Take 5!

Yep. 5. That is how long the Red Flame and I have been married. We celebrated our 5th Wedding Anniversary on December 10th. What is funny, is the number of years that I have actually known him...That number is a bit more impressive...a whopping 12! However, there were quite a few things that needed to happen in between that first meeting and the "I do's". They did and here we are. Since you may not know the many things that makes Artyom, well the Red Flame, I decided to share the list I gave to him for our Anniversary. Following the top 10 list, Artyom is getting one a day, so if he has decided to check our blog and read ahead- well so be it!

31 Reasons of why I love you- A TOP 10 and one for each remaining day of the month!

1. You always say you love me before hanging up the phone.
2. You do the right thing...regardless of the consequences. What an example of how loyal and how much integrity you have. I hope the girls learn that about you at an early age.
3. Date nights are important to me...I am SO glad that they are importnat to you too!
4. You are not picky about my cooking, even when it's hot dogs and mashed potatoes (a staple from both our mission days!)
5. You are true to the covenants we made in the Temple together. We are in this together and I would not have it any other way.
6. You are determinded to have the girls speaking Russian. It was one of the many reasons I married you. I love Russia, I love the language, the culture and you keep it alive in our family.
7. You would take the shirt off your own back before you would let another person go without one.
8. You tell the girls how beautiful they are every time they show you what Mama has dressed them in and how she has done their hair for the day. It means the WORLD to Sofia.
9. I know, without a doubt, you love our girls. Even though they drive you crazy sometimes, you still love being thier Papa.
10. We will make it to the place where we want to be. We WILL be an Eternal Family.
11. You eat leftovers for lunch, even though we just had the same thing for dinner.
12. You buy me flowers (on occasion) even though before we got married, you said you never would.
13. You stayed with me ALL 3 DAYS in the hospital when we had Sofia. I have not forgotten how nice that was having you there.
14. You let me go on my "Girls Night Out" to have a break.
15. I can count the number of times I have ever vacuumed since we have been married, on one hand...and I LOVE it!
16. I have yet to mow the lawn...even though I KNOW I could do it to your satisfaction.
17. You let me dress the girls in the matchy-matchy dresses and you never make fun of me for it.
18. You read Russian stories to Sofia every night. I know how much it means to her.
19. You have successfully (by this point) potty trained Ella. That is a HUGE thing off my shoulders.
20. You trust me with the coupon shopping-knowing that I really am getting the best deal.
21. You love being with my family- all the brothers, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins that you married into. You really love going to the many events that we have.
22. You let me clutter the kitchen table with all my sewing stuff, and never put up a fuss. Thank goodness we have the bar to have meals at!
23. You let me take over the TV on Thursday nights, so I can see my favorite shows.
24. You hand over your paycheck when you get them, no questions asked, knowing Ill take care of what needs to be paid. I may not like all the responsibility, but I am glad you trust me to do so.
25. You take care of the girls when I go out of town on business and make sure they are fed, dressed, loved and tucked in at night.
26. We may not have the biggest house, but we have a home and that is what matters to you.
27. I know you go without things you would like at times, but you never seem to complain or let it bug you.
28. You never raise your voice to a point of yelling. You may tease an awful lot, but you are never mean.
29. You love parties (Russian or American filled ones) as much as I do, and leave our home open to everyone you meet.
30. You remind me that even though I think we may not have enough...it is always more than you ever had growing up. And it is plenty.
31. When my request of "I need attention" is heard, you answer it with a hug and let me know that I matter too.