Many thanks...

Psalm 100:1-5: Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

I have much to be thankful for this year... But the one thing that sticks out in my head to share is my thanks for my amazing husband.

Popeye. What would I do without him? He is my rock. My sanity. My partner in life, in parenting, and in this voyage of life. He started out as just a boy that I fell for in what seemed like a minute, but over the years has developed into a man I deeply and passionately love and respect. Quite simply, he is my best friend.

We've had so many ups and downs. But what relationship hasn't? 2009 certainly has been both the best and hardest year of our marriage. And while our problems seem so miniscule compared to some of the battles that other people in this world are fighting, they are so very real to us. And just the same, each little victory is precious and amazing to us as well. We've learned so much about each other and from each other this year. On how to communicate, and to truly listen and not just hear. We've learned about boundaries and what we need from each other. He's learned that I need "me" time... time to decompress and gather my thoughts after a hectic day at work. And I've learned that he needs me to recognize and honor his simple requests... like replacing the toilet paper when there are just a few sheets left, closing my underwear drawer when I leave in the morning, or simply wiping up the ring left by my morning cup of coffee. We are far from perfect. But daily life has become easier as it becomes less of a chore we have to work at and more a way of life to communicate and share and just "do life" together.

There are so many reasons I'm thankful for Popeye this year, there is no way I could list them all... but I want to get them down in writing, not only to share with you all what an incredible man he is, but so that I'll remember these special moments the next time I want to tsk tsk him for not wanting to change Swee'Pea's diaper or for not writing down what he wants from the store on our grocery list (even though I've asked him to a million times...).

*He is always thinking of me. He calls me all the time from work. Or simply texts the words "I love you." He calls so much, in fact, that his supervisor has gotten onto him. Popeye told him he didn't care, he loved his wife and he was going to keep calling. Isn't that sweet?

*He puts up with me. When I'm moody and tired, when I'm self-conscious and scared. He puts up with me. And even more than that, he still loves me. Imagine that!

*He brings home little gifts for me. A bangle from a beauty salon. A book that makes him think of me. Sweet surprises that mean more to me than he'll ever know.

*He would do almost anything to make me happy. Upon reflecting on the Christmas lights he had just finished putting up on our house last week, I commented that the house would look better if the dormers had lights on them. Even though he disagreed, and it required a few hours more of work, he took his afternoon off and put up more lights instead of taking care of other chores he wanted to do. Now THAT is love.

*He cares about my feelings even when he does not and cannot understand them. Last week I text messaged him that I had had such a horrible day at work. Within moments he had called and told me to come straight home, he'd take care of Swee'Pea and all the errands. I was ordered to give myself a pedicure, drink a glass of wine, and watch a cheesy girl movie. Which I did. And it was fabulous.

*We share a wonderfully cheesy nightly ritual. We love to watch Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. We refer to them as "our shows."

*He is the one person I can randomly say "B-R-A-H... B-R-A-H" to, and he understands it. And every time I text him with "this is Bowie to Bowie, can you hear me out here man?" he responds with "this is Bowie to Bowie, I read you loud and clear man... OH YEAH!!"

*He works his tail off... every single day... risking his life to provide a wonderful life for us. He takes over time shifts, often getting only 3 or 4 hours of sleep a day, just so we can have a Christmas this year.

*He takes on so much around the house when I'm too tired or stressed from work to get it all done. He weekly scrubs toilets and vacuums floors... and always takes out the garbage and washes the dishes with little to no complaint. He keeps our yard and gardens looking fabulous, and rarely complains when for dinner we are having yes, yet again, oatmeal or pancakes because that is all that is left in the pantry.

*He is taking me to his least favorite city in the world (San Francisco) to go to what may be his least favorite activity ever (Broadway Show) just because it is something I really want to do.

*He thinks I'm beautiful. And he tells me every day.

*He gets Dewar's late at night when I'm craving it, goes on ridiculously long bike rides to the park because I love to, and takes pictures in front of crappy old graffitied buildings with a smile on his face because, as ridiculous as he thinks it looks, I think it makes our family pictures turn out quite lovely.

*Quite simply? He adores me. Passionately loves me. Would do anything for me. Prays for me and with me. Leads me as Christ leads the church. Even when I'm stubborn. Even when it is hard. Even when he doesn't want to but knows that it is something that Christ has called us to do.

We lead a simple life, Popeye and I. But it is one that has been blessed beyond measure and one that continues to thrive through good times and bad. I am day-by-day and moment-by-moment thankful for him and thankful to God for bringing us together. In all our imperfections we are quite certainly perfect for each other. And on this very special Thanksgiving day, I praise the Lord for his planning and perfect timing in choosing me to be this man's wife. I couldn't be more proud to call him my husband... and thankful for the life and little family that we have created together through God's perfect plan and timing.