Day 40

"Of all the things love dares to do, this the ultimate. Though threatened, it keeps pursuing. Though challenged, it keeps moving forward. Though mistreated and rejected, it refuses to give up.

Love never fails."

After our little rough spot, Jeremy and I decided to challenge our marriage and read and do 'The Love Dare'. It's funny really, we watched 'Fireproof' (the book is the main focus point in the movie) before we were married and loved it so much that we used their concept of salt and pepper shakers as our topper for our wedding cake. Little did we know, we'd actually be doing The Love Dare ourselves not two years later.

Today was our last day.

It was quite the experience. Words cannot explain how doing this together has evolved our marriage from rough in spots to absolute bliss no matter the situation. We have learned so much and I love my husband for so many reasons...

• I love him because he reminds me every day that I am special to him. I am beautiful. I am loved and I always will be.

• I love him because he holds my hand everywhere we go, when we pray and when we're singing together at church.

• I love him because he shares everything with me, his secrets, his feelings, even things that I really didn't need (or want) to know.

• I love him because he does the dishes. Okay, I may even love him double for this.

• I love him because he understands how important it is to me to be a stay-at-home mommy one day. Even if that means us struggling to make it for awhile.

• I love him because he understands my desire to be mommy...and has done everything he can to make it happen soon.

• I love him because he always opens the car door for me. Sometimes he even buckles my seatbelt...but that's just because he's silly.

• I love him because he's silly. He always makes me laugh.

• I love him because he understands my crazy love for animals and that he's totally accepted the fact that our home one day will be packed to the gills with random cats, dogs, rabbits, birds, pigs...well, let's just say 'pets'.

• I love him because he lets me sleep on him while we're watching tv on the couch and he doesn't even change my show when I start snoring.

• I love him because he patiently explains things that I don't understand over and over again without ever getting annoyed.

• I love him because he kisses me and the doggie goodnight every night. He would kiss the cat too but the cat's not to fond of kisses.

• I love him because he goes to bed with me every night, even though I go to bed way early and I know he's not tired most of the time.

• I love him because he wakes up at the crack of dawn to kiss me goodbye and wish me a good day every morning. I know how easy it would be for him to just sleep in.

• I love him because he brings me home flowers, messages on pizza boxes and little trinkets all of the time to let me know that he was thinking of me.

• I love him because he brags about me all the time...although it can be embarassing at times too.

• I love him because he lets me spend way too much money on flowers and decorations for my favorite seasons.

• I love him because he never gets angry when I make a stupid mistake.

• I love him because he'll do anything and everything to keep me entertained, even if that means just a drive around in the truck.

• I love him because he encourages my hobbies and dreams.

• I love him because he loves me. For me. No matter what. It's such an amazing feeling to go through life knowing that you have someone so great to share all of your good times and bad times with.