Monday, February 23, 2009

Ode to Joel

Yesterday Joel and I "celebrated" our 6th anniversary. I say that because it is a little hard to feel like there was any celebration involved when he is thousands of miles away. At one point I had actually figured up how long we have been apart during our marriage but suffice it to say that it is has been almost half! Some of the seperations have been shorter than others, some only a couple of weeks. However, I must admit that I have hated every one of them. I don't like for him to have Staff Duty (He has to sleep overnight at the Barracks to keep an eye on the single soldiers)! I will say however, that I have tried to allow the Lord to use our time apart to make our marriage stronger.

It also helps me to try to be creative. Let's just say it wouldn't exactly work for me to make a candlelight dinner for him! And, since we are trying really hard to get out of debt, we have pretty much agreed to not send each other presents while he is away. He has sent me a few little things and I, of course, have sent him packages-but nothing big or expensive. So, I decided I would send him a list of 72 things that make me love him, in honor of the 72 months we have been married. Nothing exciting, but it takes a while to get started on that kind of thing. However, I was surprised that as I continued writing I actually could have made the list even longer! So, in honor of Joel, I am posting a partial version of the list I sent him. Some of the things were very personal (and mushy!) so here are just 10 of the things that I love about him:

1. He always smells great (that is a big feat for someone who spends so much time outside).
2.He is handy with cars and is not afraid to try and fix them.
3.He is a pleasure to cook for, he is always very appreciative (Too bad I don't do it more often!)
4.He works hard at his job, even though he doesn't always like it.(And it keeps him far,far away from me!)
5.He isn't afraid to drive in traffic-that terrifies me!
6.He loves to explore new places and travel.
7.He pays attention to what is going on around him.
8.He can program anything-the remote, the computer, my cell phone-anything!
9.He has put up with me for 6 years! Do they give medals for that?
10.He loves me forever, for always and no matter what.

So there it is, I hope nobody is put off by my "mushiness".However, love only grows when it is shared so I encourage everyone to put together a list for someone they love. Share them with me because everyone knows-I love a list!


  1. Love the list Clare. #5 is a big one for me too. I could soooo have a 'driver' for everyday activities. "To Wal-Mart James."

  2. I cannot believe you guys have been married that long *already*. Wow. I remember the day you called and told me you were getting married because you knew I'd be upset if I found out after the fact haha Very sweet and great idea to do the list. It's so important to tell our husbands why we adore them and so often we forget to do that.

  3. Happy belated anniversary!! How awesome - 6 years!! =)

    ~ Jen

  4. How sweet! I also can't believe it has been 6 years because that makes me feel old. I hope my husband will smell nice, because I can't stand the smell of outdoors. (Katy said that I am destined to have a park ranger for a husband, because of this comment.) Love you guys! I am praying for you.

  5. Here's my ode to Joel:

    "There once was a guy named Joel;
    who established a life long goal;

    to go off to a war,
    he'd been to before;

    and never to smell like a troll!"

    ....well, afterall you did say he always smells nice :)



Related Posts with Thumbnails