I miss my man...

Scott has been away now for nearly one full month. He will return home on Wednesday for a few days before heading back out for another month to work in West Virginia. Your prayers would be appreciated both for safe travel and for our marriage.

As I wrote earlier in the year our marriage hit the rocks pretty big in December and January. All of that was preceded by six weeks of my hubs working away from home. I would just appreciate it if my prayer warrior friends would elevate him and his relationship with the Lord while he is away. AND, elevate me and my relationship with both the Lord and my husband as we work through the weeks ahead that we will be apart. My heart misses HIM. I wish he were home already and know that this is only season. I miss the one my heart loves. I miss him terribly.

So... In honor of my fella - I am going to write the ten things I appreciate the most about him:

1. His heart for his family. He loves our children and He loves me. Every morning before he leaves for work we talk on the phone and pray for our day, our family and the decisions we need to make. When he is home he always is sure to kiss me goodbye and we typically pray each morning together as well. This is new to him and he has so committed himself to remembering to honor the Lord with me each morning in prayer.

2. His strong work ethic. Scott is a bit of a perfectionist. He often would tell me his bosses would say that he did good work, but was slow when he worked in sheet metal. But what he wouldn't tell you was his penchant for doing the job not just well, but taking the time to do it right - with excellence. He often still evaluates the soffit work on new buildings if sheet metal is involved. At Verizon, he is often told to slow down. Though he often works quickly, he gets very frustrated if a job is not done well --- he is a standard bearer in the work place.

3. Scott's concern for others. Scott so blessed my heart when Justin was in the hospital. He would not leave me there alone first of all. He slept in the waiting room on an uncomfortable bench so I could stay the night with my son. He also knew the story of every family in the waiting room. He came back with a list of prayer requests and concerns for others while our own family was in the throws of crisis. He was also the first to offer the food that was brought to our family to others. Scott has always been one to bring back the prayer concerns of others.

4. His smile... When Scott smiles - his entire face smiles - especially his eyes.

5. I miss his mood eyes. No kidding he has hazel eyes, but when his mood changes so does his eye color from dark brooding gray to a light, misty lime-green when he is feeling amorous. I love the way his eyes capture me.

6. The way he smells when he arrives home from work. Okay, so this is weird - sort of - his earthy, musky just home from work smell is intoxicating. It smells warm and it just works me over every single time. I don't like it day old. But, fresh through the door - it is one of my favorite things --- hugging my hubs when he gets home.

7. His arm around me at church. It is the sweetest thing to receive the word with my husband's arm across my back. It is one of the safest feelings in my world.

8. When he says, "I love you, Baby." And kisses me. My favorite is when he slips his hands up into my hair and cups my head and kisses me tenderly - not long or crazy, but just a sweet, intentional kiss on the lips that says more than words ever do.

9. That he takes out the trash and has recently begun helping with the dinner dishes.

10. That he is still with me. After all the time, turmoil and the craziness that has been our blended life... He is still here working it out with me. I'm so blessed to have this man as my husband.

AND well there is one more: The man would come home from working all day when I was down in 2002 with a bum knee. He would help me into the truck and drive me 20 miles to my favorite sno-cone stand to get me a large cherry sno-cone. He is totally the bomb! :)

I love you, baby!