Props to my peep

I try to encourage and praise my husband daily, but I don't think he always knows just how much I appreciate him. So I'm doing is publicly and hoping that he'll stumble across it. :)

Simply put, I couldn't do what I do without him...without his hard work, without his patience, without his understanding, without his big heart, without his dedication, without his commitment or without his love. He loves me unceasingly even when I do not deserve it. He loves the girls with such enthusiasm, I can't wait to watch as they grow and mature into strong young women because of him.

There was a time when I didn't think he had it in him, and I'm not saying that as a put-down. On the contrary, I want to highlight the fact that he's made many hard changes and choices in the 8 years we've been together. When we first started dating, there was so much baggage and hurt and crap that I never thought we'd get to the point where we're at now. But somehow God found both of us where we were, and He spoke to both our hearts. He planted within us a longing for the same thing...a strong marriage built on a mutual faith in and love of God Almighty. Ask anyone who's known him for awhile, and they'll tell you that he's not the same person that he used to be. He's not perfect, but I don't expect him to be.

I wouldn't classify our relationship as "perfect" because there is no such thing. A perfect relationship isn't possible between two imperfect individuals. To expect that is foolish. We love each other in action (not just emotion), and we're able to see each other as God sees us. That allows us to work through problems or disagreements. That also allows us to appreciate each other (and our contributions to this family) even more.

Our life has changed SO much since the girls came into the world. We're exhausted, and we don't have a lot of time with each other...something we intend to change. When I hear him make one of the girls giggle uncontrollably, or when he surprises me with something I've wanted or wanted done for a long time, I know he's still with me. My prayer is that we're able to sustain that commitment for a long, long time. As long as we look to God for our life's priorities, I think we just may be able to pull it off!

Love you, schmoop!