33 Reasons I Love Him

1. his incredible sense of humor (he finds the laugh in everything)
2. those clear blue eyes
3. he likes to pick berries and apples and pears and pumpkins
4. his terrible mock-Irish accent (Is that Pakistani?)
5. his strength (he once moved a player piano from our living room across our icy Montana yard to the U-Haul trailer...alone)
6. the way he endures, even enthusiastically, my patchy, botched-up attempts at pie crusts
7. the way he endures, even enthusiastically, my family
8. he can balance a standing baby on his palm
9. he looks each child in the eyes and makes her feel as if she's his favorite
10. he looks me in the eyes and makes me feel as if I'm his favorite
11. his love for the church and her people
12. the way God has gifted him with discernment -- he can discern anything: the real motive behind a conversation, the true theological problem lurking behind the spoken one, the reason I'm upset or frustrated, the solution to a child's dilemma
13. he's a true Renaissance man -- want to know about pipes? backpacking? homesteading? church history? Kentucky?  Brazil? mixed martial arts? Alaska? diapers? fishing? brewing? coffee? peppers? Daniel Boone? Donna Reed?
14. he watches the Donna Reed Show with me
15. when I start to fade (2/3rds of the way through every Donna Reed show), he smiles, takes my legs and rubs my feet -- I know! He's such a keeper!
16. when he gives the benediction (and not just because I can turn the kids back over to him!!!)
17. he runs with me...and doesn't fuss about how slow I go
18. his decorating sense
19. he never calls me fat or makes any comment whatsoever about losing weight
20. he seeks ways to ease others' burdens
21. he enjoys surprising our children with unexpected delights
22. he enjoys surprising me with unexpected delights
23. he doesn't take my whining too seriously but feigns concern rather well
24. his webbed toes that he passed on to Benjamin
25. he can stay up all night (another trait passed on to every Allison boy and none of the girls)
26. the 1000 games he invents to play with the kids, which they love -- and in which he always looks suspiciously like he's taking a nap
27. every dog in the world loves him
28. every baby in the world loves him
29. he knows Portuguese
30. he can find a common interest with anyone anywhere
31. he likes road trips -- even with us!!
32. he never criticizes my teaching the children
33. and the final one (for this list) has to do with something we've said for ... I don't know how long. I'll say, "I love you," and he'll say, "I love you more," and I'll say, "No, you just love me better." And it's true. He loves me better. And I love him more for it.

Happy birthday, Gorgeous.