My Girl

Today marks the 10^th Valentine’s Day that I have spent with my girl and the first spent apart.  This day was meant to be spent together physically but seeing how that’s not possible here’s my attempt to help us feel closer in other ways.  Straight up girl friend, time for a little embarrassment - but really I can only stay modest so long.  The world needs to know how much I scored.  My top ten favorite things about my girl (top meaning there’s way more than 10, trust me):

10.  She loves football! 

Not kidding in the least.  More than me actually – which makes me the envy of every other man in America.  It could be the Texas in her.  The standing joke during football season is “hey babe, you don’t want to miss this game it’s North Dakota University vs. New Hampshire State!”  We can plop down on the coach and watch the alma mater game and she’s yelling at the refs and 30 seconds ahead of the announcers.  It makes game time us time and I love it.

9.  She’s a girly girl. 

More appropriately put: she’s perfectly feminine.  As bachelors my friends and I used to joke about how to avoid the high maintenance women – well, personally I don’t prefer a woman whose too low maintenance either (not a huge fan of the hairy armpit look).  Rebecca is truly the dialed in perfect maintenance.  Yeah she likes the mani/pedis  and gets her hair done and likes to shop but I reap the benefit because not only does she keep expenditures reasonable but she looks really cute too.  Heaven knows she doesn’t get enough time of proper pampering.  Delaney is learning from a pro.

8.  She’s a simple equation: 

 Warm Rebecca + Fed Rebecca + Downtime = Happy Rebecca.  No joke; if she’s grumpy one of these things is out of balance.  I don’t have to spend anytime guessing why she’s irritated or trying to mind read.  She’ll just tell me, I’ll snag some take out, we’ll snuggle up on the couch and catch up after a busy week and without fail she’s becomes Happy Rebecca (aka Usual Rebecca).  No grudges or complications with my girl, just good times.  I probably should point out that they may not all be equally weighted.  Fed Rebecca might eek out ahead considering this girl and BBQ (likely that whole Texas thing again).  There is no containing that pure joy! 

7.  She’s beautiful. 

I mean beautiful.  Understandably, this was the toughest picture to choose – literally thousands of options!  Four kids?  No big deal.  And her feet!  Seriously those have got to be the cutest things on the planet!  Trophy wife?  Best believe it.  The woman is straight up flawless.  I often can’t look away - I think whoever created the “staring is rude thing” obviously didn’t have a wife of my caliber.  Okay, superficial-ness aside, I can’t not smile when she smiles, she has the ability to brighten my day in miliseconds.  Thankfully, her smile made its way onto each of our children’s faces which is probably why I find them so beautiful too.

6.  She’s fun and funny! 

Taking my girl out is a hobby of mine.  Not only do I get to look forward to our dates but they even seem to end better than they start every time.  Her company is one to be cherished not only because she’s cute, pleasant, real, witty, sympathetic, but funny too.  If I sound incredulous it’s because (I’m not trying to be a chauvinist here) very few women comedians actually make me laugh.  So the fact that Rebecca often has me unable to vocalize anything but wheezes for minutes at a time is saying something.  Yeah, I’m not talking about a funny face here and there – she’s great at the kid humor too – I’m talking trying to stay “professional” while on the phone with my wife in the office and the result is the loudest attempt at quiet laughter you ever heard.

 5.  She’s a team player. 

Yeah, she’s a good sport and all when it comes to white water rafting or enduring the occasional pure testosterone man flick but that’s not even the tip of the iceberg.  Remember the Texas thing? That’s where home is for her and even though we started dating there since we married I have moved her three times each time farther away than the last.  How would you like to have a baby, keep the house show ready and manage moving logistics, and take care of four rambunctious kids while battling her own illness while your spouse is working out of state?  All to leave a place and friends you love?  Please sign me up – not.  She is beyond supportive and works so hard for the family’s well being it never stops to amaze me. 

4.  She loves me unconditionally.  

She is interested in my day even when it wasn’t interesting.  Gosh, she is caring, tender, affectionate, often asks what I would like for dinner, all around fully committed.  She is continuously trying her best to take care of me in ways that make me feel sincerely loved even when I don’t deserve it.  Only she truly understands what it takes to put up with me but I always feel loved by her and it’s the best.

3.  She loves her kids. 

Sometimes its Candy Land on repeat, sometimes it’s her testimony during family night, other times is just making them laugh or jumping in on the dog pile.  She’ll take them on dates, have a private conversation, make them a special treat, you name it. When it comes down to it, she is there for them in any situation and very insightful on how they are doing really. Admittedly it’s not all fun and games, when the kids are melting down, disrespecting, rampaging, she can be the disciplinarian too. She is the complete mom and it makes her happy to see them happy. I see this face all the time and it is the cutest thing to me.

 

2.  She’s good.  As in, the righteous good.  She is such a strong example of doing the right thing.  She’s not only the commandment keeper but the nonstop server.  She’ll drag all four kids to church by herself if I’m out of town and she’ll be the first to bring a meal to friend in need.  She’ll wake up repeatedly at night with a newborn plus a sick toddler.  Yeah, sometimes its zombie mode, but she just keeps plugging away like a champ.  Thoughts of what she could do to improve?  I’m drawing a blank here.  Honestly, it’s like grasping at straws.  She is our family’s foundation of absolute goodness.   

1.  She makes me better. 

It may sounds cliché but it’s for real.  First there’s the obvious: she teaches me how to recognize when food actually is delicious (here’s that Texas thing again), how to enjoy a nice hotel whose premises are as clean as ours back home, how to not look like a bum who dressed in the dark at work, how to manage my time, etc.  Then there’s the truly important stuff: she inspires me, elevates me, holds me accountable, and reminds me of the important things when my life is off kilter.  My life without her?  Let’s not go there.  She’s my girl and my angel.