Love Letter to My Husband (PG-13)

Being on the road a lot for work, my husband Aron eats out at restaurants many nights. He has always observed that there are couples who sit through dinner and barely speak a word to each other. To us, that is sad.

I know, we should not judge. Who knows what they are going through? I mean, once when Michael was having his OCD symptoms, we went out for our anniversary anyway. I was upset to have left him, we disagreed on a few other things, and we sat through dinner in silence, obviously mad at each other. Maybe some young couple observed us and said to each other, "That will never be us!"

I hate that my husband eats dinner alone so many nights and has for about 17 years. Yes, we have many months and even one entire year when he won't travel. But most years he is going someplace, and we miss each other incredibly.

January 5, carriage ride on the Plaza in Kansas City with 6 kidlets in tow. Romance is all around!

The other night we had a rare night. I was a "good mommy" and pulled out the sofa bed for the kids to lounge on and watch TV. I was upstairs nursing Sam to sleep and Aron and I got to talk on the phone (he's in Wyoming again) for over an hour, uninterrupted. So much of the time at home our talk is "business" (here's what this costs, here's where we're going tomorrow, here's what the kids are doing in schoolwork, etc.).

Aron, I loved talking to you the other night and making plans for our future. When I met you in 1995, I never dreamed we would be at this place in our lives, still together, still falling more in love every day, and doing it with 5 wonderful little people in tow. I think you are amazing. I think you look hot in chef pants, in a suit, in jeans and a hardhat, in coveralls.

I think you are the most attractive to me when you are canning chicken and noodles, playing with the kids, and going off to work so you can support us and so I can stay home to homeschool, be close to our children, clean your house immaculately (ha!) and soak in the tub eating Kit Kats all day.

Thank you for being my complement, for keeping me grounded, for loving me so completely.

Like the fabulous Justin Bieber so eloquently sings, "As long as you love me, We could be starving, we could be homeless, we could be broke." As long as you love me, all is well.