Matt

This year has been a milestone year for us in many ways. Noah turned 13, Micah turned five, we had our fifteenth wedding anniversary, and we celebrated one year in our new fellowship.

Matt is 36 this year, and even though that number isn't a milestone, I would like to celebrate his life! He is an amazing man! I thank God for putting him in my life and for the history we share.

I am totally ripping this from Amy, but it was a great idea, so why not steal it!

Here are the 36 reasons why I LOVE MATT COOK!

1. He makes me laugh! I think I was first attracted to him because of his humor.
2. He loves music. Or maybe it was the music. We like the same kind of music. I really do think it was one of the first conversations we had.
3. He is always willing to try new things. This past year he has tackled the guitar, disk golf and cell phones in the classroom
4. He is always teaching us new things. Even if I have to Google it to see if he is right, usually he is. His enthusiasm for learning spills over to the kids. Noah was explaining to Amy why when you stick your finger in a coke, the fizz goes down. He sounded just like Matt.
5. He loves our children. He likes them as people and enjoys their company
6. He can fix just about anything. My dad has always been like that. What a blessing to have a husband just as gifted. Put the two of them together and you are covered in my book!
7. He loves God. Matt's faith has always amazed me. He knows God is going to take care of us, and his lives his life with that certainty.
8. He leads our family. He has us on a beautiful path.
9. He is a great friend. He always has a listening ear and hands ready to help.
10. He still wants to date me. Matt is always eager to take me out. After 15 years he still likes to be alone with me.
11. He writes the best notes. Matt loves to hide notes for me. He leaves them in the washer, on the steering wheel, on a coffee mug. I love it! He also leaves them for the kids. He showers us with kind words.
12. He cleans my car. I never ask, he just does it.
13. He is a wonderful provider. Thirteen years ago Matt told me he wanted me to stay home with the kids, I am thankful every day for the ability to be home. It has been a beautiful gift.
14. He takes great pictures. He loves to photograph the kids, the activities, the wildlife. He has recorded our life in an amazing way.
15. He loves Mexican food. We both share this love, and I love to fix it.
16. He has taken "religion" out of our lives. I know that sounds crazy, but he has taken us out of the man made religion and placed us into a Christ seeking, God loving, Jesus movement.
17. He has stretched me. Matt is never satisfied with the status quo. I am not talking about money or situation, I am talking about relationships and spiritual health. He pushes us all to be better, not by force, but by love and example.
18. He is strong. Matt has overcome many things in his life. He did not come from the Cleaver household like I did. He has had struggles. Yet, he never uses them as an excuse or a crutch. He has never blamed his past for his present actions.
19. He likes to rock out. We have discovered that we love to go to concerts. We have been to lots of concerts over the past 18 months. We go with Noah, with friends, just the two of us. It is great!
20.He puts our family first. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the busyness of work, friends, school, church. Matt always pulls us back for a time-out.
21. He asks the hard Questions. He asks all kinds of questions, he has gotten us more discounts or things for free. But, he also asks the hard questions, the ones that make people think. The questions that are hard to hear, but make us better in the end.
22. He drives me around. I hate to drive, especially if I have a million stops. Matt is always willing to chauffeur me.
23. He lets me pick the music in the car. May not sound like a big thing, but I love it.
24. He isn't selfish. The longer I spend on this, the more I realize who the selfish one is :{
25. He thinks I'm beautiful. It doesn't matter if anyone else does.
26. He encourages our children. He encourages the them in their art, in their music, in their recreation. They know he thinks they can do it.
27. He opens our home. He may think I do this, but with out his support and willingness, we would not have people in our home all the time. It has been a blessing to be able to open our home to new friends and to maintain old relationships. It is a place for Noah, Chloe and Micah's friends. We have had lots of fun.
28. He takes prayer seriously. Not only has he opened our home to fun and fellowship, it is also a place of prayer. We have spent much time in prayer with friends and family, alone and together, with our children and other kids, with much sorrow and in much rejoicing. He is always willing to stop everything and pray.
29. He cleans up. After a house full, he is always the first to pick up the mess.
30. He lets me be me. I am not perfect, but he doesn't care.
31. He gives me a break. He takes the kids out and lets me have a time-out.
32. He plays the guitar. I love this about Matt. He takes this challenge seriously and hasn't given up. I love having the music in the house. I know Noah and Chloe are playing now because he has introduced all of this to them. He has surrounded us with musicians.
33. He is silly. Matt can be goofy. He likes to have fun. He kids with the kids, he is silly with our friends. He enjoys life.
34. He loves the Office and 24. We don't keep up with much on TV, but we do like the same shows.
35. He loves my family. He has always loved my family.
36. He is my best friend!

Love you Matt, here is to 36 more!