This could be a long one.....Happy Valentine's Day Baby

Earlier this week I wrote a long post detailing what I love about my children. As soon as I finished I decided that I wanted to do something similar for Lincoln for Valentine’s Day. Here it is:

What I love about Lincoln
By Diane Snow

I love the fact that I knew the moment I met him that I would marry him. I love the fact that he gave me his phone number instead of asking for mine the day we met. I love that our first official date was the Blue Man Group and that he admitted to getting lost on his way to dinner that night. I love the fact that he loves Rent and hates The Phantom of the Opera. I love the fact that no matter how dirty my car gets his is always dirtier. I love the fact that he works his ass off on his company and never once had a moment of pity when he found himself in a position of not being the main breadwinner anymore. I love the fact that he takes great pride in the fact that I make more than him (at least for now). I love the fact that most of his customers are ones from his old company who have followed him because they know how wonderful he is. I love that he loves my hometown in Iowa and would seriously have considered moving there with me. I love that he doesn’t mind eating every meal at Mabe’s when we’re in Decorah and at La Palmera when we’re in Seattle. I love that the first time I took him tubing down the river he thought we’d need a boat. I love that when we get a rare night out to the movies he doesn’t mind if we sometimes split up and watch different movies and then meet up afterwards to discuss them. I love that he tolerates my obsessive TV watching and thinks my spreadsheet of Tivo scheduling is funny. I love the fact that he always got up with the kids during the night more than I did and has changed more dirty diapers than I have but never complained about either one. I love that he is willing to travel with me anywhere I want to go and I love making sure that the places we go are places that we’ll both enjoy. I love planning trips for us that cover both my desires for luxury and his for adventure. I love that when I call him and say I want to go to some crazy travel destination he says “Sure. When?” I love the fact that he cooks dinner every night and wanted to go to culinary school when he was younger. I love that he slyly takes over “my” recipes and masters them better than I ever could. I love that he sides with me against his parents when necessary and that he enjoys having my parents come for a visit. I love the fact that he thinks projects through like a man and I think them through like a woman but that he tolerates me when I tell him we’re going to do it my way. I love that he’s willing to listen to my suggestions even if it’s a “guy’s job” that he’s doing. I love that he says I don’t nag him enough. I love that he is my complete partner in everything. I love that we haven’t built the garage yet but he’ll let me redecorate my bathroom in the most luxurious way possible. I love that he wants to wire our house with every possible technological perk so that everything is done through a remote including opening the window blinds. I love the fact that he once surprised me with black satin sheets and that we broke the kitchen table having sex. I love that he’ll be horribly embarrassed that I just admitted to both of those things in such a public forum. I love the fact that he sets out a vitamin on the counter for me every morning and then makes sure I take it. I love the fact that he puts up with my insanity and supports me in all of my decisions but isn’t afraid to tell me when he disagrees. I love the fact that he often leans toward the Republican side of things but doesn’t get upset when I rail against them incessantly around election time. I love that he is a better parent then I could ever hope to be and that he tells me that I’m crazy for thinking that. I love the fact that he serves me dinner in the bathtub when I don’t want to get out and come downstairs. I love the fact that he treats me like a princess. I love the fact that he encourages me to “go bold” when I paint the rooms of our house. I love the fact that we can laugh and joke about things that make most married couples start screaming at each other. I love the fact that we’ve been together for 10 years but it feels like forever in the best possible way. I love that he truly is a part of who I am and I hate the thought of him ever not being here on this earth with me. I love that my co-workers think he is imaginary because no one could be as perfect as he is. I love the fact that he lets me spend money on myself but doesn’t get upset when I then tell him we’re broke. I love picking out the most perfect presents for him for Christmas and his birthday. I love that he fills my stocking up every Christmas with dozens and dozens of sticks of Chapstick. I love that he wears Blistex and then won’t kiss me after he puts it on because he knows I hate it. I love that he won’t kiss me when I’m wearing lipstick. I love that it bothers him that I pinch his butt every time I pass him in the kitchen. I love the fact that he realizes I was only 23 when we got married and that he lets me still enjoy my youth while he stays home with the kids. I love that he has never tried to clip my wings and encourages me to always do what makes me happy. I love the fact that we don’t have to have the same interests in order to be compatible. I love that he listens to “angry” rock and talk radio. I love that the first time he met my parents he took them to the Gay Capital of Massachusetts during Women’s Week. I love the fact that he won’t drink Bass Ale in a restaurant if they don’t serve it in a pint glass and that he buys beer for the house that he has to hold upside down and slowly agitate the sediment before pouring into a glass. I love the fact that he was proud to marry a “beer girl” but doesn’t mind that I’ve become more of a wine lover. I love that if I order a bottle of wine with dinner he’ll pretend to drink it. I love the fact that when he hands me a bottle of water he’ll unscrew the top for me first and I love that he knows how to pour the perfect glass of champagne. I love that he refers to my dad as “Sarge”. I love the fact that he bakes for the PTO and signed up for the school sign committee. I love the fact that when I get in over my head with a project that he didn’t sign on for he’s there to help me anyway. I love watching him roll around on the floor with the kids and laugh harder than you’d think humanly possible because he is so completely in the moment. I love the fact that he thinks the kids don’t respect him because he’s the “nice” parent. I love the fact that when I look him in the eyes I can see how much he truly loves me for me. I love the fact that he is the greatest father I’ve ever seen and most importantly I love that he loves me with all his heart and soul.

I love him for all of this and so, so much more.