Ten years.

Ten years. I have loved the same man for ten years. And he has loved me too. I keep trying to think of some eloquent way to say all the words that are bursting inside me, but I keep falling short. I'm afraid words cannot adequately describe what I have felt and still feel during these past ten years, but I will do my best.

Without giving you the false impression that our marriage is perfect (I find perfection rather boring), I must admit that our marriage is as ideal as one can be. It is as sweet as apple pie and can also be as salty as the best french fry. Tim is my person. I am his. We'd be lost without each other. I can, without a doubt, state emphatically that we are each other's top priority. He tells me at least once a day that I am his favorite, and I do my best to tell him he is mine.

Of course there have been aches and pains and tears; no relationship can grow without them. But we have always been able to dig our way out of the darkness and find ourselves smiling and laughing again.

Please allow me to talk freely for a moment--I give you complete permission to roll your eyes, but I have write about this man that I married. People tend to tell me that I put Tim on some lofty pedal stool, and perhaps I do, but it's very hard for me to find glaring faults. I guess if you want me to make him feel more human, I'll tell you that he's the type of guy that when you tell him to wash the dishes, he will, but he'll overlook the dirty counters. To his credit, he always tells me that if I just remind him to wash the counters he will, but I never do because I always feel like it's an obvious task that needs to be done once the dishes are loaded in the dishwasher. So there--he's human. He's not perfect. He makes mistakes. But man, those mistakes are so small, it's almost embarrassing to write about.

Tim is good to his core. He is always honest and kind. I tell my girls to look for boys who are just as honest and kind. He has a way of running his hand through my hair or holding his hand over the small of my back that just makes me feel cared for and loved. He loves me so much. He tells me at least ten times a day. He is funny, smart, interesting, sensitive, thoughtful, and sweet. He has had to sacrifice most of his interests because we chose to grow our family by five more people plus one dog. Last year, I think he only watched one Michigan football game during the regular scheduled hour due to soccer games and other family outings, but he didn't complain at all. And if you know him, you know how much Michigan football means to him. And that's just one example of things he's learned to sacrifice over the years.

I love different things about Tim at different times, but lately I've been so attracted to and inspired by his ability to motivate people, especially me. He never uses many words, but rather he listens, nods and smiles, and once he's taken everything in, he asks a few simple questions to nudge further learning. He does this with me, our kids, the people at work, the young men at church and even peers. He is so subtle in his approach that people don't even realize he's motivating them, and they suddenly want to be better and make goals, but they don't know where those ideas come from. Tim motivates just about everyone he meets. He amazes me.

Everyday I am grateful that God placed us in similar places at just the right time. I could not have anticipated how good life would be with Tim. We both kinda jumped at marriage because we liked each other a whole lot and it seemed like the right thing to do, but we had no idea what we were doing. But we're figuring it out day by day and year by year. God has been so kind to us, even in our adversity, and we recognize his goodness all the time. I can't imagine my life with anyone else in any other place. No matter where our physical home has been or is, wherever Tim is, I am home.