First Month of Forever

Today is our one month anniversary!!! Lots has happened in the last 31 days, and it's still easy to say I'm thrilled to be Mrs. Niels de Jong.

In honor of our first 31 days of marriage, here are top 31 reasons I love being married to Niels:

1. He is a godly man, worthy of my heart and definitely worth the wait!
2. He cracks me up. We laugh a lot!
3. He appreciates the little things I try to do for him--be it Rasta Pasta or burnt pancakes. (I cannot make pancakes for the life--and a lifetime of trying--of me!)
4. He loves our dog, but he loves me more. And she knows it!
5. He protects me by serving as my advocate and by helping me learn my limits as I continue to heal from my TBI.
6. He provides for me. Though he encourages me to do what I love, he supports the fact that right now, I love being Suzie Homemaker.
7. He comforts me. God gives me just the right words to say when I need it--and He listens to God to say it.
8. He's a human GPS and loves to drive, making him my ideal travel companion. And he loves to travel!
9. Even when I might disappoint him, he can still see the heart behind my good intentions.
10. I love to hear him sing bass at church.
11. He's teaching me Dutch so our kids can be raised bilingually--ik hou van jou, mijn liefje!
12. He is a peacemaker and an agent of healing in many ways, with many people.
13. He loves my family.
14. He loves my friends.
15. He has an amazing, loving family. And I can still stay that after hosting them for a week before our wedding!
16. He makes good decisions (most of the time) and helps me make wise decisions (all the time).
17. He was patient enough to wait for me to see what a great catch he is!
18. He's so stinkin' smart.
19. He shares my addictions for Wiki, Google and books.
20. He makes me a better person.
21. He takes care of me on my bad brain day, and looks out for me so I have fewer bad brain days than I did before I married him.
22. He's more accepting of my quirks and faults than I am.
23. He has hope--even when I don't--that my ability to write will return.
24. He has made my priorities his own.
25. I love the sense of partnership I have with him, that whatever we face, we face together.
26. Since our engagement, we haven't had a single big fight, and when we have disagreed or disappointed each other, the "love bank" is still full enough that we can quickly come to a resolution.
27. He shares my love for creating rituals and traditions.
28. I love the amazing vows he wrote and made on our wedding day.
29. This the only the first of a lifetime together!

Happy Month-iversary, Sweetie!