This Man

I just wanted to take a minute and write about this awesome guy. I wish I could write down all the amazing things he does for our family, and I wish words would be adequate enough to express my appreciation and love for him. But I'm not very good with words, and I'm sure this post will sound like rambling to most of you, but I just want to attempt to share some of my feelings...

It was 7 years ago that Nate and I started dating. I knew that I wanted to marry him even before we went on our first date. Through working with him for 9 months and getting to know him, I saw many sides of him. Let me be clear... at first, I did not even like him or thought he was cute. But gradually, we got to know each other as friends, and gradually, I started to like him. I'm so glad that we were friends first. There wasn't any pressure to impress him, and I wasn't constantly worrying if he thought I was cute... I just didn't care! But eventually the inevitable happened, and I started to fall "in like" with him. I was seeing other guys, and dating a ton, but I always found myself comparing these guys to Nate. And pretty soon, it became crystal clear on who I wanted to be with.

It's funny how I always found myself wanting to be with him... but after 7 years that want has turned into a need. I need to be with Nate. He is my rock. He knows who he is and what he wants from life, and is unwaivering in his faith. I would be utterly lost without him. He doesn't require a lot of attention and is happy with whatever he has. He is a home-body and can be pretty quiet at times. Some people think that because he is quiet, he doesn't have opinions, or that he can be a pushover... However, once you get to know him, you will find that he does have opinions (and they can be quite strong at times) and that he isn't a pushover.

Nate is an amazing husband. People often say that the first year of marriage is the hardest.... but I have found that to be completely untrue in our marriage. Nate and I have had trials and hard times come our way, but actually being married hasn't been hard at all. In fact, I would never want to go back to the dating scene. Being married to Nate has brought me complete joy and happiness. I have never felt tied down, in fact, I've felt very much free and alive. Nate provides me with a sense of purpose and direction that I need at times. He encourages me and supports me in anything I do. 

At night, he falls asleep pretty much the minute his head hits the pillow, and I lie awake just thinking about how lucky I am to have him by my side in this journey. I thank God every night that Nate is mine and that we are sealed for eternity. To some, eternity might seem like a long time to be with someone, but I don't think it could ever be enough.

Though we have gray hairs appearing, crow lines forming, the pounds on the scale go up and down, and our joints creek and pop when we walk up the stairs, I wouldn't want to experience life with anyone but Nate.