Whenever I Try to Write About Us, I Write About Him Instead

Andrew happens to be one of my favorite people. In fact, I love him. I love him a lot. We make a pretty great couple, I think, and for a variety of reasons. I thought that I would take this opportunity to write about what makes us a working, functioning, happy, thrilled to be in love couple.

First of all, our couple song. It isn't your typical love song, but it's ours. And it makes me curl my toes with happiness every time I hear it. Andrew plays it for me on his trombone when I ask him to. Isn't that sweet?

Andrew feeds me. Sometimes literally by placing food in my mouth, and sometimes figuratively by bringing home the bacon. Actually, he always brings home the bacon. Andrew is a wonderful provider. We always have enough, and even though I tend to over worry when it comes to money, he is good at budgeting and being realistic.

Andrew works hard at his job, and I maintain the home. I love being a homemaker. I like cleaning and baking and organizing and making menus and folding laundry. When I can't, though, because I'm sick, Andrew is always there to step in and save the day. He is a champion Dish Doer, and every time I see a clean sink, I fall a little bit more in love with him.

We make each other smile. Not just nice, photogenic smiles. Real, big, sometimes slightly unattractive because they're too real smiles. And when I smile that second kind of smile, Andrew tells me I'm beautiful, that he loves my eyes when I smile like that because he can see the sparkle in them. And then I smile all the more because I feel beautiful and sparkling.

But we don't just stop at smiling, oh no. We laugh. When I first met Andrew, I thought he was a bit of a loon, but I knew that he was always good for a laugh. He is very quick on his feet, ready to banter with you, spinning words around as fast as I do, and he comes up with the most magnificent puns. Andrew tells me that I could do stand-up comedy, but anyone who has heard me try to tell a joke knows that this would not be the best idea. I think that I'll stick to writing!

Andrew doesn't just support me when I'm laughing, like that picture just above. He also catches me when I fall, even when I'm falling over because I'm being ridiculous instead of intelligent. Say, for example, that I was walking up a hill with him, only instead of walking I was skipping and singing some awesome opera, and I just happened to fall backwards in a stumbling chaotic fiasco into his arms. When Andrew is around, I never fall far before I am wrapped up in strong, warm, loving arms, and I feel safe and secure.

We also take the time to share sassy moments together. No relationship is complete when both parties are some completely timid and docile as to lack entertainment and fun. Balance must be achieved, and laughter must be shared.

Did you know that Andrew is a wonderful lead? He is. When we were still in the getting to know each other stage of our acquaintanceship, I found out that he knew how to swing and ballroom. I demanded that he dance with me, the word "demanded" meaning that I put on some music, grabbed his leg, and dragged him out to the hallway so we could have room to waltz. We still enjoy impromptu dancing.

He's a fantastic lead, and the perfect height for me. I would follow him anywhere. He leads me through the most difficult challenges that I face, often by helping me to keep my focus on Christ. The best part is that he lets me help him, too. When he needs help, he turns to me, and then I get the chance to take his hand, and then we make it through together.

I love words. I love to read them, play with them, write them, ingest and digest them, and have a great time with them. Andrew also loves to read, and that makes him intelligent. He has a wide range of interests, and he makes it a point to learn about them through reading. Not only does this make for stellar conversations on a plethora of subjects ranging from history to culture to politics to class literature to scientific advancements to self-improvement to the gospel, it also makes for extraordinary word games. Like Scrabble and Boggle.

This is one of our more mild games, but one of which I had a photo I could share with you. But words like lave, hap, quantum, sine, taw, and tosh have made it into our games. Along with Old English words that we get into debates over. I think they should still be allowed. I read them enough.

We have inside jokes and special memories, like a wonderful series of books that became a crucial part of our relationship. We still quote it and laugh together.

Andrew is science and math and engineering where I am literature and art and fresh pineapple. I don't actually think that fresh pineapple is a course of study, but I wanted to keep the parallelism going, and I was short one scholastic or professional area. I love it when Andrew will give me lectures. He pulls out his trusty white board, and he explains to me the projects in which he is involved. He tells me about computer communication protocols using words like "sending a cute packet to your grandma" instead of UDP and FPGA. He is a natural teacher. He is also a natural learner, and listens to me as I wax philosophic about film adaptations of my favorite books, why students should not be forced to read The Catcher in the Rye, or why studying literature and history is so important.

Not only do we appreciate each other's strong suits in areas of expertise, we also share a great love of music. While I focus mainly on voice and piano, and he plays the trombone expertly, we manage to bring our tastes of music together for great enjoyment on all parts. When we are not playing together, he teaches me about new genres that I haven't much experience with, like classic jazz. And then I go back to listening to my Frank Sinatra and tell him to keep his jazz. And then we listen to Classical or Romantic or something else together. He lets me show him lots of musicals that I grew up with, like Pirates of Penzance and other required shows.

We do the important things in life together, even if that means taking way too many courses in a semester so that we can graduate together. We make decisions together, we eat dinner together, we go to church together, and we wake up every morning together.

We do our best to help each other accomplish important goals, like saving the Princess Zelda. I couldn't get out of the first stage without falling off houses and cliffs, and I so desperately wanted to save the princess! So Andrew played the game for me while I watched it like a movie, eating popcorn, offering useless advice, and memorizing all the songs for the Ocarina of Time.

We find areas of common interest that aren't purely academic or mental. We find things to entertain us, like bike rides and movies to obsess over. We like to watch the Avengers movies together, even though I spend a portion of each movie hiding my head in his shoulder because I don't like the scary or violent parts. He patiently screens those sections for me, and narrates what is going on so that I don't miss too much of the story line.

I would now like to take a break from trying to put me into some of these sections, and continue talking only about how great Andrew is. I would like to point out that if someone can look handsome in a band uniform, they are obviously very good looking.

Andrew is incredibly talented when it comes to music. One summer he put together a quartet of trombone players, arranged a bunch of music, and went off strolling in parades and such to his own music! And he even looks dapper in his fine outfit.

He buys me flowers, music, tablecloths, pearls and diamonds, kitchen gadgetry, books, exercise gear, fingernail polish, and anything else that he thinks will make me happy. He sends me out to visit family when I need them, even though he misses me terribly while I'm gone. He supports me bringing siblings out here, for my benefit or theirs, for a month at a time. He sees when I'm having a down day, and tells me to call my mother, sisters, or friends Tanney and Michele, because he knows they make me happy.

He takes me places so I can dress up. He loves it when I dress up, and he tells me that I'm beautiful. He makes me feel beautiful whether I've done my hair and makeup or not. He makes me want to smile that smile that makes my eyes sparkle, just because it makes him happy to see it.

I started this post by trying to describe how Andrew and I are a good match, and how we help to lift each other up. I ended up writing about how great Andrew is. Since the day we were married two years, six months, and two days ago, we have had a lots of ups and a lot of downs. Many of those downs were related to my health. Andrew never gave up, and he kept me going through it all.

I may be a lover of words, but I'm absolute garbage at writing poetry. But I can say this: Andrew is a wonderful man. He is a wonderful husband. In April, he is going to be a wonderful father. I do what I can to lift him, strengthen him, help him, encourage him, and fill him out every day. Our marriage is not one sided. I don't need to be extra concerned with making sure that I get taken care of, because he's busy doing that. I get to make sure that he is taken care of. We focus on each other, and on the Lord. That is why our marriage works. That is why our relationship is better, not shaken, after our hardships. And I love Andrew. I love him more every day. He makes me happy, and I do everything that I can to make him happy, too.

Happy Valentine's Day, Andrew Mine Prince.

Loves, hugs, and kisses, The Happiest Woman In the World