With the monotony of everyday life it is so easy to get caught up in the here and now rather than the always been there and always valued. To some of you who read this blog, you may know my husband Tom and I personally, to others you may only know of him as that guy I mention here and there in my posts that I call my spouse. Whether you know or do not know that wonderful man who captured my heart eight years ago in March, in honor of his birthday today I’ve compiled a list of 13 things on this Friday May 13th that I love about Tom.

My lovable husband, Tom.

1. His loyalty. Tom is easily one of the most loyal people I have ever known in my life, his ability to stand by me and defend me whether I am right or wrong is a trade I will never take for granted. Tom’s brother Joe put it best in his Best Man speech, if he (or anyone Tom cared about) was broken down in Alaska he’d without question go there to help and bring them home.

2. He is loving and kind. Tom is the first person to lift my spirits when I put myself down. He does not tolerate anything less than the absolute best for me and anyone else he loves and cares for. He treats everyone he meets with love and compassion from the old lady needing help in the parking lot to putting together a toy or game for his niece and nephew.

3. He really is amazing with kids! Although we are on the fence about having a child of our own, as a teacher, I marvel at watching my husband interact with kids and it makes me lean more towards the possibility of having one someday even just so I can see what an amazing Dad I know he could be!

4. He is responsible. Tom is very responsible with everything from paying bills on time to never forgetting a first cousin once removed’s birthday and insisting we send a gift. He knows how to manage our money and (like me) understands there’s a large difference between wants and needs.

5. He is hardworking. Tom is a total go-getter in life, he works hard at his job, is always early or on time and rarely calls out sick (unless of course he really IS sick). A lot of Tom’s livelihood is based on his ability to help provide the best life possible for Draco and I. Tom helps me write a lot of the home budget tips and lists of things we plan to do, he loves to tackle DIY home improvement projects and has a natural flair for it.

6. He is supportive. Tom has managed to support me through both the laughter and the tears that have come our way through the years. He’s rejoiced in my happiness and held me in my moments of profound grief. No matter whether I am teaching or embracing the launch of my second career (this blog), Tom is my biggest fan and the gratitude I feel for that is immeasurable.

7. He’s the organized to my unorganized. I’m not going to lie, if my husband had the same habits with neatness and organization as I did we’d live in a pig sty! Luckily, he doesn’t and in turn he motivates me to be more neat and orderly which I credit him for helping me clean up with.

8. He loves hockey and football. While we do not support the same teams (I’m the NJ Devils to his NY Rangers and he’s the Dallas Cowboys to my Carolina Panthers) we can talk for hours about both sports, from impending deals/trades to score predictions for upcoming games.

9. His ability to use movie quotes to lighten any mood. Tom is the master of lightning up any dark mood, his ability to take situations and match them to movie quotes to garner laughter is uncanny and second to none. For example, when the Vikings field goal kicker missed that playoff winning field goal (I really wanted the Seahawks to lose) I was a bit bummed until Tom mimicked Ray Finkle from Ace Ventura: Pet Detective saying “THE LACES WERE IN! THEY WERE IN!” which immediately caused me to bust out laughing.

10. He’s one of my best friends. Seriously, I can tell Tom anything and I know what I say stays safely with him. He does not blab our business to anyone from family to strangers. I value the fact that we do everything from food shopping to taking walks in Home Depot together (the happiest place on Earth in my opinion).

11. His love for God matches mine. Tom and I make God apart of our marriage. We read scripture, pray, go to church , and look to God for a greater understanding of our life purpose together. We understand God’s desire for us to serve Him, others and more importantly each other and we keep His commandments and hold them sacred.

12.  His unapologetic nature. Tom is who he is, and he is unapologetic in his truth about his likes, dislikes, and generally way of viewing things. He is unique and a self-proclaimed non-conformist, his ability to march to the beat of his own drum is very refreshing in a world where everybody tries to be someone else.

13. His unconditional love for me and ability to forgive others. Tom loves me so unconditionally it never ceases to amaze me, additionally, his ability to not hold grudges for things which we were wronged by is truly inspiring. While I have been known to harbor a grudge or three, Tom holds none towards anyone and inspires me to be more like that also.

So there you have it, 13 things I love about my husband. I could have gone on forever but I’ll stop there because it’s time for me to light the candles on his ice cream cake before the whole cake melts. Feel free to leave your comment below and tell me what you love about Tom or if you don’t know him comment about something in which you learned about him through my 13 things, because I do love hearing from you the fan friends.

Love you. Mean it.

Brittany

xo

This post is dedicated to husband, Tom.