37 Reasons I Love My Husband - In Honor of our 37th Anniversary (a bit late!)

Note:  I completed most of this blog in May, but have been hoping to get additional pictures from Spring.  You see, pretty much 14 years of pictures are at the house. With both Sarah's and my crazy schedules, I am giving up getting all the photos I wanted; besides, I am having trouble scanning some here, too, and getting them the right size.  I give up.  Just know that there are dozens and dozens of other pictures that depict DJ in so many, many positive ways. 

I'm going to post this today because it's another anniversary of sorts.  Thirty-eight years ago tonight I went on a blind date with DJ, fell head over heels in love pretty much that night, and the rest is history.  So here's the blog that I wrote four months ago just after our 37th anniversary.

I am reminded frequently that even though our marriage hasn't been perfect and though neither of us is perfect, I am married to a pretty remarkable guy. So to show him my love and appreciation on this, our just-ended 37th year of marriage, I thought I would let the world know of 37 reasons why I love my wonderful husband, DJ.

1.  He's good-looking.  What can I say?  That's what I was attracted to first because I didn't know the real him.  37+ years later, he still can make my heart do flip flops!



September 2009 - after 35+ years, I still thought he was a hunk!


2.  He has a fervent testimony in the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ; so much so that he was willing to give two years of his life in service to share that message with the people of southern Germany.  When I met him, he'd only been home for a few months, and I went back to Malad with him to hear him speak of his mission experience in a church worship service.  That sealed the deal for me.  When I heard him bear his testimony, I knew he was a keeper!



DJ on his mission in southern Germany (1971-73)


3.  He's strong.  That's another thing I noticed when we started dating.  He had just finished a summer of throwing 50-pound boxes of potatoes onto train cars.  His arms were incredibly muscular.  Those visible muscles have come and gone depending on the season of his life and whether he was working out at all; but when it comes to moving furniture, putting stuff in the rafters or attic, or loading a moving truck, he's faster than a speeding wife, more powerful than two normals guys his age, and able to leap up ladders in just a little over a single bound.  Look!  Up in the attic...he's not a nerd!  He's not a pain.  He's my Superman!

4.  He's a hard-worker.  Whether helping with a move, digging up the septic tank at the cabin, cutting wood, or putting in his tme at the office, he knows how to work.  Early in our marriage, he took 19 credit hours during his last quarter of school (he/we just wanted to get done).  As if that wasn't hard enough, he was and had been working full time while going to school for over a year at that point.  As if that wasn't hard enough, he would drive semi-truck on Saturday on occasion or take a shift at a service station out in the desert at night---he could sleep or study in between the few customers that came through.  So sometimes he was putting in a 60+ hour work week while he carried 19 credit hours at the U of U.  That work ethic never changed.  We spent many a date night in Bountiful and Ottawa at the office (I took church work, PTA stuff, or a good book).  If we were lucky, we grabbed dinner or caught a movie before or after.  In Sugar Land, the kids would often ask where DJ had gone that week, thinking he was out of town.  He was in town, he had gone into work before they got up and come home after they got to bed---all week.  Even now,  he's put in a bunch of 12 hours days---was gone over 13 yesterday including his walk time to work and back.  He's taught our children to work hard by example.



He and Sarah painting at Mark and Liz's house in Rexburg - June 2005



Helping Matt beef up his wood supply for his wood-burning furnace.  Wisconsin - Thanksgiving 2006


5.  He's athletic.  While we were single, I watched as he played intramural tennis and water polo at BYU.  In high school, he had played basketball; so after our marriage, he played a few seasons on a ward team or a city league team whenever he could squeeze it in.  He was on our ward softball team in Salt Lake, and he played again in a city league in Ottawa.  He learned to love golf when we lived in Bountiful; and though we couldn't afford for him to go often (nor did he have lots of time), he golfed in a league for work in Illinois and enjoyed his time on the course in Rome, Georgia when he had to travel there on work assignments.  He learned to love racquetball in Illinois, too, when he played with the plant manager, Tom Andrews.  Nowadays, when we're in Texas, he loves to spend time on the court and in the weight room with Walt and Gary.  He misses them and their time at the gym----alot!

6.  He's willing to help others and help a good cause.  Let's face it, he's at work most of the time, but during the little free time he has had, he's been known to help a neighbor, to travel cross-country to help our kids with the majority of their major moves (at least 10 of them), to do hurricane clean-up, to go on boy scout camps just so he could help or to fill in at the last minute, to coach a soccer or baseball team,  to donate blood on a regular basis, and to serve in our church.



He helped coach Matt's soccer team - 1985



DJ coached Matt's Little League team in Bountiful for two years - this was 1985.

7.  He thinks twice before he speaks.  I have never heard him take the Lord's name in vain. He has hardly every used a "cuss" word; and as of late, doesn't---ever (that's something for an Idaho farm boy).  He is slow to criticize and rarely does.  He is slow to give advice because he knows that figuring stuff out is part of our journey here in mortality; but when he does offer his opinion, one should listen because he's usually given it a lot of thought.  He's sincere about what he says, too.  He doesn't pass a compliment just to get on someone's good side!

8.  He never "toots his own horn" (this one is almost a fault because those in the upper echelons don't always know what he's done to contribute or to make a difference, and I think there have been times that others have taken credit for what he has done---just sayin').  He would most likely disagree with me on this one because he is meek that way.

9.  He is so "not of the world".  As long as he has a place to sleep, food to eat, and something to wear, he doesn't need much.  He could live out of a few boxes and a suitcase----oh, wait he did!



He slept on this bed, ate on this bed, sat on this bed, used his computer on this bed, and watched movies on the computer screen from this bed.  He lived out of suitcases and boxes until the rest of our stuff arrived in Basel.  Like I said, he can get by on very little.

He really doesn't care if our home is decorated,  if our furniture is co-ordinated, if the dishes match, or the towels either.  It isn't necessary for him to have the coolest car---as long as he has one that runs.  He doesn't have to have the latest model computer, the newest electronic device, or a bunch of boy toys.  "Things" are not of importance to him.


This is the kind of cool car DJ got to buy, not exactly a guy's dream car, but it had a bench seat in the front and fit nine of us (after Liz and Abby were born) just perfectly! (Bountiful - October, 1985)



10.  He treated his mother with utmost respect.  I never heard him "bad-mouth" her out of her presence, criticize her in her presence, nor complain about anything she did or didn't do.  He never would have rasied his voice to her, and he always spoke to her with great kindness.  Just last weekend, he prayed that our mothers would know of our love for them, and his mom's been gone for a year and a half.  He loves and respects her and has always shown it.



DJ with his mom at Liz's reception - Spring, Texas - 2005

DJ and his mom at the cabin - June 2005



11.  He never places extra demands on me because he says that I expect too much from myself already.

12.  He isn't "too good" to help with the dishes on occasion  While I taught seminary this last time for 5 1/2 years, I think he did them as much or more than I did because he knew that was one way he could give me hours in the week to study and prepare.

13.  He can cook a mean pot roast.  When I served as Relief Society president in Sugar Land and had to be in meetings at 6:30 in the morning on Sunday, he would put the roast in, along with the potatoes, onions, and carrots.  I got so spoiled.  I hated it when we moved to Spring because I had to start cooking Sunday dinners again!  Actually, he's really good to still help when we have roast (I think he likes how he does it better than when I do!).  He's really good at bacon and eggs, too.  He cooks them every Christmas morning.  Bacon's fully cooked and crispy, not burned, not limp, and he gets the eggs just like the kids order!  They love "his" breakfasts.

Christmas Morning - 2006

14.  He loves to play games with our children.  This is one of the times that "the kid" in him comes out.  He loves to play.  He loves to win.  The kids have spent some good times sitting around a game table with their dad.


DJ and some of the kids playing games at family reunion - Island Park 2009


15.  He always tells me I'm beautiful (I know, he needs to get his eyes checked).  But he makes me feel beautiful (or at least a lot better about myself).

16.  He enjoys a symphony, a ballet, a play, or a musical, or at least pretends to just for me.  He's done it a bunch no matter where we have lived.



Wicked with Sarah and Iz - July 2010


17.  He is sooooo loyal to his employer.  He always looking out for the Huntsmans.  No matter what division he has worked for, he has tried to protect their assets as if they were his own---not just when he performed his accounting responsibilities or okayed proposals and that sort of thing, but even on a personal level.  When he had gone ahead of us in our move to Illinois, he moved into a teeny basement apartment with mold growing in it versus an extended stay in a nice clean motel room to save them money!  We decided he didn't need to fly back to Utah for the actual move---that would save them a plane fare (I had six kids---three of them four and under, what were we thinking?).  He's given them his best effort for almost 32 years.

Saying good-bye to our favorite babysitter at the airport.  This was the move without DJ so we could save Huntsman a plane fare.  See he really did/does care about saving them money! - 1988

18.  He shows great respect to whomever he reports to at work, even when he doesn't agree with them.

19.  He has a gorgeous smile that can "light up a room"---that's a direct quote from one of our Bountiful friends.

20.  He is easily touched by the spirit.

21.  He has such tender feelings; it's not uncommon to see him cry when he watches a sad movie, sees that someone that is hurting, sees the good guy come out on top, or when he talks about his feelings for me or the kids.

22.  He's even-keeled.  He's steady.  His emotions don't fluctuate with the weather, the date, or the time of day.  He doesn't get crazy, hysterically happy or really down.  He's content with most of what life throws at us.  He's my rock.

23.  He's even-tempered.  He rarely gets mad---and when he does, you know you've really messed up or pushed too far.

24.  He loves the beauty of nature.  He loves to hike in the mountains, watch wildlife, and just sit on the beach and listen to the ocean.  One of my favorite memories of us together is sitting on the beach in Australia waiting for the fairy penguins to come in from their day at sea so they could feed their families.  We just thoroughly relished the moment, sitting there near the bottom on this planet as the sun disappeared, listening to the rhythm of the waves.  We've had similar moments on a bridge over the Rhine or on Lake Como and Titisee.  He marvels at God's creations and appreciates them sooooo much.

Enjoying the great outdoors - Cabin in June, 2005



Floating the Green River - June 2005

 

Australia - May 2007

Near the cabin - July 2007

 25.  He loves my parents, and has let me support them and my siblings and their families quite often---probably more than our budget allowed.  He's paid for the trips and covered the kids at home so I could go to weddings and funerals, to help my dying sister and her family, to take care of my parents when mom broke her arm, to take care of my bed-ridden dad when mom had cataract surgery, to help my parents get their house ready to sell, and to help them move (more than once).  He does it all because of his love for them and because he loves me and knows of my need to help them.  He was also good to support his side of the family at blessings, baptisms, and graduations when we lived in Utah even though it meant repeated trips of 4-8 hours with lots of noisy kids in the car!



Home for my brother, Sam's, missionary farewell in 1985.  It wasn't always easy to get to these things!  This time we traveled with five kids, three of them were 3 1/2 and younger.  DJ was/is so supportive. 



At DJ's sister's house in Hazelton, Idaho for Christy's high school graduation - 1982


26.  He's been so unselfish with the money he has worked so hard to make.  He's given and given to our children, especially.   Tens of thousands spent on.....

• glasses and/or contacts for all seven:

• braces for five (and one yet to go because we were in the middle of it when she decided to get married):

Liz, with her cute little brace face - March 2003

• trips to Europe for two of them to perform with bands (pictures in Texas):

• trips to Chicago and New York for another to perform with Klein High's band:

• a trip to Disneyland for another to peform with the choir:

• cleats, clubs, gloves, balls, uniforms, league fees, racquets, cones, bats, and nets so the kids could do football, basketball, soccer, baseball, cross country, track, golf, and tennis :

Rachel - soccer in Bountiful - 1985

Matt's second year with DJ as his coach and his 4th year of baseball - 1986 

  

Matt - Little League Football in Bountiful - Fall 1986

Matt - Jr. Jazz Basketball  - 1987

Dave's first year of soccer in Bountiful - Fall 1987

Matt - Jr. Varsity Golf  Ottawa High School - 1990

Rachel - JV Track Ottawa High School - Spring 1991  



Liz - New Territory Soccer - Sugar Land 1995

• private lessons on piano and various instruments, some voice lessons,  piano and instrument music books, reeds, valve oil, lyres, cork grease, marching shoes and gloves, instruments (a French horn, two clarinets, one coronet, one trumpet), and rental on a tuba, a few French horns, a bass clarinet, a bassoon, and a baritone):

Matt - Shepherd Jr. High Band - 1989



Rachel - Ottawa High School Band - Senior Year (1992-1993)

 

Abby - Doerre Intermediate School - 2003



• toe shoes, leotards, tap shoes, and costumes for all four of the girls for varying lengths of time in multiple dance genres (mostly ballet, but some tap, jazz, and clogging):

Rachel's ballet recital for 1983-84 - May 1984

• soccer and basketball clinics:

• pre-school for six of them:

 

Mike's Teddy Bear Parade at Opportunity School - Ottawa, Illinois 1989-90 (excuse the fact that the journaling isn't done and the fact that this paper looks pink when, in fact, it is flourescent red)

Liz - graduation from Opportunity School - May 1991 (She's the modest one in the white dress!)

Abby - Opportunity School Halloween Party - 1994

• art supplies and art classes, sewing classes, hunter's safety classes:

• Scout uniforms (both girl and boy), camping gear, backpacks, camp fees for Scout, Girl Scout, and Young Women camps :

Cub Scout Matt earning his Arrow of Light - March 1987!



Rachel (on right) with her friend Natalie and little brother, Mike at Girl Scout Camp - June 1987



Liz with Ellie Lambert and Jessie Bryant at Girls' Camp in Illinois - 2003.  DJ flew Sarah and Liz to Illinois two different years just so they could fit girls camp into our summer schedule!!  Another year we drove Liz to Vernal from Idaho so she could go to camp with her cousins because she had missed camp in Texas due to travel.

• speech camps, yearbook clinics, and band camps:

Abby - Summer Music Camp at BYU 2007



• travel expenses to competitions for JETs (Jr. Engineering Team) and two different academic teams; speech meets; games, races, and matches; competitions for band, choir, yearbook, Latin, and more:

• EFY (Especially for Youth) in Provo, Rexburg, and San Antonio, multiple times for the five youngest:

Liz with Stephanie Sellers - San Antonio EFY 2003

Abby - EFY at San Antonio 2006

• prom and homecoming dresses, homecoming mums and garters, tux rentals, coursages, and boutineires:

Liz - Homecoming Klein High School - 2002



Mike at Klein High Prom - May 2003

 Liz at Klein High Prom - May 2004

Klein High Prom - Abby with her date, David and her friend, Alyssa and her date on the left - May 2008

 

The infamous Texas tradition of mums (girls) and garters (guys) was another expense DJ bore.  A basic mum from a florist would run an easy $60-$100+!  Even when we made the garters (Abby and I made two), they were pricey - Fall 2007


dozens of T-shirts and some polo shirts for just about everything---girl scouts, band, scout camp, soccer, choir, student council, girls' camp, brownies, show choir, prom, t-ball, homecoming, basketball, clubs, NHS, tennis, D.A.R.E., golf, grade/class, football, musicals:

Abby in one of her dozens of T-shirt - Girls Camp 2006

Even the groups that went together to homecoming and prom had silly T-shirts made!

 

• nice high school graduation gifts ranging from help with tuition (that's what several of the kids asked for), a French horn, help with a down payment on a car, and new computers:

• help with college living expenses (we make them pay for tuition so they'll study harder!), cars, car insurance, cell phones and the like while they've done college (these pictures are of the last three to graduate, Rachel was done before these---more to come!):

Sarah with her friend and roommate, Marte Lambert at BYU graduation - 2003

David - Business Management Degree BYU-I in December 2008



Liz - RN degree BYU - I in April 2009

• mission expenses (can't get mission pictures to scan):

• nice wedding receptions/open houses---five of which have had double celebrations and required out of state travel for the masses:

Liz's Wedding Reception in Houston - May 2005 (everybody but Matt was there!)



Mark and Liz cutting their cake - May 2005

  

Half of us (11/22) at Sarah and Israel's Utah reception - July 2008

Iz with four of the nieces at the Texas Reception - 2008 



Missing the same 11 as above, but gaining 2 with 3 more on the way, here's the family at Abby's Vernal reception - September 2009

Abby's reception in Spring- September 2009  Not only did he pay for things, he even helped tie bows for Abby's and Sarah's receptions, helped with flowers at Sarah's, addressed invitations for Liz's, helped make all the runs for the food for Rachel's Utah reception, helped with table set-up for David's open house in our home, and more.  He would squeeze in some help here and there as he could!

Candy bar at Abby's reception in Spring (he had some fun helping me with this one!) - September 2009



He's given the kids lots of things over and above meeting their basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter!  He allowed them to be all they could be and complained rarely!

27.  He sleeps like a rock.  It used to really bug me.  Sometimes I thought he was being lazy (why should he sleep when I thought there was sooooo much to do), or he was trying to get out of something (I really think I was just envious that he could do that).  But I've come to appreciate his ability to hit the pillow and be out within a minute and to sleep through just about anything.  You know, it's like that story about the boy who could sleep when the wind blew because he had done all his work and was prepared for the storms.  Well, DJ works hard, does all that he can when he can, and then he knows how to turn off the "worry button" and sleep.  (Besides he knew I would check on the kids, turn out the lights, and lock the doors).

Asleep with Cade - November 2009 (what you can't see is the remote in DJ's hand just like Cade's!).

28.  He's easy to please---he doesn't expect much.  He just likes the basics.   Except there are certain ways he likes his peanut butter spread, and his socks mated, and the soap bar is totally unexceptable when it gets to a certain size.  But when it comes to those things that some husbands rant and rave about, he's very understanding and is okay with what I do----even when dinner didn't turn out as good as usual or it's late or we eat Taco Bell, even when the house isn't as clean as I'd like it, even when I forget to pay a bill.  He figures I've done my best, and he doesn't expect more than that.

29.  He's extremely patient with me and most of the time with everyone else.

30.  He loves Jesus Christ.  He recognizes Him as our Savior and Redeemer and honors him by living a good life.  DJ tries to be Christ-like in his daily actions.

31.  He loves being with his kids.



On the way to Provo with David and Sarah. They were driving with Sarah to BYU; Dave was leaving on his mission two weeks later.  Mesa Verde - end of August, 2002

 At Yellowstone with Liz on our trip to take her to BYU-I - August 2004

An afternoon with Abby at Temple Square - June 2006

Dancing with Sarah at her reception - 2008

DJ and Mike take Carmen and AJ for their first float trip down the Green - June 2009

 32.  He listens to me.  I can spout for hours about the injustices in the world, my concerns for our kids, my discouragement, and he sits there patiently and listens (or pretends really well).  Better yet, he listens to the Holy Ghost.

33.  He's so good to exercise his priesthood in righteous ways.  Whether it's leaving on the spur of the moment to go give someone a blessing of healing, baptizing our children, giving them father's blessings, or participating in other ordinances such as the blessings of most of our grandchildren.

At the church following Nicole's blessing - 2007

At church following Katelyn's blessing - February 2010



Back at Dave and Marinda's following Conner's blessing - April 2010

34.  He supports the idea of family traditions and even participates when he'd rather sit back in the corner!

Playing the chimes on Christmas Eve - 2006

35.  Even though he worries about the finances, he allows me to send the kids care packages, or send them out to eat or for ice cream every once in awhile, or to spoil the grandchildren.  He finances our get togethers with or without him and is on board 100 percent with our crazy fun family reunions!

Easter bunnies for Morgan and Becca - 2003

Boo Buckets - Halloween 2008 



Sending treats, not tricks at Halloween (Boo Boxes) - 2009

Girl Trip to D.C. - July 2003

 

Impromptu family reunion with Sarah, the Butterfields, and the David Morgans when Abby was done with a music camp at BYU - June 2007.



More fun - June 2007



We had an awesome family reunion at Yellowstone and Island Park (some of us at the "stink pots") - 2009



Some of us at our kinda-sorta family reunion at Christmas in Spring - 2010.

36.  He has evolved into the ultimate grandpa.  He knows how to snuggle, read stories, blow bubbles, play
games, and do other fun stuff



Walking with Grandpa Dailey, Morgan, and Becca when Russ finished grad school - Nashville, May 2004



On a ride at the Aquarium in Houston with AJ - September 2006

Feeding Colee - April 2008



Playing cars/trucks with two-year-old Hunter - Christmas 2008.

 

Hiking with Anna - Great Smoky Mountain National Park - May 2009



Playing games with Colee (Nicole) - December 2010





Holding his Conner - December 2010

Reading to Katelyn - May 2011

37. He knows just how to hold me when I need to be loved and gives the best hugs in the world.

He's a good man.  He's the right stuff.  I'm a lucky girl.  I LOVE YOU, DJ.  Glad I'm yours for eternity...