My Valentine

MY VALENTINE...

M: My Man
Y: Yoga Master

V: Volunteer
A: Accommodating
L: Loving
E: Enthusiastic, Eager, Ebullient
N: Near
T: Talkative Techie
I: Idol fan
N: Nice
E: Essential

Dave is My Man. He's everything I always dreamed My Man would be. He loves me, and he tells me so. He makes me feel safe and secure, and he's a great dad to our sons. He's a wonderful leader of our family spiritually, emotionally, financially and physically. He's handsome, sexy, and he's a great cook, to boot!

Dave is a Yoga Master. Well, okay, maybe not a master, but he's pretty good at it! I gave him a yoga DVD once, not knowing what he'd think, and he actually liked it! I love that he takes good care of his body and sets a good example for me and for the boys. He has persisted in trying to convince me to jump on the yoga bandwagon, and I stubbornly resisted for a long time (I thought it was boring). But because of his encouragement, I actually do it occasionally, and Cory does it, too, when he has a break from running. I'm grateful for the example he sets for us to be physically fit. He started doing spinning classes at the gym, and due to his gentle prodding, now Wes, Connor and I enjoy spinning twice a week!

Dave is a Volunteer. Not only does he volunteer to do all kinds of stuff around the house, but he is the Scoutmaster for the boys' troop. By doing that, he is showing his family how much he cares, and creating memories for all of us that will last a lifetime. It is a time-consuming and energy-draining job, and he is often taken for granted and taken advantage of, but also appreciated. When I watch him choke up with feeling while giving a "Scoutmaster Minute," I know I married a prince.

Dave is Accommodating. I know I am not the easiest person to live with. Okay, I'll admit it. I'm anal. And sometimes hormonal. But does my husband get irritated when I follow him around closing the cupboards he leaves open (while he's cooking dinner, I might add)? Does he get annoyed when I say there should be three scoops of coffee, not two (after he just went to the trouble of making the coffee, I might add)? No, he just laughs and teases me (in a sweet way, I might add), making me realize how ridiculous I'm being. He's accommodating, and loves me unconditionally, no matter what time of month it is.

Dave is Loving. I could go on forever on this one, because everything he does is loving. He works hard so that I can be at home with the family. In addition to his job and scouts, he takes care of the cars and the gardens and the bills and the leaky faucets and the computer problems and the taxes and the broken water heater and more than his fair share of the cooking and cleaning. He lights candles and puts on soft music and offers nice, long massages. Well, you get the idea...

Dave is Enthusiastic, Eager and Ebullient! Sorry, but one "E" word just wasn't enough! My guy is not one to sit around being boring! He's always planning the next vacation or outing, and is full of fun ideas. He lives life to the fullest, whether it's surfing at the crack of dawn, backpacking with a bunch of teenagers, planning scavenger hunts for my birthday, or taking me out to dinner and a show!

Dave is Near. I love that he's near! Not only physically, as he works right upstairs at home a lot of the time, but in every way, he's near. Whenever I want to talk about something, he's right there willing to listen. And even when he's traveling, he still feels near because I know he loves me. (And we can IM... :) )

Dave is a Talkative Techie. Okay, so that's not especially romantic, but I love techie stuff, too, and I'm so glad he's willing and able to take care of computer issues that drive most people nuts. I'm so impressed with his techie knowledge! Sometimes when I'm upstairs in the bathroom putting on makeup or something, I can hear him talking to a bunch of people on a conference call, and it's Greek to me! I love my handsome computer nerd!

Dave is an Idol Fan. That is, American Idol. I'm not so sure he'd go so far as to call himself that, but the point is that I love the time we spend together watching the show and talking about it. That, and Friday Night Lights, for sure!! I like that we can just relax at home and enjoy the time together watching these shows. It's a fun thing to share with my honey...

Dave is Nice. He is! He's just so nice! What can I say? When telemarketers or solicitors call our home, I know they're praying that Dave will answer! When someone calls with a survey, he patiently answers their questions. He's nice to the Boy Scouts, nice to their parents, nice to his customers, nice to his coworkers, nice to his sons, and nice to his wife, no matter what time of month it is! :)

Dave is Essential to me. I don't know what I would do without him. He's my rock. He's my hero. He's my VALENTINE!