My Funny Valentine...

A pic from the first time we met in 2011

One year ago today I saw my future husband's face for the first time. Even though we had only talked a few times on the phone, he asked me to be his Valentine. So forward! I loved it.

When his face appeared on my computer screen I knew I was in trouble. Oh....that smile.

It's been a whirl wind since then. Skype, emails, phone calls, flying to and from for only a few days in the same location, moving to FL, getting engaged, getting married 3 months later, moving into our own place. It's been fast and it's been AMAZING.

We've been married for 4 short months now and I feel like it was years ago that our romance began.

I love lists, so I thought I would write a list of the things that I've learned and loved over this short amount of time that I've been with my man:

1. I love that Tony does the dishes, picks up around our place and gets it all tidy, and makes the bed every day. I don't even have to ask him to do it. It's just done. When I was single I didn't know I would love something like this so much, but now that I have someone else sharing a living space with me and I don't have to do it all by myself, I notice it and I love it!

2. Tony thinks I'm cute and funny. He laughs at me when I pretend to be a small animal and burrow into his chest. He looks at me like I'm crazy when I start doing my Liz Lemon/Elaine dance to the music in my head. He thinks it's adorable that all of my impersonations sound like Ray Ramono or Kermit the Frog. Sometimes we just sit and make faces at each other. Something we started doing over Skype when we got to hour 4 and were too tired to talk anymore. If there is something funny to be found in something. We will find it. We're goofy. We play. We laugh. I love this about us. My prayer is that we laugh forever. God is Joy!

3. This man has the listening power of a voice recorder. Not a peep, ya'll. He listens. Even when I wish he didn't. He does. He remembers everything that is important to me. He remembers all of the things that hurt or upset me. He listens to me talk and talk for hours and doesn't get annoyed. I don't know how he does it. I tell him everything. Every. Thing. Maybe it's not supposed to be that way. Maybe there are convos best left to my girlfiriends or strangers in line at Target, but I can't help but tell him my thoughts. It's a combination of knowing that he cares and also wanting him to know me better. One day when we have a house full of little people we may not have all the time to talk like we do now; so I'm taking advantage.

4. I love listening to him. I know, it's hard to believe that with all my talking that I would find time to listen, but I do. I LOVE his thoughts, ideas, dreams, feelings, jokes, and puns...I even love it when he makes fart noises with his mouth. It's in our talking with each other that we see more and more what God is doing in our lives or wants to do in our lives. Tony and I may come from different angles and in different ways, but..we have the same goal...God's glory. The more I hear him talk about what he's learned or what excites and fires him up, the more I love him.

5. He is so warm all the time. Jacob Black ain't got nothin' on Tony Alicea. Every time I hug him, I say, "You're waaaarm!" It's just awesome.

6. He is an amazing cook! When we first got married, both of us were like, um, we don't know how to cook. And then there was Pinterest and Food Network.com. We have been cooking up a storm for each other over these last couple of months. We have two different cooking styles. Tony follows the cooking directions to a tee; including using fresh ingredients. I can't follow a recipe exactly to save my life. I have to change it in some way. Interesting, huh!? :)

7. He loves me. When I hurt, he hurts. When I'm happy, he's happy. He longs to please me and make me smile. He listens to my needs and is careful with my heart. When I mess up or act like a 5 year old, he forgives me. He loves my attention and affection. He misses me when I'm not around. He says awesome things about me all the time. His love makes me want to be a better person. Isn't that exactly what it should do? He is patient, he is kind, he doesn't brag when he's right and I'm wrong, he doesn't get jealous, he doesn't act arrogantly, he nevers dishonors me, he isn't quick to anger, he doesn't keep a record of all the wrongs I've done, he always protects me, always trusts me, always has hope in me, and always perseveres through the rough places. He is my husband and I am so proud to be his wife.

There are so many more reasons I love my husband, but some of those would be inappropriate to list, so we'll leave it at that. :)

Happy Valentine's Day to my amazingly awesome husband, Tony! May the rest of our days be filled with love, light, joy, and unicorn farts*!

*He knows what that means. And he thinks it's adorable.

Loves,

Katie Alicea