My funny Valentine...

This is my own funny Valentine, David. I thought this would be a good time to give him the honor on this blog that he has earned over and over again. He's posing here with this picture that I think is Sam Houston. I can't be completely sure who it is, but I think this captures some of David's personality. David loves to goof around; he's a person who isn't afraid to express the kid still locked inside of him. Sometimes I think he has split personalities. When its time to be serious and give a client good advice on something like electronic discovery of documents, he's all lawyer. When its time to hang out with our Friday Fun Night kids, he wants to go down the 80 1b. limit water slide with the other kids and race a 10-year-old on the slip n' slide. And then there's another side to him- a kind, gentle, strong husband for a wife who considers him her rock and her knight in shining armor. David was born to his loving parents in in April, 1977. I'm certainly glad that he was. His parents raised him to be a hard worker with a servant's heart. They also taught him to love Jesus. I'm so thankful for the good job they did raising him, because I know I reap the benefits of it every day. When we were newlyweds, I would talk about how wonderful marriage was with stars in my eyes. Older married couples would sometimes dismiss me, and they'd say things like, "Yeah, well, you haven't been married very long," or "Just wait 'til you have kids. That changes things." Well, I've been married almost 5 years now, and not having kids has stresses for us that I've seen seriously damage some marriages, so I think its now safe for me to comment on marriage with a little bit of authority. It's still wonderful, and in fact, its more wonderful than it was when we were first married. All that has to do with the man I married. David has always, without fail, been there for me when I've needed him. He's there on a daily basis, helping me out. He does dishes, he cleans, and he picks up around the house. If something needs to be done, he's a team player. Sometimes he's the team captain. =) I don't have to ask him multiple times to help out. If I ask him to vaccuum, I'll find him cleaning the bathroom afterward because he knows it needs to be done. I have learned through talking to married girlfriends that this behavior is not so typical. David consistently puts me and our marriage first in his life. When he was in law school, he was encouraged to apply for a Supreme Court clerkship, but he decided that our marriage was too new, and he didn't want to stress it with those kind of hours so early on. People thought he was crazy, and I wasn't too keen on him giving up this dream for me. He stood firm, and he was sure about it, and I can see now what a difference this time together has made. David works hard at his job. He usually works a 10-12 hour day. I could understand if he wanted to spend his off hours relaxing with the guys. But he has said that he knows that he has a pretty limited amount of time off, and he wants to spend it with me. Our marriage comes first to him, and I feel secure and loved knowing that. Since our battle with infertility started, I have been a nut. I am riding high one minute, and I am in the depths of despair the next minute. Infertility is harder for the average woman than it is for the average guy, and we're no exception. Sometimes the sadness is so great that he can't do anything to make me feel better. This is really hard on him, but he just keeps trying to help. He patiently listens to my tirades for hours, continues to ask questions that he knows the answers to already because we're covering this ground for the millionth time, and gently points me to the Only One that loves me more than He does. David compliments me continually, and he writes me heartfelt notes and letters. He tells me that he thinks I'm a great wife. Well, if I am, its not because I'm naturally inclined to be one. It's easy to be a good wife when you have a husband like him. David, I'm so thankful for you. You are by far the greatest gift that God has even given me. I have been blessed so greatly by our marrriage. If it was the only blessing I'd received from His hand, it would be far more than I deserve. I love you.