13 reasons why my husband is hot

Here is my Valentine's Day Thursday 13. It is, of course, dedicated to my husband, not only because he puts up with me, but for these other reasons:

1. He has an innocent charm about him
Our first date was in April and it had been raining, though it
wasn't raining at the time. As my husband walked me out to his car he
took a deep breath and said, "It smells like worms." Some people have
you at "hello," he had me at "worms."

2. He is cute
I know it's superficial, but he has big blue eyes and these amazing eyelashes... swoon. He was that guy in school who talked a lot, goofed off, dressed in Old Navy or Gap (or his team's sweatshirt) and just looked cute and comfy. In high school I would have had a secret crush on him, but would've dated some jackass with a mullet or a mohawk.

3. He's a rock
I don't mean he is unemotional, I mean he is solid and dependable. If he commits to something, he follows through.

4. He loves me
It's as plain as the nose on his face. He cuddles me, hugs me, kisses me, listens to me, respects me and his eyes still light up sometimes when he sees me.

5. He's a true partner
He cooks, cleans, does dishes, changes diapers, drops The Baby off at daycare, and a million other things that I could list. I know from listening to other women's stories that this isn't always the case.

6. He's mega-talented
He's a graphic artist by day and fine artist by night. Here are two of my favorite drawings.













7. He's a family guy
His family lives nine hours a way in a place where they call soda pop. He talks to his parents every Sunday and visits every chance he gets. I knew he'd be a family man from the first weeks I knew him.

8. He's a great dad
Not only does he get on the floor and play with The Baby and do typical "dad" stuff, he is also very nurturing. The Baby is lucky to have such a good role model.

9. He's quirky
One of the first nights I spent with him, he woke up at 4:30 a.m., looked at me, and said, "You're donations are in the hall in a bucket." LOL. He was sleep talking. It's one of his quirks.

10. He's caring
When we first started dating, before he met anyone in my family, I confided in him that I was worried about a family member as they had gained a lot of weight and had diabetes and trouble getting around, etc. I was pretty upset and he asked if I wanted him to call this person and talk to them for me. It was innocent and childlike and plucked my heartstrings.

11. He doesn't get rip-roaring mad
He gets angry, of course, but the most anger-filled action I ever saw was when he threw a crumbled napkin at the TV during an Ohio State game and yelled, "Gosh darn it!"

12. He completes me
I'm an introvert, he's an extrovert; I'm complacent, he's proactive; I'm scared, he's strong... we're opposites in so many ways. In fact, I'm not exactly sure what we have in common except a kid and a last name!

13. He's my soul mate
It took me 29 years to find him, but when I'm in my husband's arms I know that it is exactly where I belong, and that is an incredibly fulfilling feeling.