This post is a tribute to one of the best fathers, husbands, and all around guys I have ever been blessed enough to know.  On January 21st, 2005 I walked down an aisle toward one of my very best friends in the whole world and said “I do”…I do choose to love you every day for the rest of forever, I do promise to live all the rest of my years here on this earth with you, I do choose to wake up each morning thankful for a hand to hold when I’m scared to take the next step.  The “I do” part was just the beginning to a beautiful, broken adventure!

Many times I have struggled through the chaos and uncertainty of our life but you come along side me, never once giving up on me, on us, when so many times it would have been easiest to do just that.  You are a man who loves his family unconditionally and have shown us this repeatedly in your actions.

Sometimes the sun is shining so bright we have to squint to see the horizon and all that lies beyond and sometimes we are just 2 people stumbling around in the dark hoping, praying that we get it right and land on our own 2 feet, still together.  We’ve been to grief counseling; we’ve been angry enough to keep track of who does what, when; we’ve been on different pages, in different chapters, and a few times in totally separate books (very difficult to come back from, I must admit, but it can be done!); we’ve had a broken heart (x1000)…so broken beyond repair that no breath was deep enough to fill our lungs with air; we’ve accused each other of all the marriage crimes….not loving enough, not hating enough, not trying hard enough, not caring enough, not noticing enough and on and on and everything in-between!  Why am I telling you these things if this is a tribute to someone I deeply love and respect, you ask? Because I don’t want you to get a false view of who we are.  I don’t want you to think for one second that the past 12 years has been easy and rosie and that we’re all lovey-dovey all the time.  There have been those times too but marriage takes work, effort and a lot of communicating, compromising and TEAMWORK! One of my favorite slogans…”teamwork makes the dreamwork!”  I know, I know, super cheese, right?!

Despite all of the crazy, difficult moments my husband truly is my super hero…”my Thor” as our son says.  He’s a mighty oak tree standing tall and strong amidst life’s storms.  He’s our shelter and protector and so much more!!  I think sometimes, as women, we lose site of who our partner is and what their strengths are.  My husband’s strengths are my weaknesses and that is a good and beautiful thing.  Don’t try to change them to be anything more than they are because this often ends up making them less than they were meant to be.

This past year was one of intense growth and change (which I don’t really do change…see previous posts 😉 ).  One year ago, in January my husband came home from his job at a local factory and said to me, “I’m done, honey.  I’m quitting the factory.  I’ve had enough.”  At first I was shocked.  We had discussed this but it wasn’t supposed to happen yet.  I trusted and believed in him and this choice and I still do.  It was the very best decision he could have ever made.  It took courage, strength and bravery to walk in and give his 2 weeks notice after 11 years at this job with no other job lined up to support us.  We got many crazy looks and some criticism about this decision but when you follow Jesus, your heart, and your dreams you can’t go wrong.

My husband has some very distinct gifts.  He is a barber by trade.  He’s an artist who creates beautiful paintings as well as beautiful haircuts.  He was born to create beautiful scenery in a baron land!

This is for you, my love…. You are a barber – not just of hair, but of life.  You trim, and perfect, and create, and dream.  You are a peacemaker who is teaching our son how to lead, love,  leap, and be a man.  You sit in the very front row when I’m asked to share the nitty-gritty and bare all; you encourage me to be great and to share all that we have been through and all that we have learned even if it makes you uncomfortable.  You lead with a gentle love.  Thank you for inspiring me to be more gentle, more kind, more loving and more giving!  I love that we strive to live to give together! I love you even more every single day!  Proud of who you are and proud you took a chance at building a life together with me.