The day of love

I'm about to ruin your Valentines y'all. Because by the end of this post, you're gonna look at your man, then back at mine, then back at your man, then BACK. AT. MINE. And realize, sadly, that he isn't mine. 

Happy Valentines to my sweetheart, Joseph Bécar. These last seven (counting towards 8 now!) months have been the greatest in my life. 

I've always loved Valentines day. As a kid, I'd get a lot of candy. As an adult, I had an excuse to be particularly affectionate towards my loved ones and make it a special day for them. I love that. 

Today, I want to count down 14 Things I Love About Joseph Bécar. Because it's the 14th. And the rest of the bloggosphere seems to be doing something or other like this, so I'm joining them. 

But I'm going to win the Valentines game. 

1. He makes me smile. Every day. Every single day. Even on days when he makes me frustrated, he still makes me smile. He researches my favorite flower, and tells me what will happen to me if I eat them. He stays on the phone with me when I'm falling asleep and I'm scared because I heard a noise outside my window and he reads me scriptures and tells me jokes. He owns me in tickling contests. He makes me smile. He makes me laugh. That is one of the best things a man can do for a woman.

2. He takes me on adventures. Ice cold river? Let's run across it. Barefoot. Tree? Climb it. Now. I'm an adventurer, I like doing things just for the sake of shouting "ADVENTURE!" Never before have I met a man who would be quicker to adventure than I. But he does. And I love running after him, trying to catch up. 

3. He's a musician. You already know about guitar... the instrument he played to woo me.... but did you know about piano? He plays piano. I've dated pretty much.... only guys that play piano. But none play like Joseph. None of them have the power that he has. But it's not something he flaunts. He's confident, but he gives me time to play piano as well, and cheers me on, which means the world. Because these days, I need cheering to play. He's amazing. A true concert pianist. And he played trumpet in marching band. I still need to get the photo from his mom of him in his band uniform. It's one of the best pictures I've ever seen.

4. His voice. Such a distinctive voice. I love his voice. I love how, even if I'm in a different room, I can pick his voice out. So deep and warm and inviting. He speaks with power and purpose. He's certain of what he's saying, even when he doesn't know what he's saying, and he knows he doesn't know. He still speaks strong. And along with the musical part, he's a singer. And he's great at it. 

5. He's my best friend. I love how our relationship came to be. Through our first few weeks of dating, he was willing to come over to my house, even with my two best gal pals there, and watch the Olympics with us. He laughed with us. He became one of us. It meant so much when he surprised me on my birthday using their help. It meant even more when he included them when he proposed. He values my friendships with others, and helps me keep them. I love that.

6. He's a crazy awesome driver. No one can parallel park like this man. We squeezed into the space of like.... a piano bench.... on the 24th of July when going to the rodeo. You kinda have to be a bad-apple driver in Germany though. Autoban teaches you stuff. 

7. He loves kids. This one is dear to my heart, because, being a teacher, I love kids too. And it's important to me that people realize how valuable they are. And he does. In Arizona, one night, at my aunt and uncle's house, I went upstairs with all the girls to see my cousin's room, which had just been redone. I came back down the stairs and hear banging on the piano, and Joseph is there with my cousin's baby, playing piano with him. That baby loved Joe, and Joe loved that baby. 

8. He's crazy wicked smart. In a weird, opposite of feminist way.... I like dating someone who is smarter than  me. Who would kick me around the world 100 times in a math contest. I've been learning, dating him. He'll share his homework with me, and I look at it, and realize I have no idea what it even means! But he explains it to me, and I like trying to understand. I don't know if I've retained much, but I kinda.... even if it's just a little bit... understand what his capstone project is, so that's something. 

9. He's a wonderful missionary. He was a great missionary in the field, and he still is. Ladies of the world, are you dating/engaged to/ married to an RM? Ask him about his mission. And don't stop asking. The look he gets in his eye when talking about it is amazing. He loved the work, he really did. I love that he served in Germany, I love that he speaks German. That is such a man's language. I love the good stories, the bad stories, the funny stories, the sad stories, all of it. 

10. His family. Oh his family. Meeting them was very fun. I've always wanted the experience of "meeting the parents." I was oh so nervous. But I walked into his grandpa's house and it was like home already. They were all laughing with each other, and when I sat down with them, they were laughing with me too. He said his mom only wanted one thing out of the girl her son was with, and that was that the girl would adore him. And I do. And his family. I'm so excited to be a Bécar. 

11. I love that he loves everything I cook. And that he helps me cook. And that when I cook, he does the dishes. And even when I order him to stop doing the dishes and leave some for Brian, he doesn't. 

12. I love how much he loves my baby gecko, and always gets him out to play when he comes over, even when I tell him no, Stupid is sick. Well, I guess he doesn't then. But he watches him and gets him out of his hiding spot in the tank to play. A little happy family of three we shall be. 

13. I love how he knows every song in the world. Especially the classic rock. A man who likes classic rock. Mmmmm.

14. Lastly, I love how happy he has made me. How he came into my life at a perfect time. And how he has been there for me through everything ever since, and doesn't bat an eye. I love that we're there to support each other, not just through the good times, but through the hard times as well. I love that my life would be so.... well, I can't imagine a happy life without him.

I love you Joseph. I can't wait to marry you in under 70 days. You are my best friend. You are my soul mate. Thank you for everything.