1. R recognized that I had been hurt and helped me deal with the long term consequences.

2. He makes me laugh. When we first met, we chased each other around a building trying to write on each other. And we were in our mid twenties.

3. He studies. Right now he’s reading a book that he’s read before that he wants to make more of an impact on his life and on ours.

4. He’s smart. He can figure out algebra and geometry. I still haven’t been able to understand geometry.

5. He likes nice cars. He cleans them up well too. Mine upon occasion.

6. He makes wonderful homemade ice cream.

7. He is willing to try new things. And, as long as they’re in Texas, he often enjoys them.

8. He used NLP to help me get over a phobia. He’s not trained, but he studied so he could make a difference.

9. He decided where he wanted to live and then looked for a job there the last two moves we’ve made.

10. He is very careful about food preparation and enjoys the more involved recipes.

11. He can make me smile even when I’m mad at him.

12. He is a very involved sex partner.

13. He sometimes holds my hand when we are walking.

14. He is very complimentary about the way people look, dress. If he thinks they look nice, he makes sure he says they do.

15. He likes to read. And he doesn’t mind that we have more books than we have bookcases.

16. He thinks I’m smart.

17. He’s never upset when I spend money on clothes or art.

18. He likes to take me out to restaurants.

19. He brings me flowers, sometimes for no reason at all.

20. He doesn’t mind spending all day cooking.

21. He goes for walks with me in the evenings.

22. He goes to work, even when he doesn’t feel like it.

23. He never cusses at me or the kids.

24. He encourages me to try new things. I tend not to want to do things because I think I can’t or I won’t like them. Often I don’t, but I would never try if it weren’t for him.

25. He is good at making other people feel comfortable.

26. Even though he’s an introvert, he likes having people over for dinner.

27. He doesn’t pick on me for not knowing how to use a computer as well as he does.

28. He cares about his own health and is willing to do something about it.

29. He made the bed yesterday when I had to be up and gone first. I think he’s done that a lot recently, if I am the first one up.

30. He likes for me to have new clothes.

31. He goes shopping with me for new clothes and enjoys it.

32. He knows I like art so the last two years I have received an art piece that I wanted. One is in the living room and is a beautiful oil pear, blue, and the other is in the media room and is a Tarkay.

33. Even though our decorating styles are different, he does not complain about my tastes or the way I have things.

34. He encourages me when I am working out.

35. He likes for us to go on dates.

36. He cares about the boys’ education.

37. He is not a fanatic about having the house spotless. –Which is a good thing since I apparently have a previously unknown gift for blowing up vaccuum cleaners.

38. He helps keep the house picked up.

39. He is teaching the boys how to mow the lawn.

40. He remembers our anniversaries and birthdays and always wants to do something nice.

41. One year he gave me a surprise birthday party. I was actually surprised.

42. When my favorite available in America chocolate was still sold, he would drive me across town to buy a bar.

43. He also went across town when we were out of town to buy me the soda pop I wanted. That was delicious. (It’s a Brazilian soda pop, which is not available at most stores.)

44. He doesn’t complain even though my favorite foods aren’t normal American fare.

45. He eats Mexican steak. (Of course, I think he’s crazy for not loving it, but… He doesn’t.)

46. He makes a great homemade pizza.

47. He is incredibly gifted in his work.

48. He is not predictable.

49. He enjoys change.

50. He likes having the furniture moved around. So if he comes home from work and things are in a different place, he doesn’t complain.

51. He’s a Dr. Pepper fan, like I am.

52. Even though he’s not crazy about my family, he gets together with them. We see my family, sincce they live close, a lot more than we see his.

53. When he asks my opinion, he actually wants it. He isn’t just being polite.

54. He doesn’t love neutral colors. So our house is blues and greens and reds and pinks.

55. He makes the most incredible chocolate chip cookies. Two Saturdays ago he made three different recipes so that we could try them and see which ones we liked the best. I like the chewy the best.

56. He’s not afraid to eat something he likes, even though it’s not good for him.

57. He holds me when we sleep.

58. When I wake up screaming with a nightmare, he grabs me and soothes me and holds me till I go back to sleep. And he never complains about being startled out of a deep sleep.

59. He’s cute.

60. He has written me long love letters. I have more than enough to fill a shoebox.

61. He deals with all our computer related problems because he’s our Mac genius. Permanently on staff.

62. He doesn’t mind that I don’t enjoy movies. He goes alone or with a friend. He also takes the kids to the ones they want to see.

63. He encourages me when I want to do something different.

64. He is very supportive of our family homeschooling.

65. He enjoys having a wife who he can brag about. And he does.

66. He took off work early to go to my mom’s last-minute birthday party.

67. He ichats me when he’s at work.

68. He goes hiking with me sometimes. We don’t live far from a national park. The boys, however, don’t like to walk.

69. Whenever I am mad, he wants me to talk it through.

70. When I am sad, he tries to cheer me up.

71. He never tells me I am stupid for what I feel.

72. He spends time with the boys. Supposedly the average dad sees his child 5 minutes a day. R spends more than that talking to each one of them.

73. Even though he thinks the painting looks like it is of two lesbians left out in the rain, he doesn’t ask me not to display my Tarkay I bought on a trip.

74. He likes popcorn. Since that was a special family food, I am glad of it.

75. He encourages the boys in their interests.

76. When I cut his hair way too short because I was tired and not thinking, he didn’t rant or rave.

77. He never rants or raves.

78. He rarely raises his voice.

79. He apologizes.

80. He enjoys talking about things we have both been reading.

81. Even though he can’t stand my favorite author, he doesn’t make fun of me when I’m raving about some new book.

82. He doesn’t complain about my hobbies.

83. Of course there are basic things that many people don’t have. He is clean. He doesn’t hit me or the kids. He doesn’t gamble away the rent.

84. He listens when I want to talk, even when he couldn’t care less about the topic.

85. He asks about my day.

86. He answers my questions about his day.

87. He calls me on his lunch hour.

88. He encourages me in my weight loss.

89. He kisses me.

90. We have private jokes. Like the fact that my hair is everywhere.

91. We have favorite movies together. Tremors, Princess Bride, Galaxy Quest, and She’s Having a Baby.

92. He’s a Trek fan.

93. When he doesn’t know how to do something, he reads up on it and learns so that he can do it.

94. He has incredible patience. He taught me to use a computer.

95. He drove me to school for an entire year when I didn’t want to spend the time away from him.

96. When my work is too stressful, he is willing for me to quit. (I never do because I’m stubborn.)

97. He tells me he loves me.

98. He changed poopy diapers, even though the smell made him throw up.

99. He worried about me when I was in the hospital. And when our friends didn’t offer any support on their own, he asked for it.

100. He’s committed. He doesn’t give up.