Seventeen

Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary.  Seventeen years ago I was really young.  So was Adam.  It seems like a long time ago.  When you think about the fact that we are (gratefully) going to be  together forever (we're fully planning on it!), seventeen years doesn't seem all that long.

When I think about why I'm happy to be married to Adam, I tend to think about the big things.  The children we happily welcomed into our family, the big trips, the exciting adventures.  He's a good guy for the Big Things in life.

There are a lot of other reasons to be glad I'm married to him though.  Here are seventeen.

1) I can tell him, "We have really great kids!" and he doesn't think I'm bragging because he feels the same way.

2) I can tell him, "We have really rotten kids!" and he doesn't think I'm a terrible mother because he  feels the same way. (Sometimes he feels the same way--he's usually nicer than I am.)

3) He almost always knows the right thing to say to me to make me feel better.

4) He wraps his arms around me for those times when there is nothing to say to make me feel better.

5) He unquestioningly supports my ideas.  (Although he draws the line at becoming a bank robber so we can afford a vacation house somewhere sunny.  I'm still working on him though.  Give me seventeen more years.)

6) He's good at moving furniture.  This has been invaluable the 9 times we've moved as well as the 9,000 times we've rearranged. (See number 5.)

7) Every day he has either read or heard something interesting to tell me.

8) He takes over for me when I need him to.  (I sort of wish he didn't do such a good job sometimes.)

9) He bought me a nice van and he drives a decrepit car, cheerfully.

10) He likes my family.  He has happily clocked a lot of hours traveling to see them.

11) He can stay up late and not be cranky.

12) He can tolerate me when I am cranky.

13) He can figure out what to make for dinner when I'm out of ideas.

14) Or he takes me out to dinner.

15) He reads to our kids.  Usually while they're climbing on him like he's a jungle gym.  (OK, the older two don't climb anymore.  They used to.)

16) When I was nine months pregnant, he could still lift me up and carry me.  (I know this because he did.  It was when I was in labor with Emma.  I was enormous.  It was impressive.)

17) He makes me laugh every day.  Usually right before I fall asleep.  It's a good life.

Adam:  explaining the complexities of the Ballard Locks to Mark.  Seventeen years ago, I didn't know what kind of dad he would be.  I'm not sure I even worried about it.  Turns out I didn't need to.

Last night I told Adam he would regret criticizing my driving when he read the kind things I was going to write about him on my blog.  So you regret it don't you, Adam?  Feel a little bad?  Feel like I'm pretty much a great driver?