#28 - That Alaskan Guy Who Gave Me His Last Name.

Did you actually think I would go through my entire month of gratitude without mentioning this guy??

November 28th: I am grateful, beyond words, to have Jake as my hubby. (Warning: You are about to read some sappiness and bragging... Forgive me. I can't help it.)

A few of the many reasons why I love being married to Jake:

1.) Every night is like having a sleepover with your best friend.  Especially if your best friend snores and pulls the covers onto their side of the bed.  :)  I can't imagine a better way to fall asleep than laughing at Jake's hilariousness nor can I imagine a better face to wake up to.

Way back when. :) 

2.) Sweatpants.  If I could wear one thing for the rest of my life, that would be it.  Not that sweatpants weren't a part of our non-married lives together, but I feel a lot less guilty wearing my super-attractive-high-waisted sweatpants with my husband, than I did my boyfriend.

At a Sweatpants Party.  We have pretty awesome friends to think of such a genius idea.

3.) A built-in running partner for life. We push each other to be better athletes and runners, even if sometimes it is early in the morning because a certain wife decides running is far more important than sleep! (He returns the favor when pushing me to go on a run when it's -20 degrees outside!)

Yeah, we're hardcore. (And also slightly creepy, I know).

4.) It's like living with a comedian.  Jake is probably the funniest person on the planet.  Whether it's his awesome take on a rap song, his sweet dance moves when there's no music playing at all, or his ridiculously funny faces - he always can put a big smile on my face.

No words. 

Almost didn't break that stick. Ha.

5.)  A cheerleading squad of one.  See post here. He comes out to support my "nth" running race, and does it with a big smile on his face.  He says things like "you are my hero" and "you are such a rockstar."  Which... even though I am probably the exact opposite of a rockstar, it does make me feel a little Steven Tyler and Mick Jagger deep down inside.

My biggest supporter!

Why you marry your best friend.

6.) Never having to fold clothes again.  Okay, that's an exaggeration. Truth be told, I absolutely love doing laundry because that means I have clean running clothes.  I just hate folding and putting them away!  Jake is a pro at putting clothes away.  Don't worry, I balance out the laundry duties by carrying around my "Shout" pen when we go out to eat and avoiding potentially catastrophic wine/taco sauce/you-name-it stains on Jake's shirts.

7.) I married Mr. Fix It. Can he build/fix/make it? Yes, he can!  There isn't a project I can think of that Jake wouldn't be able to conquer.  He has done so many amazing things with our house in Anchorage, and he's not even done yet!  As his wife, I get to brag about his handyman skills.  The extent of my handyman skills are probably handing Jake the tools while he slaves away.

New siding, new roof, new ceilings, new walls, & best part... a new walk-in-closet! 

8.) I get an excuse to cook anything and everything!  Jake, aka the Hoover Vacuum, will eat just about anything. I can't wait to spend hours looking at cookbooks instead of hours with my face in a medical textbook. Thanks to his visit to San Diego, we have officially adopted Taco Tuesdays at our house. You are welcome to come and eat Tacos with us in 6 months from now when I am back home.  Jake also would like to propose Taco Thursdays, so I may have my work cut out for me.

Did someone say Tacos?

9.) His Faith. Jake proposed 1 week before I left for Stanford- knowing it would be 2 years before I would be with him. A risk? Maybe. But love takes risks. One year ago, he told me he didn't want to wait any longer to get married, so we got married last December, knowing it would be a year and a half before living with his wife. If that doesn't show you faith in us, I don't know what does.

Happiest day of my life.

Sure, it's been rough for me during the past 18 months: Grad school, getting my masters, clinic rotations, moving to a new place, and being away from the people I love the most. But it's probably 1738x harder for Jake. Not only are we miles apart, but he has to listen to me and reassure me that it will all be okay. (Usually 5-7x per day. Haha.) Jake has shown me how to be a better person, and I feel so lucky that he chose me as his wife. (Even if we have spent only 3 weeks of our first year of marriage together!)

I love you, Jake.  More than you will ever know!