Last week was Tad’s 28th birthday, so in honor of that, I’m sharing 28 reasons why I appreciate and love him!

photo from summer 2013

1. He is a great listener. Seriously, especially when compared to most men, he is awesome at truly listening to what I have to say (even the silly little things!).

2. He is a great communicator.  Not just in our relationship, but also with groups of people!  He is so good at expressing things in a straightforward, logical way.

3. He makes really good coffee, scrambled eggs, steak, and twice-stuffed baked potatoes.  He’s very handy in the kitchen, but those are his specialties.  He even roasts his own coffee beans!

4. He supports all of my hobbies and crazy ideas.  Anytime I want to try something, he’s supportive and encourages me to go for it!

5. He is a wonderful teacher. Tad is very gifted at teaching the Word of God, whether to a small or large group, or one-on-one.

6. He is determined and a good problem-solver.  I can’t even tell you how many things he has fixed around the house (and car stuff too!) in the last year.  He’ll agree that he was not a “fix-it-guy” before we got married, but when money’s tight, you do what you’ve got to do!  Tad has problem-solved and fixed multiple car problems, plumbing issues, electrical problems, broken dryers, computer glitches, and much more.

7. He has a great sense of humor.  We laugh a lot, even at seemingly odd times, and I think that helps keep us sane.

8. He is a wealth of knowledge.  Tad is all the time rattling off interesting facts, trivia, and current news stories.  If it weren’t for him, I would definitely know very little about the happenings of the outside world.

9. He is patient.  I would love to be as patient and long-suffering as Tad is!  He rarely gets upset, and he often diffuses my anger with his kind responses.

10. He is complimentary of me.  Even on my worst hair days when I’m still in my pj’s at noon, he still tells me I look gorgeous.

11. He prays with and for us.  Tad prays with me and with our children on a regular basis.

12. He is forgiving.  I mess up a lot.  But Tad is always quick to forgive and overlook offenses.  He is an example of what biblical love means!

13. He sees the best in people and situations.  I tease him a bit for being so optimistic at times, but it really is a good thing that he looks at each situation and person in the best possible light.

14. His heart is set on glorifying God.  Tad’s ultimate goal in life is to glorify God and spread His Gospel to others around him.  I love being married to a man who is totally committed to the Lord!

15. He serves without expecting recognition.  Tad washes dishes, folds diapers, makes meals, vacuums, and cleans bathrooms often without even being asked.  He just sees what needs to be done and helps out, not expecting praise.  He’s such an example of a servant!

16. He loves to eat. It is so fun to cook for Tad, since his favorite meal he has ever eaten in his whole entire life is the one he is eating at this exact moment.  I love his enthusiasm!

17. He takes our family on walks, takes us out to eat, and takes us shopping.  He knows I need to get out of the house sometimes, and suggests fun family outings!

18. He is really smart. Tad is really intelligent and educated, and he forces me to be logical in my arguments (that’s a good thing).  I love how he keeps me on my toes!

19. He smiles for pictures.  I know he doesn’t love taking photos (few men do), but he cooperates and smiles beautifully (handsomely?) when I take his picture.  I appreciate that!

20. He would rather spend time with me and with the kids that be anywhere else.  Even when his schedule has been crazy busy, I’ve always known that he’s longing to be home the same way I’m longing for him to be home!

21. He has pretty blue eyes, and he passed those eyes onto all three of our children.  “Sorry my genes are so dominant,” he’ll say, when yet another person tells us that our babies look exactly like him.  I respond: “But, honey, I like your dominant genes!”

22. He’s my best friend.  Tad knows more about me than anyone else (good, bad, and ugly!), and in the past 7.5 years of knowing him, our friendship has only deepened.

23. He is present.  Tad is here with us a LOT, partly due to our circumstances at the moment, but also by his choosing.  He focuses attention on me and the kids and shows us by how he spends his time that we are valuable to him.

24. He is an amazing father. I know before we had kids, he was nervous about being a good dad, but he totally was a natural.  He is so tender with Vera, Cordelia, and Jude and so, so, so patient.

25. He is a caring husband.  Tad is always asking if he can get anything for me or do anything to help me.  It blesses me so much that he dotes on me in even (especially?) the little things.

26. He spiritually leads our family. He leads family devotions every single night and is teaching our children Scripture and theology through catechism questions.  He is leaving a spiritual legacy!

27. He is a provider.  Tad works so hard to take care of us, at times working multiple jobs and juggling a ton of things so that we will be provided for.  I know he’ll always do whatever it takes to keep us safe and cared for.

28. He is faithful.  I am so thankful to Tad for his faithfulness to our marriage and to our family.  With everything we’ve faced in the last 4.5 years, he could have run for the hills, but he didn’t!  He has stayed 100% faithful to me and held my hand through every difficulty.

I am truly thankful to God for blessing me with Tad and for granting him another birthday this year!

Tad, I love you!!