42 Things You Accomplished This Year

My dearest love,

Another trip around the sun is done: 42 of them since the glorious day you were born.  It sure is exciting to fly through space with you.  ;-)

When you look back over this past year, do you see what I see?  Do you see all the incredible things you accomplished?  Are you aware of all the lives you touched?  Do you realize the value of what you did and who you were?

Let me help you see through my eyes.  Let me show you what I remember from this past year.  Here are just some of the things you achieved...

1. You went to work.  Day in and day out, whether you felt like it or not, you showed up and did your job.  You didn't make excuses to get out of work.  Even when you didn't feel like it, you were there.

2. You gave your clients so much more than just great haircuts.  In many cases, you gave them a listening ear, a word of advice or encouragement, a dose of laughter, a moment of friendship that lightened their load in some way.

3. You provided abundantly for our family.  The pressure of mouths to feed, bodies to clothe, and shelter to provide is a never-ending one; and the way our family has grown hasn't exactly made this any easier.  ;-)  But your hard work has paid off, and we have lacked for NOTHING because you take such good care of us.

4. You supported me in every way as I gave birth to our daughter.  I can't imagine going through childbirth without you because you are the PERFECT labor companion and I'd be lost without you.

5. You played chess with Josiah...and with David...and even with Tobin.  You also helped Josiah and David get started with some chess websites so they could grow in their ability and gain more experience.  You even played some games with them through those sites so that in the middle of your work day, you could hop online, check out the game, and make a move--all between customers.  You used technology to stay close to our boys, even when you were physically absent.

6. You took us to the beach.  Because of you, we enjoyed a wonderful vacation at a place that just happens to be my all-time favorite vacation spot.

7. You took care of our animals.  I gather the eggs sometimes and pet the dog.  I occasionally feed them and, more often, remind the boys to do it.  But you!  You fix up fences and string electric wire.  You rig up a light for the chickens and clean out water troughs.  You deal with unwanted intruders like rats and a possum.  You walk around in the messy chicken yard to gather the eggs that the chickens lay outside of the coop.  You go to the store to buy the animal feed, pay for it, lug it home, and empty it into the bins.  You pick ticks off dogs and burrs out of their fur.  You even cut dog toenails.  You do it all.

8. You made my dream come true by getting us a collie.  

9. You came to musical performances and applauded for your sons.  Sometimes you even gave up Sunday afternoon naps for this.  ;-)

10. You paid {a lot} for music lessons.  Even though you didn't take music lessons when you were a child, you have been so supportive of our kids having the opportunity to pursue their musical education...even when it adds up to a big chunk of money.

11. You complimented me on things ranging from my cooking to my mothering to my photography to my smile.  Your words of affirmation breathed life into my soul.

12. You wrestled with our boys--something they can't get enough of.  (Oh, and you chased them and had pillow fights and water fights and all of that good stuff, too.)  

13. You bought me the one big thing I asked for for Christmas: a tent.  You didn't even get upset when it was delivered one day while you were at work, and I couldn't help but see in large letters printed on the side of the box: TENT.  I didn't mean to ruin the surprise, but it was a little hard to miss.  :)

14.  You never--not once--let loose the stream of criticism that could legitimately have come from your lips: like why didn't you have clean socks in your drawer and was I ever planning to clean the bathroom again and how many days ago were those dirty dishes from and was I aware of the fact that there are huge weeds growing in the front flowerbed?  All those things run through my head as my self-criticism kicks into high gear, but they NEVER come from you.  You are incredibly gracious and forgiving when it comes to what I perceive as my household failures.

15. You started a blog; and as a result, many people have been able to learn from what God has been showing you.  I have especially enjoyed your autobiographical series, "Why I Love Him," and the opportunity to remember and reflect on the ways God has directed us through the years.

16. You make sure it is obvious to all who meet you--whether in person or through the internet--that your priorities are God, me, and our children.  The security this gives me is enormous.

17. You don't take time away from me and the kids to pursue outside hobbies.  You didn't spend your evenings this year going to this activity or that.  Although I know there are things you would enjoy doing, you say no to those so that we can benefit from your time and presence.

18. You faithfully took each of the boys out for breakfast once a month.  Their Wednesday morning breakfast routine with you is a highly treasured part of their week.

19. You took care of our bills, not only making the money but also making sure it got where it needed to be at the right time.

20. You learned more about the stock market and made some wise choices there.  You even talked about it with me, though I know NOTHING about the stock market, because you know it makes me feel close to you to just hear you talk about things that are on your mind.

21. You helped my parents in numerous ways, caring for them as if they were your own, doing everything from lifting heavy loads in and out of their car to fixing computer problems for them.

22. When your Jeep bit the dust, you didn't even look for another vehicle.  Instead, you willingly drove either the minivan or the big white van (or sometimes one of my parents' vehicles) to work.  I know there's no great thrill in driving a huge van to work, but you didn't complain.  Neither did you get materialistic and start looking for a new car to buy.  You showed much contentment and wisdom in this area.

23. I've only had to put gas in our cars a handful of times this year.  You almost always take care of filling them up for us.

24. You took pictures of/for me when I handed you the camera.  Along the same lines, when I said, "Hey, I want to get a picture of you with...", you didn't complain, but were very compliant and cooperative.

25. You took us to Massanutten back in March for a very fun, little family get-away before Moriah was born.  

26. You read to the boys: sometimes simple books like Thomas the Tank Engine books for Shav, and sometimes longer ones (like Jotham's Journey that you're reading to the family during Advent).

27. You convinced me to use Sonlight for our homeschool this year.  I really, really wanted to, but could not make up my mind.  You spoke wisely, just when I needed to hear someone's opinion, and persuaded me that it was the best choice.

28. You agreed that a gymnastics class for David would be a good thing; and during the weeks that I couldn't take him, you took him and sat and watched him.

28. You got plane tickets for your mom to come for a visit this fall so that she could go with us on our beach vacation, something I REALLY wanted.

29. You played Risk with Josiah and David, delighting them with an opportunity to conquer the world.

30. You read the Bible to us before supper nearly every day, setting an example for the boys of the precedence of God's Word.

31. You grated cheese when I asked, and chopped tomatoes and onions, and fried tortillas for tacos, and cleared dirty dishes off the table sometimes when I was too tired at the end of the day to even do that.

32. You brought home pizza or subs on days in which I could not find time to make dinner.

33. You made date nights with me a priority.  You didn't complain about the money involved, but instead you rejoiced at the opportunity to have that time together.

34. You glued innumerable broken toys for the boys and were the general fix-it man.

35. You spent hours working in the garden, bringing forth an abundant harvest of delicious, healthy food for our family to eat.

36. You told us stories, around the dinner table, about your day, making us laugh sometimes, making us think sometimes, always drawing us closer to you by your ability to let us into your world.

37. You cared about your co-workers, not just as co-workers, but as individuals.  You talked with them, listened to them, shared marriage advice, gave grace when they needed it, and prayed for them.

38. You were a sounding board for me and a source of advice when I needed it.  The peace of mind I gain from knowing that I can bounce ideas off of you is immeasurable.  I'm not alone in this parenting/homeschooling/walking-with-God/life journey because you're by my side, and I don't have to figure it all out by myself.

39. You sold things on Ebay so that we could turn around and use that money to purchase things we needed, especially homeschool materials and Christmas gifts.

40. You had the vision and determination to have a swimming pool for us here at our home this past summer, giving the boys HOURS of laughter and fun.  You worked hard to get the pool set up and to make it safe; plus, you kept it clean.  All my initial objections to a pool were swept away by your careful work with it.

41. You messed up sometimes, but you also repented.  You apologized.  Mornings--your natural time of day in which to shine--were a fresh start after a conflict or shortcoming, and I saw you make decisions to change...and then go and do it.  You modeled repentance for our children and for me.

42. You loved me faithfully and tenderly, and in the security of your love I flourish.

Do you know that this is only the tip of the iceberg?  How could I possibly sum up all the wonderful things that you did this year?  Of course I can't include everything, but please know and always remember that you are admired, you are appreciated, and most of all, you are loved.

Deeply, passionately, gratefully, forever loved.

Happy birthday, my beloved!  I'm so glad that tomorrow we get to start another trip around the sun...together.  :)

From my heart full of love,

Happy