I LOVE my MAN!

I vaguely remember sitting in church when I was about twelve or thirteen and listening to my teacher talk to us (a group of girls my age) about Eternal Families and telling us to start praying about being worthy to go to the temple when we find our Eternal Companion (otherwise known as our husband).  What I vividly remember was that I took it a step further and decided to pray that my husband would be a man who loved and cherished me, and only me.  Sadly I didn't have too many good examples of husbands cherishing their wives or being completely faithful, and this was a deep concern for me even at a young age.  So my prayers continued like this as I started growing up.  Later when I was in high school and I was going to seminary I remember one of my teachers specifically saying that affection from a man will make a big difference in the home for both children and a marriage.  For some reason, those qualities stuck with me too, so I added these qualities in to my prayers in the man that I would marry.  So the list of qualities in my husband I prayed for were for him to be faithful and cherish me, honest, affectionate, and of course handsome.  It wasn't a big list with over the top qualities, but important qualities to me!
I'm not sure why, but since I started praying so hard for my husband, I started developing an idea in my head that knowing who I was going to marry would smack me across the head and we would fall madly in love at first sight and never let each other go.  Too many fairy tales as a kid I guess.  As I was getting to the age where marriage was weighing heavy on my mind (as it did with most girls my age) I said a little prayer and asked how I was suppose to know when I met the man I was suppose to marry. And the Lord answered me.  I'm not sure I was expecting an immediate answer like I did, but he told me "when you see your husband you will know".  And in that instant I also saw a very distinct set of beautiful eyes...
When Bart and I met, for the second time :) I finally looked up and made eye contact.  That was it for me.  I knew without a shadow of a doubt he was the one.  His eyes matched the puzzle piece I was looking for- my search was over and it did happen just like it does in the fairy tales!
This blog is a little bit of a "brag" about the answer to my deepest prayers.  I know I have prayed for a lot of things in my life.  I know that the Lord has answered many of them, and has also "unanswered" many, some I'm grateful for.  But the one prayer that I never let go of was what I needed my husband to be, and the Lord answered this prayer and then some! 
I'm not going to blog about the details of our marriage and how every year I grew to love him more and admire his qualities more and more.  That will have to be in my autobiography ;)
Today is Bart's birthday.  He's 36!  I'm not sure what it is about 36, but for some reason I think it's a very sexy age!!  He is everything exceeded what I would want my 36 year old husband to be!  So for your birthday sweetheart, this is my tribute to you and why you are so much more the husband I prayed for...
It's true that every year of our marriage I have found something new to love about Bart.  Every year has had it's different trials and growing experiences.   But for some reason, on the eve of the big 36th birthday, it seems they are all compiling and I've had a swollen heart all week.  In the beginning I was grateful to recognize Bart's ability to work hard.  He strives for something and presses forward to get it.  He has always been a good communicator too.  I don't know if I would have made it through our marriage without his ability to communicate and be honest.  Later I started realizing that he didn't make it easy to Love him all of the time, but that it made me work on loving him and he expected that out of me!  The best part about that, was that the more I loved him the more he loved me back.  It allowed me to open every part of my soul to him.  I never realized I was so closed off.  As he's helping me learn how to love more, he's also helping me become my potential.  I never wanted to go to school and have a big career because I always wanted to be a stay at home mom and wife.  Since things were going a little slower for us, Bart always pushed me to be the best at what I was doing.  I owe my talent of doing massage to him.  As I became successful, he helped me realize I could do this with anything I chose to do.  He gave me the confidence and support.  This also made me want to become a better wife for him.  So I've learned to cook well and keep things tidy so he doesn't have to.  And I enjoy it!  As he supported me in my endeavors, it was easier to support him in his.  Bart doesn't just "do" his job, he does everything that might be involved in his job.  He makes sure everything is done right the first time.  He has always excelled in his involvement.  I am so blessed to be married to a man who makes it a point to be the best he can to support our little family and make our lives a little better.  I've watched through the years as Bart strives on a regular basis to also improve all different aspects of his life- spirituality, optimism, health & wellness, financial, and being a better husband.  Bart is not one to announce all of his accomplishments or ideas to change.  He will never tell you he did better than everyone else, or that he did a great job of something at all.  I love that he doesn't have to do that to feel good about himself.  Of course when I find out or see something I'm proud of him for I'll shout it from the roof tops!
As we are settling in to our lives more comfortably, I look around myself and realize how much Bart has done for me.  I know if anything were to happen to him, I could make it on my own because he has helped me be more independent.  But I also know with every fiber in my being I would never want to do anything without him.  I love how secure and strong he makes me feel.  I love how he always takes the initiative and does whatever needs to be done around the house or to maintain something I've forgotten about.  I also appreciate (most of the time) that he asks me to do things that most husband's wouldn't ask their wives.  I would question it for the most part, but when I think about how Bart is a "safety first" kind of guy I feel like maybe he's giving me a "Mr. Miyagi" lesson that I'll appreciate later :) I love that no matter where he is, he is always prepared!  I don't care where we are, Bart will have whatever we will need to get us out of a pickle.  Sometimes I wonder if I married McGuyver!  I love that so much about him- I will always be safe with my man!  Bart also protects me emotionally.  He helps me think of and focus on the good of a situation.  He can also get really upset when something happens that hurts me, which makes me want to be stronger for him.  I love that he would do anything to keep me away from danger or from being hurt.  But I also love that he can goof off and be silly.  He keeps me on my toes and keeps me giggling on a daily basis.  I love that we have so many happy memories that keep us smiling!  On another note, Bart is a very analytical guy, and sometimes it drives me crazy that he is so excessive about his research, but it always pans out to be to our benefit.  He will never make a major purchase without making sure he's getting the best deal through researching... sometimes for months!   I am so grateful he can be so smart and level headed financially!   I am so blessed to have a husband who, when I walk in to a room he sees ME.  Bart makes it loud and clear that I am the only woman in his eyes and it is the best feeling ever.  And he's not afraid to show his affection to me around anyone.  I love that he holds my hand every where we go.  It gives me hope that we will be the little old couple holding hands as they go for their evening walks ;)
My prayers continue from when I was twelve years old, but now they are prayers of gratitude.  Gratitude for answering my prayers,  but also with blessing me with a man who has exceeded my expectations in a husband.  I never knew love could feel so good. I never really believed a love like the love we share could really exist in normal people, (or somewhat normal).  I always hoped for a good marriage and life with a good man, but I had never actually seen it in real life and now I get to live it.  Thank you Lord for blessing me with my own fairytale.  Thank you Barty, for giving me everything I could ever ask for in a husband.  You are by far the best person to ever come in to my life, and I am overwhelmed by knowing I get to be with you for Eternity.