“What a Man. What a Man. What a Man. What a Mighty Good Man…” – Salt ‘N’ Peppa

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REPOSTING THIS FROM ONE YEAR AGO AS TODAY IS MY HUBBIE’S BDAY! HAPPY HAPPY BDAY, TO “A MIGHTY GOOD MAN!” I don’t think I can say my appreciation for him much better than this post from 1 year ago. Sums it up.
ENJOY! -Elise/Buna (Jan 24, 2016)

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(Begin Post from January 2015)…

This weekend, we celebrated a pretty cool guy. (Clearly, I’m putting it mildly.) It was my Hubbie’s B-day.

Saturday celebrated the annual day that I get down on my knees, look up to Heaven and thank a most amazing woman (whom I pray to one day meet), my man’s mama, Wendy (who passed when he was just 6 years old).  I thank her for saying”Yes” to life and giving us this amazing guy that I now get to have as my husband and the father to our big ol’ house-o-kids.  Because of her beautiful self and the handsome Italian genes of my father-in-law, Claude, I must say… we’ve got a pretty cute house full over here!  It’s not without mention to my hubbie’s late stepmother/my mother-in-law, Martha, who also said yes, to jumping right in to their fam and raising this “treehouse-roof-jumpin'”, “puppy-dog-eyes-to-try-to-get-away-with-it”, “Wonder Years-Fred Savage-look-alike-little boy” and his 2 siblings, and never look back.  I thank you, too, and we’ll never forget you, Nana.

All that being said, look at the man who I got!  He’s everything I could have prayed and wished for, and more.

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He’s A BIG KID AT HEART

Very important to this girl, who… rather than leaving Pre-school summer day camp (Shout out to, Mrs. Gay Bennett’s Day Camp by the Bogue Falaya River. Anyone??). I simply evolved to: “Biggest kid in camp, to “Jr.-Jr.counselor”, to “Jr. Counselor”,  then Counselor, then Early Childhood Ed. major in college, to kindergarten teacher, to mother with Peter Pan complex married to man with Peter Pan complex.  Perfect! 🙂

  *Like a big kid, it never takes long for Daddy to clear a path and let the kids count how many back handsprings he can do on each beach trip. “Go, Daddy, go!” (pics below)

 

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HE’S AN AMA-ZA-ZA-ZING DAD

I mean really. This guy is a total puddle with all these girls, and a definite hero to The Dude.  If there’s an opportunity to teach them about how to shoot a bow and arrow in the backyard, go fishing at the crack of dawn, enjoy a gorgeous day at the zoo (even if it means taking him by myself when I have work), bestow his knowledge of 80’s movies and music through movie marathons and dance parties, or whatever other adventure the kids come up with…this man is all over it.  And some how, some way, if you have EVER met him, you know he’s figured out a way to weave in some analogies of FAITH into each activity.  He’s never taken the term “father” loosely and will spend every last breath, giving it his all.  All for the Glory of God and his Family.  That’s a good dad, I tell ya.

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He’s always up for a PARTY…and a COSTUME!

We’re a rare combo in a couple. Two extroverted-extroverts.  We loooove people and loooove a party! That being said, since I basically grew up in a theater with my mom as an actress and a director…. I loooooove costumes.  As I told my pal, Regina (matchmaker to me and the Hubs. Woop! Woop!) the other day, “I love playing dress up. Kids are just a good excuse!”  And my man agrees, for the most part.  It always starts off with him looking at me and my costume proposal as though I’ve asked him to fly to the moon and back with his own set of wings.  Then, at the last minute, not only is he putting on the costume, but he’s adding details, a character back story, and an accent.  Yup, it was must meant to be.

 

 

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Treats me like a Queen

Growing up as such a tomboy myself, I never thought I’d know what to do if someone really “rolled out the red carpet” for me.  In fact, when he proposed (once I realized what was happening), I paused for a sec to try to see if I had any tears like “other girls” (since that seemed like the stereotypical thing to do), but I didn’t.  So, I did what came natural to my “tomboy roots” and tackled and hit him a bunch shouting “Are you joking? Are you serious? You gotta be kidding?!“… Only, I forgot to say, “Yes“, leaving him in a panic, wondering what the heck my reaction meant.  Oops.

That’s kinda how things have always been.  Not normal.  Yet, he puts up with me.  He loves me.  And no matter how “not cookie-cutter-like” his woman is, he treats me like a queen.  He’s chivalrous to no end.  No matter how rushed we are to get out of the house with our big ol’ family, he still opens the car door for me.  No matter how hungry he is and juicy his steak, he always offers me “the best bite”… of every dish (Without my asking. Be it a meal, dessert, or snack, he always offers.).  His daddy raised him well.

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He exemplifies what it means “TO SERVE”

Not quite 3 weeks ago, I went through the most major surgery of my life.  I was under for 10 hours.  This guy didn’t spend the day watching t.v., playing games on his phone, or anything else that would be totally normal and expected for such a long day.  I had packed our case of DVDs for he and my family to watch in our hospital room, be able to have a good laugh at, and lift their spirits from worrying about me.  I mean, that’s what I would do:  pray some, laugh some.  But not him.  He “one-upped” me.  (Punk!)  He never stopped praying.  He prayed and he fasted.  All. Day. Long.  That’s the kind of guy that he is.  (He’s making me look bad, right??) Seriously though, he’s good as gold and was determined to not give up until he saw my eyes open.

When my nurse mentioned it was time for me to stand up the next morning and take my first steps, he was there.  When the nurse took me in for my first shower and mentioned that I wouldn’t be able to do it myself and would need help with the care and cleaning of my 4 new major wounds, drains and incisions while getting in and out of the shower, as well as getting dressed … he didn’t bat an eye.  He was there.  When I stepped out of the shower, and couldn’t handle looking in the mirror at myself, he was there to turn me around, hold me up and tell me I was beautiful.  And I knew he meant it.  Even when I couldn’t see it for myself, he reminded me of what he could see.

When it was time to empty the 4 drains that had to become my new best friends,  not only was he there, but he asked the nurse if she would teach him so he could do them.  In fact, nurses said he was setting records for “most drains emptied by a caregiver while still in the hospital”.  Just as he knelt down on is knee to ask me to marry him, he knelt every morning and every evening to repeat this “drain ritual” with me, turning something that could have been awful to something beautiful. How?  Because, after over 12 years of marriage, 5 kids, 3 miscarriages, and what had become a “very busy life”, we had these quiet moments together where all I could do was humble myself, sit, and let my husband get down on his knee again… and love me with all of his heart.  I’ll never forget that.

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What more can I say?

I truly don’t know what I’d do without this guy.  He’s anything and everything I could have asked for, and then some.  He makes me look like a terrible person and feel like an amazing person, all at the same time; both because he’s so stinkin’ good that I could just never keep up and because he brings out the best in me all at once.  He’s about as genuine as they come. That’s what I’ve always been so drawn to.  His heart is as pure and as good as gold.  I’ve never met anyone like that in all my life. I’ve never known someone with that strong of a desire to will to do “good”.  It’s both admirable and totally intriguing to me on a daily basis.  I live in awe of his golden heart and desire for Heaven.

#StayGoldPonyBoy

I’ve always felt like I could be the very reason why they say the phrase “Curiosity kills the cat, ya know?!”  I’ve always had an irresistible urge to touch fire a few times before I learn that it really does burn.  God knows that.  He knows me and knows, like all of us, that I’m a work in progress.  I know God put this steadfast, rock-solid husband of mine in my life to keep me grounded and keep our family’s compass headed in the right direction.

*And, Babe, no matter how difficult I can be, you know I love you for all that you for it all. Because, with all my heart, I want the same things for us, too. I am so grateful for every sacrifice you make for us and the love that you give us.

  I LOVE YOU.  

YOU ARE MY HERO.