Matt

Family is a beautiful and scary thing.  Beautiful because they mean so much to you.  Scary because of how vulnerable that makes you to the idea that anything could happen to them.  I'm pretty sure I think about those things that could happen more than most people.  Give me a ten minute car ride by myself and I'll be near tears thinking about some what-if scenario.

I've got Hank's post all ready to share but I'm waiting on some Hank pictures from Matt.  I figured, while I'm waiting, I should write about another person that is so immeasurably important to me and who I so desperately need to stay alive. Matt thinks I'm crazy for how much I think about what terrible things could happen. But that doesn't keep me from giving him occasional pep talks about how, if he ever finds himself hanging between life and death, he absolutely has to fight to stay alive.  Because I NEED him.  Not simply because I can't imagine being a single mom, or I don't want to be alone.  Because I need HIM.

I loved Matt when I married him but I had no idea just how invaluable he would become to me.  The fact that we found each other is one of the most personal reasons I believe there is a God involved with the dealings of our lives.  He is just exactly who I want and need to navigate this life with.

For starters he saves me from being a dud.  I hate to think of how uptight and boring and stressed out I would be if I hadn't made such a wise marriage decision.  When I'm taking things too seriously, which is often, he helps me to lighten up.  When I think that things couldn't possible be worse, he brings me back to reality.

Also, we think so similarly on so many things.  If I hear something interesting, or annoying, or horrible, or ridiculous I tuck it away in my brain to bring up to Matt later.  Chances are he will think the same thing.  And who doesn't want to hear their own opinions repeated back to them?

I trust Matt completely.  And all my TV shows lead me to believe that's pretty remarkable.  I know he would never do something to intentionally hurt me.  His heart is gold.  He may have his own ways to go about things, and sometimes those ways may bug me, but in the end I always find he had the best intentions.

He is such a good example to me with how he treats people.  He doesn't get jealous or petty like me.  He is far more than just tolerant of all different kinds of people.  He genuinely likes people and sees incredible value in them.

He's teaching this family to put love first.  Because he knows that love is more important anything.

As an added bonus I think he's crazy smart. And funny.  And somehow he is capable of doing ANYTHING.  That's when I call him Super Jeb.  "Hey, Super Jeb?  Can you fix this?"

What's really awesome is that he's actually crazy about ME.  He makes me feel like a million bucks. Always.  Even in my baggiest and shabbiest of lounge clothes.  He lets me be me and is perfectly happy with just me.  When he comes home and the house is totally trashed and dinner is nowhere in sight, he is only hopeful that I lightened up that day, had a moment to relax, or found time to just play with the kids.

I can only hope my kids find a spouse that is as good to them as Matt is to me.

I'm not trying to say our marriage is perfect.  I'm guessing it's actually quite normal.  There are reasons to get annoyed all the time.  But the longer we're married the shorter I can stay mad.  It's like, "Matt!  We're leaving in 10 minutes and you haven't even gotten in the shower!.....Oh, hey, I saw this hliarious youtube video..."

I'm just so grateful to go through this life with him, to see him everyday, to have kids with him, to experience everything together.

I mean, so what if I have to occasionally walk through the house with an empty laundry basket picking up all the clutter he's left around.  I'd say that's a pretty small price to pay for all the goodness he adds to my life.  Best. Gift. Ever.