my valentine

I usually don't write things about Shaun very often because he doesn't like to be in the spotlight. But these past couple of weeks he definitely deserves to be a contender in the husband and father of the year award. With this new calling as Stake Relief Society President, I've had a lot of anxiety going into it. I've had many sleepless and restless nights wondering what I might have to contribute to the sisters in Relief Society on this level. Shaun has been the most support through it all, giving me all the encouragement I needed to get through this...and just about anything else that has and would come along. I've taken some of my frustrations and anxieties out on Shaun and the boys and haven't been the best wife and mother, but he has overlooked and forgiven all the negative qualities that I have and helped me get through everything. For instance...I didn't know how I was going to get everything done this weekend...Spencer's birthday party, the Worldwide Leadership Training (both on Saturday), and then on Sunday, was my first ward conference in Camden in the morning, and then a missionary fireside at our ward that evening. But somehow I got through it, and Shaun was right there beside me when I needed him most. These are only some of the reasons that I love my sweetie...

He...

• Got all 3 boys ready for Church on Sunday, brought them to church, and dealt with them throughout all of church (he did a tag-team though, time I walked through the door at my Grandmother's house ... that's understandable)
  
• Cooked my "empanadas" I wanted to bring to the missionary fireside as a treat from where I served my mission (Chile)
• Brought all 3 boys by himself to the fireside and left with them all by himself
• Did whatever I asked him to do to help out for Spencer's party
• Doesn't criticize me when I don't feel like cooking dinner because I've mismanaged my time throughout the day, and it's 6:15 and he'll be home in 30 minutes and nothing is prepared...he just jumps right in and either picks something up on the way home or cooks when he gets home.
• He listens to me whine and complain
• He is soooo patient with the boys, a quality I so admire
• He is home every night
• He gives the boys a bath at night ... even deals with our "splasher"(Carson) who puts more water outside the bathtub than we can keep in ... that's why I don't like giving them baths :)
• He reads them books before they go to bed every single night
• He does the dishes most nights before he goes to bed
• He's up before 6 am every morning to leave for work in Florence, and not home until 7 at night, trying to provide for our family so I can stay at home with our boys ... something I so appreciate
• And...I know that he loves me...and that's the most important.

I'm so not saying that our marriage is absolutely perfect...but sometimes it's good to look at the good qualities that our spouses have. At times, we only want to criticize and find faults, but listing these things tonight made me realize that Shaun sure does a lot that sometimes he doesn't get the credit for by me. He is definitely my better half and I think for the most part we work well together as a team. So here's to Shaun ... love you!