- Works really, really hard to provide for our family so that I can stay home with the kiddos. It's not exactly easy living as a family of 8 on a single income but Ken works hard. When he changed jobs a year and a half ago, I was treated to a night out with him at the company's Christmas party. I was almost brought to tears as one after another person that I met told me how happy they were to have Ken on the 'team,' that they'd never met anyone with such a strong work ethic or upstanding moral character, how good he is at what he does, etc. I mean, I've always liked him but it's really good to hear that what he's doing is appreciated.
- Works really, really hard to do what needs to be done at home. I know he's tired but he rarely takes a load off. If something needs done, he does it, whether it's laundry, sweeping, reminding our ever distractable child to find his chore chart, helping check math problems, changing a diaper, emailing some guy on craigslist because one of our children has found something they want to purchase with their birthday money, printing up worksheets for school, running to the grocery store, taking one child to guitar lessons or picking another up from the gym, booking a hotel for the upcoming meet, cleaning the gutters, super gluing a toy, fixing the stupid computer that won't do what I want, and the list goes on and on and on.
- Works really, really hard to spend time with each of the kids and develop/maintain a relationship.
- Will sit patiently on the side of the bed waiting for a restless two year old to fall asleep because I can't stand to hear him cry but am so emotionally spent that I can't do it myself.
- Will stay home from work to do my duties when I find myself with a migraine that keeps me in bed all day, usually meaning that he has to stay up late after he gets the kids to bed to do what he would have done had he gone into work.
- Follows God, wherever He leads and leads our family along the way.
- Was willing to trade sides of the bed with me to sleep next to the crib so that he could help John back to sleep and I could get a little more rest.
- Will go downstairs to supervise the kids running off some steam because he knows it's needed and that really isn't my favorite thing to do.
- Is an enthusiastic supporter of the kids in all their activities, be it swimming, guitar, gymnastics, church activities, school work.
- Has given me a back rub nearly every night of our 13 1/2 years of marriage, save for two illnesses and when he was deployed. If that isn't love in action, I don't know what is.
- Puts up his mother-in-law in his house.
- Tolerates my mood swings and calmly allows me to vent. He is also smart enough to wait till I ask if I'm overreacting to tell me, "Maybe a little" with a smile on his face.
- Tries to do all the little things for me that I have been meaning to do for myself and just haven't had the time, like putting my easy pass up so I don't have to hold it every time I want to drive on the HOV lanes, putting seat covers on my van seats, putting a new battery in my phone, and even repacking the church bag from when I puked the stuff out and converted into a "taking all six kids to the doctor's office" bag.
- Is right now, even as I write this (11:15pm), tending to a sick little toddler. A boy who was born in another country to complete strangers but is very much his own son and will know the love of a father because my husband cared for someone he'd never even met.
Thank you so much, my love, for all that you do for me and our family.
Thank you, God, for so richly blessing me with a man that is so much better than what I deserve.
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