i'd like you to meet...

while i usually use this blog as a forum for all things happening in my life, including the start of my baking career and musings on the mundane and exciting things in my life, i really haven't introduced you to the main attraction. i have waited to introduce you, because, well, words don't really adequately describe this person. meet the husband. i affectionately call him mark.


i have know mark for over a decade-we met in high school, and started dating in 1997. i know, i know...lame, but sweet. flashforward to 2009, and we couldn't be happier. he's seriously the best person i know, and i know a lot of really good people. you know how i love lists, so here goes. the ten best things about mark (the husband).

1. he loves me unconditionally. truly. i know that i can be temperamental, annoying and just plain crazy, but he loves me maybe not in spite of all that, but maybe because of it? who knows...maybe there is something wrong with him? JK. you need proof of his unconditional love? please note the halloween picture from several years ago, where he went as "papa bear" and i went as goldilocks. if that doesn't show unconditional love, i don't know what does.

2. he gives completely of himself. besides being a wonderful husband, friend, brother and son, he is a gifted teacher and coach. he would do anything for anyone, especially the kids that he interacts with on a daily basis. he gives more back to the people in his life than he ever expects to receive.



3. he's handsome. not only am i extremely jealous of his crazy metabolism, but he's an athlete. to date, he's completed two marathons and one triathlon. as the kids would say, "he's a beast." however, besides his great physique, it is his babyface that i love to gaze upon.



4. he can't get enough of the wuggles. he is the best "dog daddy" to our little doxies. and they love him. they look forward to hearing the garage door open everyday, and mark walking through, ready to play. i love this about him--because deep down i know he is a big dog lover, but he really has embraced our little dogs, because he knows that even though they are tiny....they have big hearts.

5. he is a bookworm. i love to read and so does he. some of the my favorite days we have spent together have been curled up, either at the beach or on the couch, reading side-by-side. while we do not enjoy many of the same authors, the fact that he loves reading so much is important to me. he will often read a quote or a line that he knows i will enjoy, which brightens my mood---always.

6. he loves history. he tells me history jokes to make me laugh, enjoys reading about history, teaches history...and my favorite, loves to travel to see where history has happened! for our honeymoon, we spent 13 days traveling through turkey and greece, visiting places like the crete and instanbul. he was in his zen place. to see his face light up with delight when being in a place so rich in ancient history, was just the most amazing thing!

7. he makes me laugh. whether it is phone calls about animals loose by the sides of the road, or telling me funny anecdotes about things that happened at work, he always, always makes me laugh. sometimes he might tell a lame joke or two, but i always laugh.

8. he is handy. i love the fact that he can fix most things around the house, and he also knows about cars. growing up with a dad who used a rubber mallet for a cure-all, mark's handiness is a breath of fresh air. i truly appreciate the fact that he built our back patio and sidewalk! he's also painted the majority of our house, put in shelving and our next project is to re-do our basement!

9. he loves his family. mark's family is very important to him. it is awesome that he makes time for everyone in his life, even his extended family. i love this about him, because it really cares about everyone in his life.

10. he is true to himself. for better or worse, mark is an honest, truthful person. he sticks to his beliefs, and while he accepts other points of view, he knows what he believes in, and is willing to stand up for what is right.

i could go on and on, but all you really need to know that the husband is a great person, and the most important addition that i have made to my life. he makes me a better person, and i can't wait to see where life takes us.