitions of love, but more often than not I am lacking, but when I look at Dan, I see it all. He is patient and kind, he is not self seeking, not easily angered, keeps no record of wrong and being the eternal optimist (that I am not) he always hopes and trusts. The two of us are a perfect match because he is strong in the areas that I am weak. I am so blessed that God brought Dan into my life, but it's so much more than that because God created Dan for me. He knew each of us as we were being formed and his plan was for us to grow together. For us to learn from each other, and be strengthened by our love and commitment. I am a better person because of Dan. Don't get me wrong, I still have a long way to go, but every day that I go through life next to my husband I become a better woman, a better mother and a better child of God.

With all of that said, here is my annual list of reasons why I love you, Daniel!

* You eat everything I cook....even when it's not so good
* You work hard to provide for your family
* You always have coffee brewed when I wake up
* You can fix anything
* You put up with my need to plan everything
* You love your kids
* You don't keep facial hair because I don't like it
* You encourage me in my hobbies
* You are kind to and care about my friends
* You would give anyone the shirt off your back if they needed it
* You let me sleep in on every one of your days off (till 10:00!!)
* You are an equal partner in raising our children
* You are super smart in areas that I know nothing about
* You are a good listener
* You make pancakes on the weekends
* You explain things in ways that anyone can understand
* You give great advice
* You have goals and work towards making them happen
* You always give people a second chance....sometimes a third and fourth chance too!
* You read to the girls with funny voices
* You like to watch the wood working channel
* You make me cakes from scratch for special occasions
* You tell me you love me a lot
* You watch lame reality TV shows that I like even though you hate them
* You make smart investments for our future
* You make me laugh, out loud, often
* You are tender....certain songs have been known to make you shed a tear
* You let me tease you mercilessly
* You always unload the groceries and put them away
* You let me have the right side of the bed even though it was your side
* You wrestle with the girls
* You always deal with conflict in a level headed calm manner
* You are good at figuring out plots
* You handle blood, broken bones and barf because I don't handle it well
* You take on a lot of burden so that I can stay home to raise our children
* You can do a mean butterfly stroke
* You have padded bicycle shorts :)
* You set your bedside clock 10 minutes fast so you can snooze
* You aren't afraid of hard work or getting your hands dirty
* You weren't afraid of me cutting your hair (it turned out pretty bad!)
* You will do something embarrassing over again just because I think it's funny
* You let me go crazy with Christmas every year
* You take the girls out to buy me random surprise presents
* You always put your family first, even before yourself
* You have always allowed me to be myself and loved me anyways
* You are a fine lookin' fella
* You are my best friend
* You will keep our girls off the pole :)
* You trust me with your heart

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAN!
I love you more than words can even begin to say.
Cheers to you on your special day.
Welcome to 29.