#1 He is a Rock of Gibraltar. Doesn't move. I can count on him no matter the storm life brings. It's brought some, and he always held fast through them, even when I threatened to lose my grip.

#2 His dry sense of humor - you have to pay attention to get it most of the time, but it's worth slowing down for.

#3 He's loyal almost to a fault. To me and our kids, to his mother, to his employer. Deeply ingrained in his character.

#4 His sense of adventure. He'd eat almost anything, agree to hike straight up the side of some mountain, or go to Africa on Safari. I drag my feet going downhill on a bike, and eating anything that was ever alive has a lot of stipulations. I needed someone adventurous, to keep me from being boring as dirt.

#5 He's competitive but only with himself. Failure is never an option. Whatever it takes, he'll do it. He's not out to beat anyone else, just to live up to the standard he's set. It's a high standard.

#6 He's quiet, humble, unassuming. A great listener and what woman doesn't want that in a man? When he does speak, it's worth hearing.

#7 He's not too frugal, not frivolous with his money either. Just right in the middle, so we have savings but still have fun in life.

#8 He has a tender, tender heart. Too tender to his tastes, but I love a man who will cry now and then. I need a life companion with a soft side to him.

#9 He adores me, even enjoys me. After 26 years together, and knowing me well. Who wants to spend life with someone who tolerates them?

#10 He's still handsome as heck. Sometimes I look back at old photos of him, when we were first married and his beard was dark black, and he bordered on too lean. Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder and when I look at him through eyes that have shared raising three kids, 30 years in a career, moves around the country, the in's and out's of life, he's still the one who turns my head. Makes my heart go pitter patter.

I'm not a proponent of cloning, but if I was, he'd be a good one for it. It still amazes me God put this man in my life, made him the father of our children, he's the one I get to grow old with.

So if you made it through the sappiness, you can go to Iris, at Sting My Heart, to read more of the Thankful Thursday posts.