let me just brag for a minute...

I have the absolute best husband in the world. Don't try to argue, its true.

I was very blessed to have the dad I had growing up, and sometimes I try to comfort my own loss by saying that some people won't have that sort of relationship with a parent at any point in their lives, and I got it for 13 years. One of the biggest things I gained from having him as a father, was seeing him as a husband. He wasn't perfect, I'm not idealizing him because he's gone, but he was a fantastic husband to my mom and he showed me what to expect.

I always thought I'd set the bar too high if I demanded someone be as romantic yet strong, as funny yet sincere, as compassionate yet firm, and as ... incredible... as my dad, so I just decided I'd look for those qualities but not demand perfection. Austin far exceeds my expectations every day, and I am often just blown away at how wonderfully he treats me.

I don't say this in a conceited or self-centered way at all, but sometimes I think he worships the ground I walk on and he'd do absolutely anything to make me happy. He knows just what to say at all the right times, knows how to comfort me when I need it and how to give me space to work out my own issues when I need it. He's funny at all the right times, he can lighten any mood with his laughter, and he brings me more joy than I ever knew was possible.

I realize that this sounds cliche - I realize that those are all the things you read in novels, and the words lose their integrity because they're said so often, but I just can't describe it in any other way. I miss him terribly now, with him being gone, but when I stop and remember all the reasons I love him, and all the ways that I am just so blessed to have him, it makes missing him less painful - and just makes me more excited for him to come home.