33 reasons to love you...
Dear Hartmut,
When I saw you that first time, in that queue at the conference, I immediately knew that I had laid eyes on a a treasure, but I had no idea yet how rich that treasure would make me. Life with you is the most beautiful adventure. I you love you but I hope that I don't need to say it for you to know it. I hope that you feel it every day. But I am saying it anyway, so that you can carry these words with you as a reminder when you need one. Here are 33 reasons why I love you for the 33 years you are in this world. Happy birthday 'Schatz'
1. Your big sense of responsibility; when you say yes to something you will carry it through.
2. Your ingenuity, I love your creative solutions, especially here where we have to make do with little.
3. Your looks.. (Especially now that you are stronger and more tan than ever after all those months spend outdoors)
4. Your eye for details where I often only see the big picture
5. Your ability to encourage me always and everywhere
6. Your ability to be my anchor when I start to drift away on dreams too big and unrealistic
7. Your love for our daughters
8. Your intentionality in everything you do
9. Your smile. It still melts my heart and makes my knees weak.
10. I would not want to do this life in Malawi with anyone but you.
11. Your newfound love for reading. I love discussing the books we read with you.
12. Your dedication to the things you find important.
13. Your love for God and His word.
14. Your commitment to help me with the big project I have started.
15. All the time you spend with the girls and how you involve them in the diy work that you do.
16. You always seek to act just and wise, no shortcuts.
17. How much you love teasing all of us (eventhough we all act as if we hate it.)
18. Your appetite because no food goes to waste (but seriously, how can you eat THAT much without gaining a gram?)
19. Your family (I could not have asked for better in laws).
20. Your loyalty to the things you commit to.
21. Your dreams for a better world and how we can help to achieve that.
22. Your contiguous excitement about food. (Two more weeks until we can finally have an ice cream again!)
23. You help my disorganised mind to be tidier and more organised.
24. Your dedication to admin helps us to do what we do. (I so happily leave that to you, if it were up to me it would be a disaster.)
25. Your love for maintenance, you are so talented!
26. I love watching you work now that we get to work together every day. Your people management skills and passion for them to grow and thrive are phenomenal.
27. Your patience is admirable.
28. When you brush the girls hair, paint their nails or dress them I just melt.
29. Your continuous reminders that we should wear our hats and sun protection. (I guess it's becoming clear who is the responsible between us two.)
30. You ask questions, make me talk and really listen.
31. Your ability to make me feel loved even when I am angry by taking the sting out of my anger.
32. Your humility about your achievements (and they are massive!) Is admirable.
33. You! The amazing, loyal, reliable, loving, wise, sincere you.
With love,
Anneke
When I saw you that first time, in that queue at the conference, I immediately knew that I had laid eyes on a a treasure, but I had no idea yet how rich that treasure would make me. Life with you is the most beautiful adventure. I you love you but I hope that I don't need to say it for you to know it. I hope that you feel it every day. But I am saying it anyway, so that you can carry these words with you as a reminder when you need one. Here are 33 reasons why I love you for the 33 years you are in this world. Happy birthday 'Schatz'
1. Your big sense of responsibility; when you say yes to something you will carry it through.
2. Your ingenuity, I love your creative solutions, especially here where we have to make do with little.
3. Your looks.. (Especially now that you are stronger and more tan than ever after all those months spend outdoors)
4. Your eye for details where I often only see the big picture
5. Your ability to encourage me always and everywhere
6. Your ability to be my anchor when I start to drift away on dreams too big and unrealistic
7. Your love for our daughters
8. Your intentionality in everything you do
9. Your smile. It still melts my heart and makes my knees weak.
10. I would not want to do this life in Malawi with anyone but you.
11. Your newfound love for reading. I love discussing the books we read with you.
12. Your dedication to the things you find important.
13. Your love for God and His word.
14. Your commitment to help me with the big project I have started.
15. All the time you spend with the girls and how you involve them in the diy work that you do.
16. You always seek to act just and wise, no shortcuts.
17. How much you love teasing all of us (eventhough we all act as if we hate it.)
18. Your appetite because no food goes to waste (but seriously, how can you eat THAT much without gaining a gram?)
19. Your family (I could not have asked for better in laws).
20. Your loyalty to the things you commit to.
21. Your dreams for a better world and how we can help to achieve that.
22. Your contiguous excitement about food. (Two more weeks until we can finally have an ice cream again!)
23. You help my disorganised mind to be tidier and more organised.
24. Your dedication to admin helps us to do what we do. (I so happily leave that to you, if it were up to me it would be a disaster.)
25. Your love for maintenance, you are so talented!
26. I love watching you work now that we get to work together every day. Your people management skills and passion for them to grow and thrive are phenomenal.
27. Your patience is admirable.
28. When you brush the girls hair, paint their nails or dress them I just melt.
29. Your continuous reminders that we should wear our hats and sun protection. (I guess it's becoming clear who is the responsible between us two.)
30. You ask questions, make me talk and really listen.
31. Your ability to make me feel loved even when I am angry by taking the sting out of my anger.
32. Your humility about your achievements (and they are massive!) Is admirable.
33. You! The amazing, loyal, reliable, loving, wise, sincere you.
With love,
Anneke
