A Week of Giving Thanks - Monday

Sweetheart of All My Dreams

I am so thankful for my husband of 33 years, the Sweetheart of all my dreams – Dale.
We met when I was a Senior in high school and we had our first date 1 ½ years later.
About two years after that we got married.

Let me tell you a little about him.
He is a man who loves God and spends time regularly in prayer and God’s word. The convictions that he holds direct the steps that he takes in his life. I’m so thankful for his integrity and willingness to stand up for what is right and to stand against what is wrong. He is a man of his word.
He is an optimist and tends to see things working out rather than one who dwells on the negative.
Thankfully, he enjoys being in the kitchen. Not bugging me, but cooking, baking AND cleaning up. There have been mornings when I’ve gotten up and he has already finished washing the dishes that didn't go in the dishwasher. I do believe that he enjoys cooking more than I do. For years, Sundays have been his day for cooking. He takes care of breakfast and lunch. Yeah!!
When the boys were little, they helped him make blueberry pancakes each week. I never knew what shapes the pancakes might be in when they come off of the stove. In my mind I can still see Josh standing on a chair by the stove helping.

I learned to appreciate nature and wildlife more because of Dale. I remember one of our first dates we went out to the Kettle Moraine area and Dale brought along his camera. He set up his tri-pod and he showed me how he takes pictures of lightening. I was amazed! I often couldn’t see the deer that he saw in the trees and he told me what to look for in order to be able to see them. “Look for horizontal lines, the trees are vertical, but the deer’s back will be horizontal.” That really helped. I still use that information today.

I’m thankful that he is so easy going. Maybe that comes with being an optimist. He also has a very giving spirit and is always willing to lend a hand or share what we have.

We enjoy just spending time together. We don’t have to be doing something or talking in order to be comfortable with each other. He is more spontaneous than I am and I wonder how much fun I may have squelched over the years because of my hesitations.
There have been times of dancing around the living room or kitchen with CDs playing or even out on the deck with just the songs in our heads. There have been quiet moments standing outside looking at the sunsets. He even went outside with me at some insane hour just to look at the meteor showers this past year.

How did I get so blessed to be able to live life with him and call him not only my husband, but also my best friend.

I’m so thankful for him.

I love you, Honey!