This guy...

is incredible. This guy is smart and kind and genuine. This guy is honest and trustworthy and has integrity like you wouldn't believe. This guy loves his family and his God more than anything else in the world and will sacrifice anything he has to for them. This guy's work ethic is unparalleled and the only thing more amazing than how hard he works is how little he complains. This guy has been my husband for exactly 68 months today.

When we were first married all those months ago Ben would wake up at 3:15 every weekday morning, walk approximately 2 miles to his janitorial job on BYU campus, work for 4-5 hours, go to class for 7-8 hours, walk back home, shower, change clothes, walk another half a mile or so to catch a bus which would take him to his second job at Staples where we would work an additional 4-5 hours. At the end of that shift I would pick him up after my night classes and we would drive home together. After a quick dinner and maybe an hour or so of homework or TV, we would go to bed and start over the next day.

This routine lasted almost a year and a half (minus one summer when he eliminated the classes from his daily schedule but kept both jobs) until he graduated from BYU. Not once in that year and a half did he complain or whine or grumble about getting up so early, being gone all day, barely eating or sleeping, etc. He saw a way to provide for his family and he did it. End of story.

When we would talk about our future and our aspirations he often said his dream would be to have his office be a ballpark. When these conversations first took place Ben's plan was to become a professor and working in sports seemed unrealistic. The more he looked in to it though, the more attainable his dream became and within a week of graduation we packed up our little Mazda Protege and headed off to complete an internship in Great Falls, Montana.

Following that he got a full time job with the hockey team in Utah and eventually was offered a position with the baseball team for which he's currently working. Tonight I am going to his game. It will likely be the last game I attend this season. As of September 7, when all of the games have been played, it will mark the end of our fifth season working in sports.

Five seasons of Ben working dozens of 14 hour days and 80 hour weeks. Five seasons of him going in early, sometimes as early as 4:30 or 5:00am and staying until after the game ends at 11:00 or 11:30pm. Five seasons of him shrugging off the significance of what he's doing and the sacrifices he's making for our family. In his mind he's living his dream and there's nothing good that can come from focusing on the negative.

During these same five seasons I have whined and complained enough for the both of us. Each season it's gotten less and less as I've adjusted to the lifestyle more and more but the griping is definitely still there. Three of the five seasons I have been a stay at home mom and my moans have been largely about being bored or wanting to get out of the house. Undoubtedly Ben would love the opportunity to be home with nothing to do long enough to get bored, but he never tells me to be quiet. He never comes home frustrated that while I was "stuck at home" all day with "nothing to do" I still didn't manage to get laundry hung up or dishes loaded in the dishwasher. He never berates me over the fact that our kitchen floor is less than sanitary nor does he ask why Kiara's toys are strewn over every inch of every room of our house. In fact, many many days he tells me to "relax" or "get some rest today."

Today I was talking with a great friend about how we have all made choices to get where we are in life. Well the best choice I ever made was marrying this guy 68 months ago. He is incredible and there are many days when I don't feel worthy of his love but I know I have it unconditionally. I know Kiara and I are his world and he is ours. I am so grateful that even though he works himself harder than I would like, he's doing it at a job he loves and for which he is so passionate. So even though it's tough to have him gone so much and we ALWAYS wish he were home with us, I am so glad that he found a way to live his dream and I am so grateful that every day he is making mine come true.
Eternity is going to be pretty sweet with this guy around...