It’s Valentine’s Day!

And today, I’m feeling blessed. I have been reminiscing this week about an event that took place 18 years ago today, my rehearsal dinner.

Yep, tomorrow, Hubs and I will celebrate being married for 18 years.

(I was seven when we got married. It’s a Western Nebraska thing.)

And in those 18 years we’ve experienced many UPS and DOWNS including two kids, two dogs, two houses, five cars, a separation, hired for jobs, fired from jobs, businesses started, friendships ended, fights, make-ups and everything in between.

So I thought today, I’d write about the three things I love about my husband (there are many more, but y’all get bored if I kept going. And frankly, he reads my blog, so I don’t want him getting a big head.)

1. He’s Handy.

He’s actually more than handy, he’s a remodeling contractor. I’m always in awe that he can destroy and rebuild anything, fix broken things, make things, and recreate things he sees in magazines or from my ramblings that make no sense to anyone else.

(And thank GOD, because yours truly does not have ONE hands-on creative bone in her body. I don’t have the patience for the process…luckily, he does.)

Because of this handy super power everything works in our house, all.the.time. AND it means that when I get a wild hair to paint a light fixture, add windows to a dinging room, have a custom desk in my office, remodel the kitchen and living room, or paint the dining room for the 17th time, he can do it. And it turns out awesome. And he does it with a smile.

2. He’s Loyal.

If you talk to his friends, they will say that Jake is the glue.

Jake is the steady-eddy in an otherwise crazy-busy world.

He’s a regular Coors beer, mixed in with a good Country ballad, cowboy boots, and a steak on a nearly perfect Spring Day.

He’s a guy’s guy. Jake picks up his phone or returns call, every time. He’ll drop everything to help you move, rewire your house, take your kid to golf lessons. You can borrow his {insert whatever tool, because he owns them all}. He’ll rearrange his schedule or take off work early if one of his friends is in town.

He is the most loyal man I’ve ever met to the people he loves. And that’s important because…

3. He Puts Up With Me and Thinks I’m Funny.

I’m difficult, on good days.

I’m an enormous pain-in-the-arse the rest of the time.

I’m a first-born, only-child, driven, germ-a-phobe, clean freak, can’t close a bathroom drawer, perfectionist, introvert, who has an addiction to popcorn and wine and dislikes hand-washing dishes.

I ain’t easy to live with.

Yet, he does.

He’s used to me not turning off lights, talking with my hands (to myself, mind you. Like in my head, a whole conversation he can not hear and probably doesn’t want to), throwing away food the day of its expiration, and not being able to finish a whole glass of anything (except wine, there is no way, I’m wasting that nectar of the Gods).

And instead of getting mad about all the weirdo things about me, he likes them. And he thinks that my pain-in-ass tendencies are actually kind of quirky, adorable, or funny. Yes, even funny. There aren’t too many people I know that think my mortal fear of slugs or my inability to change a lightbulb are adorable…so for that, I’m keeping him.

Like most experienced wives, my definition of marriage has changed greatly since I first said “I do”. I realize marriage isn’t rainbows and flowers, but more partly cloudy days with intersperses of sunshine and an occasional dandelion. We’ve weathered so many things the past 18 years. He is my best friend and I can’t imagine my life without him.

Happy Anniversary, Baby. I love you! And can’t wait for the next 18 years.

See past editions of I LOVE These Things.