17 Years Today!

In some ways it is amazing how quickly 17 years has gone by. In other ways, it feels like a lifetime!

Here are 17 things I love about my husband of 17 years!

1. His godly character. He stands up for what is right and does what is right.

2. His leadership. He not only leads our family, but he also does a great job of leading our Bible study and church.

3. His dedication. He is dedicated to our children and our family. He is dedicated to our projects here in Panama. His dedication to start what he finishes.

4. His vision. He is a visionary man. He can visualize something and make it happen.

5. His love for God. He studies the Word. He teaches the word. He tells others about Jesus and His love for them.

6. His strength. He works out a lot. He is strong and it shows.

7.His self-discipline. If he says he's going to fast from sugar, he does it. He sets a workout schedule and sticks to it.

8.He is fun. We have a fun time together. He puts up with me pestering him or poking at him. Ha!

9.He loves me. He loves me and it shows. He never lets me forget it.

10.He talks to me. He tells me what he is thinking about and we discuss various things. I know that he listens when I talk to him.

11.He is a great dad. The kids love him and he loves them. He leads them well. They know that they can talk to him about anything. He plays with them.

12.He researches. He researches everything. What's the best toothbrush? Is this movie worth watching? Where is the best place to eat?

13.His crazy ideas. He has some ideas that I think are crazy, like building a 70 foot tower or standing a container on its end like a tower. They almost always seem to work out like he wants them to though!

14.His sense of adventure. Adventure is not lacking in our lives, that's for sure. Sometimes he goes looking for it - like a new hike or going to play in a waterfall. He is always looking for something adventurous to do.

15.He follows the Spirit. More than 7 years ago, he followed the prompting of the Spirit to look elsewhere for our family to live. This wasn't on our radar at all, but he listened and we ended up here in Panama. It has been the best thing for our family and us.

16.His hair. I admit. It was one of the main reasons I didn't want to date him - I didn't want our kids to have curly hair. Ha! He has great hair though, and our kids have amazing hair!

17.Him. Just everything about him that makes him who he is. It's who I love and chose to spend my life with. I am thankful to God for the blessing he is in my life.