My Dearest one, 
This will be quite a long post.  I recommend reading it either tonight or tomorrow morning before Church. 

I want to start this part 1 out by listing 50 things I love about you, as appose to 10 things I hate about you.  (the movie dear )
 

1.  I love your Christian attitude and heart.
2. I love the memories we share and the smile that comes to your eyes
3. I love the way you smile when you come home from work.
4. I love to watch you cuddle with Emma
5. I love to hear you play the piano, even when you stumble. 
6. I love the emphasis you make on family devotions
7. I love the fact that you continue to pray for meals even when we are rushed for time.
8. I love when you look words up in the dictionary.  I know it sounds like I tease you to death about it, and I do but you just wouldn’t be you without doing it.
9. I love the way you choose to dress and the way you make sure your hair is always combed.
10. I love the way you work hard (but I wouldn’t mind it if you took a few breaks now and then )
11. I love your dreams about gardening and living on a farm
12. I love the way you gently correct me
13. I love the fact that I wake up and you are tucked away in your study reading God’s word or writting down thoughts.
14. I love the way you honor both sets of your parents
15. I love the way you take care of things and teach me to be a good stewart of the things God has given us.
16. I love the way you read the Psalms to Emma
17. I love the way you laugh over Jerry Lewis
18. I love the way you ponder over things
19. I love the way you are more anxious to read a story then sit infront of the TV
20. I love the way you like to see our house run.
21. I love the way you say,  “we need to talk”
22. I love it when you cook
23. I love you when you let me sleep in even though it means you’ll be making your own lunch and breakfast on workdays because I am just exhausted.
24. I love how you very little complain.
25. i love your encouraging notes I find
26. I love your eagerness to find toads and lizards
27. I love the way you be neighborly without being a doormat
28. I love how you stand up for what is right and just
29. I love the sort of books you read and when you want to share what you are learning with me
30. I love you, body, mind and soul
31. I love your admiration of fine and good women, noble and true
32. I love the way you learn from the patriarchs
33. I love the fact that I can usually just come and talk to you.
34. I love the way you search for healthy alternitives
35. I love the way you support my sewing but remind me of the priorities
36. I love the way you write your letters
37. I love the fact that you take time to write me
38. I love the fact that you don’t rush into decisions
39. I love to watch you shave.
40. I love your quietness
41. I love your pet names for Emma
42.  I love it when you call me, Hopin’
43. I love your gentleness and giving spirit
44. I love the fact that you do things even when you don’t want too
45. I love it that we debate but walk away smiling at each other
46. I love it that you are the provider and protector of our family
47. I love the way you firmly but lovingly disclipine our child
48. I love watching you with Emma on any occasion, the father pride just beems from your face
49. I love your old fashion gentlmaness about you but most of all…
50. I love you, with every breadth, depth and hight.. if God chose, I shall but love thee better after death.

 

Because i know how much you love this poem;

Tell me not, Sweet, I am unkind
For, from the nunnery
Of thy chaste breast, and quiet mind,
To war and arms I fly.

True, a new mistress now I chase,
The first foe in the field;
And with a stronger faith- embrace
A sword, a horse, a shield.

Yet this unconstancy is such
As you too shall adore;
For, I could not love thee, Dear, so much,
Loved I not honour more.

Since we have been living more frugaly lately and since you “made” me promise not to use our cash to get you something, Euphemia and I came up with a scheme and it was quite enjoyable.

What we first did was count all the change in the house.  It added up to something like $1.60? Euphemia then pick-pocketed all the change from your pocket and even managed a dollar bill.  What a clever lil 8 month girl she is.  We then took all the empty bottles and can’s to the recycling center.  That gave us $5.80 there.  We now had about $9 and some change.  We then took that infamous picture the other day of your socks…

Emma took it into her head to find those perfect pair of wool socks that you love so much.  Cotton just won’t do and since I have not learned the technique of knitting with four needles (how daunting that sounds!) we decided that it was much cheaper and better for the poor widow woman, that stayed up all night knitting these specially for you, if we purchased them.  Oh wait, that would have been a few decades ago… never mind, we went to the small shop around the corner.

Emma picked these out for you…

 I am not sure which she is more happy about… the left over change at her feet or the fact that you have some socks, or the fact I pulled out the camera… but whatever the reason.. we love you!

Happy Father’s Day to the bestest husband and father in the world!

Your darlings…