Why I adore my wife

No, I'm not in trouble for anything and this is not an attempt to get back in my wife's good graces.  I'm letting everyone know this right now because that is the first thing I would think if I was reading this blog.

Note: Shortly after starting this post, Michelle found out I have a blog.  So, yes, I did start this post before she even knew I was blogging.


Michelle and I have been married for almost 8 years.  Our first date was April 5th, 2001.  From the very first date, I knew she was special.  It was apparent that she was down to earth, humble, and kind.  I could not wait for another opportunity to see her.  This time period was an unusual one for me.  I was to graduate from PT school in less than a month.  I had already accepted a job up in Ludingtion.  I was leaving the Grand Rapids area in mid-May.  On the flip side, Michelle still had one year left of school at GVSU.  She was looking to work at Mary Free Bed after graduation.  Crap!  Nothing like having your brand new relationship be a long-distance romance only a month and a half after it started.

Over the next several years, we both spent a lot of time on the phone and plenty of time driving on the weekends to see each other.  I would have kept on doing this, but I have to admit that it was getting old.  After we got engaged on June 22nd, 2002, I changed jobs and moved back down to GR.  It was much easier for me to move than it was for her.  An outpatient orthopaedic PT can go pretty much anywhere and get a job.

We were married on October 11th, 2003.  It was a beautiful and fun-filled day.  The weather was sunny and around 70 degrees.  We couldn't have asked for better.  But that was only the beginning.  The best was yet to come.

Over the last 10 years, there are some things I have learned about my wife.  Some you could describe as positive and others as negative, but I love them all because when they are all added together, they make Michelle and I wouldn't change anything about her.

• Michelle is exceptionally kind.  She seems to know the right thing to say to cheer people up or to comfort them.  It is her desire for everyone around her to be happy.  When everyone else is happy, she is happy.
• Michelle thinks of others first.  This is most prominent with her family and friends.  She will work her buns off to make sure that others are comfortable or have what they needed.  When it is time to decide what to do, she will almost always defer to what everyone else wants.
• Michelle is exceptionally intelligent.  Did you know she was the first Lulensky-Smith Neurological Fellow at Mary Free Bed?  Did you know she did a presentation of her research at a national PT conference?  Did you know that she almost always is able to find a solution to a problem when I haven't?  Michelle is too humble to admit it, but she is way smart (Hannah must get her brains from her mom!).
• Michelle is beautiful.  I won't go into the details, because Michelle would never forgive me, but she is the most gorgeous women I have ever seen.  Always has been.  Always will be.  All others fade and look pale in comparison.  She even looks lovely without mascara (she doesn't think so).
• Michelle is determined.  When she wants something done, it gets done.  Once her mind is made up, that is it.  It will happen.  I have to admit, this does occasionally cause some friction but it is what it is.
• Michelle is a wonderful mother.  She is always thinking about her kids and worrying about them.  I probably don't spend a fifth of the time thinking about our kids as she does.  Michelle seems like a natural at it.  When we are dealing with a behavioral problem, she comes up with a plan.  I, on the other hand, usually shrug my shoulders and give an "I donna know".  She has had plenty of good mother-figures in her life to learn from.
• Michelle is stubborn.  Everybody needs a little stubbornness.  I guess this one is pretty well related to my comments about her determined nature above.
• Michelle loves to sleep.  If she could be world champion at anything, it would be sleeping.  If she could get 10 hours per night, she would love it.  Oh, and the more blankets, the better.
• Michelle's life is solidly-rooted in Christ.  As with all Christians, this gives her a certain sense of calmness and comfort.  God has got things covered.  There is no reason to worry.  Without Michelle and her strong faith, I really don't know where I would be right now.  It likely wouldn't be in as good a place as I am.

I'm sure I could think of a lot more to say about my beautiful bride but I will leave it at that right now.  If you read this and are jealous of me, well, you should be.  She really is fabulous in every regard.