An anniversary tribute

Ok, so most of the time this blog revolves around the drama challenges that we face in dealing with everyday life with our three kiddos and primarily the little one. But today, is different. It’s a special day that doesn’t center around any drama, no medical challenges or childhood milestones. Today marks the day that I made lifelong commitments and promises and said “I do” the most incredible man I know. This one’s for you babe! I know that it’s often said that “all the good guys are gone” but I have living proof that they aren’t. He can’t spin spider webs from his finger tips, he doesn’t have an indestructible shield that can be used as a weapon and he doesn’t suddenly swell up, turn green and become a humanoid monster but he IS a superhero in my eyes.

Jonathan, first impressed me as a man almost ten years ago when we first met. He was so kind and gentle. He was smart but he knew how to be goofy and make me laugh. He was strong but soft and sweet. He was hard-working but knew how to have fun. He was focused and driven but spontaneous enough to be balanced. He treated me like a Queen but stole my heart when he treated my baby girl like a princess and that was just the beginning.

During the last nine years of marriage, I have seen him spin spider web upon spider web and protect countless little details of everyday life from slipping through the cracks. He has sprinted across a room to protect one of our babies from falling and getting hurt when my back was turned. He has thrown his invisible shield into the air to protect our family not from explosives or firearms but from overflowing toilets, fire ants, and scary things that go bump in the night. No, he can’t tear down buildings by bumping his fists together but he knows how to superglue a favorite figurine back together because a baby brother threw it on the floor or

let somebody help with the simple every day tasks so that they can feel important and he will stand toe to toe up against whatever person , place, or thing he thinks is up against one of our kiddos. Ironically, it isn’t any of these things that make him a superhero to me. Instead, it’s his willingness to give of himself so freely for the betterment of the rest of us. He frequently pushes through and goes to work sick or exhausted. He has abandoned “ a night out with the guys” for family movie night on the couch which usually involves one or both of us cleaning up a spilled drink and very often times vomit and then sometime halfway through the movie he wakes each one of us and gets us tucked in to our beds. He gave up his love of a bowling night for a night of karate

and soccer practice with a team full of six year old little boys. He has not only accepted my baby girl but loves her like his own and even more incredibly realized without coaxing or hesitation that loving her meant accepting her Dad as a part of lives. He has done laundry, lunches, listened and loved our other two kiddos for days at a time while I’ve been in the hospital with Lydon. He has cleaned muddy tennis shoes, ironed, grocery shopped and cooked a meal countless times. He sends me flowers, gift cards for massages or manicures and tries incessantly to convince me I’m the most beautiful girl in the world!

I’m sure that none of these things sound like super powers and I know that they won’t land him a mega movie deal in Hollywood but this I know…. He is a superhero to me! He is with me at every turn. He is strong when I am weak. He lifts me up when I’m down. He lets me cry when I need to cry and when he feels weak and needs to cry he is man enough to gently take my hand and bow his head and ask the biggest superhero of all to renew his strength. Thank you Jono for who you are and ALL that you do. I love you, admire you and respect you as a man, a father and the most incredible husband. Thank you for being my Spiderman, Superman, Hulk, Captain America….my very own Avenger. Without you, I certainly could not do it all! Nine incredible years of marriage….I wouldn’t change one minute of it. Happy Anniversary Babe!! I love you….always and forever!!