The Top Ten Reasons My Wife Is Absolutely Awesome

It's unlikely I could successfully pen a romantic sonnet.  No one wants to listen to any love song that I might compose.  I don't have a nearby mountain from which to shout news I'd like to share.  Instead I have scaled my keyboard so the entire Internet may hear me say, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMANDA.  I LOVE YOU."  But merely shouting in caps is not enough;  please permit me, in the only way I know how (silly, with a dash of humor), to share the ways in which my wife is absolutely awesome.  Now right about now, Amanda will be rolling her eyes or dismissively waving her hand.  She, engaging in the contemplative self-assessment that often accompanies the occasion of a 29th birthday, will humbly downplay her awesomeness.  But she would be wrong.  Wrong, wrong, wrong. So, ladies and gentlemen, I hold here in my left hand, tonight's Top Ten List:

#10: She has embraced my crazy family and shared hers with me.  Never underestimate how great it is to have terrific in-laws.

#9: She is one of the most caring people I know.  Her generosity of spirit, sharing and caring in even small ways, is a valuable lesson for me.

#8: Two Words: Electric Smile

#7: She's funny.  She can put me in my place with a witty retort and possesses the best quality a funny person can have- she is willing to laugh at herself.

#6:  She has been my rock.  Especially in the last 18 months when grief, and everything that goes into dealing with it, has intensified my anxieties.

#5: She wears her beauty with a natural ease.  She's more stunning today than the day I met her. (And I was pretty stunned that day.  Mostly stunned that a girl would talk to me, but, well...never mind.)

#4: She is the glue that holds our household together.  Paying the bills on time, cleaning, seeking out and scheduling cool activities for Grace-she does it all.  (For the record, I did manage to sign Grace up for swim lessons this summer.  I know, right?!  Of course, I did have to call the YMCA back to reschedule once Amanda pointed out I had signed up for the wrong class.)

#3: I'll say it- she's sexy.  You wouldn't believe  how                                      potato peeler                    . . And that         with the                   juggling                                                 corkscrew twist.  I mean, who would have ever have thought                    turkey leg                                          screen door?  Mind blowing.

#2:  She is a wonderful, loving mother who continually guides Grace down the right path.  There is no more inexact science than parenting, yet Amanda dons her lab coat every day and ably navigates the challenges.

And the #1 reason my wife is absolutely awesome:  She puts up with me.  For this she deserves a medal.  I come weighed down with idiosyncrasies, dopey ideas and flaws too numerous to list.  But I am fortunate enough to have found and married my best friend who helps me bear the load. 

I love you Amanda.  Happy Birthday.