This One Goes Out to the One I Love

I thought I would take a break before I reveal Part II of my last post to take time to honor my wonderful hubby on this Valentine's Day. This is the first year that I wasn't actually able to buy him anything. So because he had to travel on business to Toledo and couldn't be with us -we thought we'd join him! What better gift could he have than to turn a boring business trip into a mini-vacation with the two most gorgeous girls in his life? :P It's been fun too - he got a residential apartment for us to spend three nights in. It's been relaxing as he ended up not going to work anyhow due to the blizzard that hit Toledo. So we've been really enjoying Avelyn together and watching her personality come alive with squeals of delight in a new environment.

To be honest though, it was my husband's idea for us to come and I was really overwhelmed with the thought of traveling with a baby and all of her STUFF that we had to bring along. I tried making excuses for reasons not to come and I'm so glad that I chose to support my husband's desire to travel with his family. Supporting him and learning more about how hard he works for us when he's out of town has been such a blessing and I regret that it wasn't my idea to start with.

So here's my:

Ode to My Sweetie Pie:

I love my husband. I love his voice. I love watching his eyes crinkle when he laughs and smiles.
I love how his eyes pierce me when he's serious, sad, or sweet. I love his soft hands.I love that he's a problem solver. I love that he's always thinking about how to invent new ways to simplify my life and then watching the gears in his head churn about how to create it. And when he finds the solution, I love his excitement to proudly show me the work his hands have crafted with his thousands of woodworking tools in his garage.

I love that he's a handyman. He turned our house from 1960's drab to a modern day fab mostly without the help of others. I love that his mind never stops with new ways to improve it.

I love that he takes care of his possessions. His cars never have scratches or dents on them like mine. I love that he genuinely wants to help me learn to do the same. It seems he has the original box for everything he buys. All of his gadgets and doodads from years ago still look like new.

I love that he focuses all of his energy into every hobby he has - from computers, to painting, to carpentry, to cars, to photography, to sewing (yes! he sews! I call him "Tailor Tang"!)

I love that we're both frugal and we work as a team with (most) everything we do. He sacrifices for his family and utilizes all of our resources to carefully plan out our future.

I love that even though he is frugal that he is generous to not only his friends and family - but to my friends and family. He gives everything of himself at any time - night or day. But what I really love and melts my heart are the times I have seen him buying Chinese pastries for a homeless man and another time buying as many flowers for me from a homeless old man as he had to sell so that he would have enough money to last him the week.

I love traveling with him. The guy is a professional traveler. He meticulously thinks of everything that we'll need and does it in a way that will be least burdensome for us.

I love that he's a hard worker and genuinely loves his career. He cares about the people who are helped by his products and he believes in the products he sells. He is not lazy. If something is required of him, he will have it done at the moment it is asked.

I love that even when he's stubborn, he's still somehow listening to me. I love that I can trust him even when he's not listening to me.

Even though it drives me crazy, I love how he can't wait until my actual birthday, Christmas Day, our Anniversary, or any other gift-giving holiday to give me my present. But I love how occasionally he will not only wait until the appropriate time, but he will elaborately scheme to surprise me like he did exactly four years ago on this day when he proposed to me over a fillet Mignon dinner he flame torched himself.

I love how he supports me in my writing, my career, and all of my endeavors. I love that he recognizes how important motherhood is to me. I love that he accepts my mediocre cooking and encourages me when I've stumbled upon a new family favorite.

But this year I have found a new way to love him and have become more in love with him because of it. I LOVE that he is the amazing father that I knew he would be when I chose to marry him. He is as in love with her as I am. His heart is blessed by every giggle she makes. He has already solved several of her baby needs with the contraptions he has made. He wants to do everything he can when her tummy hurts. He is not like some other dads who are afraid of dirty diapers. He wants to learn everything he can about taking care of her, to help her, and to support her. I love that we're on vacation now and laughing like when we were first dating about the squeals that she makes.

I love him. I love HIM. I LOVE HIM.

He's my Asian Prince Charming. ;-)