1. When she smiles her eyes sparkle and I feel all mushy inside.
2. She’s quick to point out when I have something on my face…like 10 seconds into our first date.
3. Whenever Joseph Gordon Levitt appears on a screen she turns into goo.
4. Her wedding vows included references to Star Trek, Back to the Future, Corner Gas, and other similar awesomeness.
5. Yeah, I got her to watch The Next Generation AND she loved it.
6. I can sometimes fix a bad mood by cooking the right meal.
7. Her exceptional creativity has improved the quality of presents I give to my own family. And the wrapping too!
8. She didn’t say “You did this to me!” in the birthing room.
9. She went on a road trip with me even though she doesn’t like road trips.
10. Her favorite number is 17. My favorite number is 17. This was true before we met, on the 17th. She wanted to get married on the 17th, and didn’t mind making everyone take off a random Tuesday to make it happen. On 7/17/17, we’ll have been together 7 years. Can’t wait.
11. She made me watch This is Spinal Tap.
12. Speaking of meeting, she was cool when she found out I went on another date three hours after I met her. And when we ran into that person three weeks later.
13. She financially supported me while I finished up grad school. Times would have been rough without her and I may have taken a job I didn’t like just to meet the bills. I wound up finding the best job I’ve ever had.
14. Her support and good humor inspired me to try my hand at standup comedy for one night.
15. Valuing experiences over stuff has helped me enjoy life more and keep the house clean.
16. She makes my dad cookies or brownies every time he comes over. And she makes fun of him a lot.
17. Her gentle  snoring helps me fall asleep better than any music can.
18. She talked me into jumping out of a plane. That was amazing.
19. She talked me into going on a cruise. That was amazing.
20. She talked me into having a baby. That was pretty amazing too.
21. Watching her grow into being a mother has been incredible. I learn from her resiliency, her patience, her thoughtfulness.
22. She finds the best deals on kids clothes and toys.
23. She drops copious hints throughout the year to make her birthday much easier.
24. At least two or three times per week she makes me unexpectedly laugh out loud.
25. One day our son was accosted by a paranoid alcoholic neighbor for no good reason. Not only did she confront the lady and defend our family’s honor, the lady felt so bad she gave my son a stuffed animal.
26. On my 30th birthday she sent me all around town on a massive treasure hunt to find my birthday present.
27. She was the first girl who said “I love you” before I did.
28. I have become more comfortable with negative emotions thanks to her patience.
29. Two days after she moved in with me the basement flooded and she spent the weekend bailing and ripping up carpet without a single complaint.
30. The cat litter.
31. Occasionally she’s the outer spoon.
32. She gave me the best mother-in-law one could ask for.
33. Every promotion I’ve been hesitant to apply for she has pushed me towards.
34. She took time off from work to care for our son. He’s kind and polite and smart and (mostly) calm so I know she was great at her job.
35. Whenever we cook together the meal tastes better.
36. She considers my family her family.
37. When my family visits they now have an extra clean house to enjoy.
38. We’ve spent several nights playing Streets of Rage.
39. She believes in not going to bed angry and for the most part I think we’ve done well.
40. None of our money goes to jewelry or perfume or fancy clothes.
41. Sometimes when I leave a slice of pie in the fridge it’s still there when I get home.
42. Even though I steal the covers and sound like a freight train she still wants to sleep next to me.
43. When I do something stupid that costs us a lot of money like getting a parking ticket or forgetting to engage the emergency brake, she mostly just laughs it off.
44. Sometimes she pretends to like baseball. Sometimes I pretend to like Grey’s Anatomy. We work well together.
45. She still looks sexy in jeans and a sweatshirt. Yes, yes, you do.
46. We can be gross together.
47. She writes beautifully. While I can create a good story, I am jealous of her ability to write prose and atmosphere.
48. She was totally okay with me proposing to her inside a story during an online writing competition.
49. She cares about my health without nagging me.
50. In ten, twenty, thirty, sixty years, I know she will still be by my side supporting me in whatever I do.

51. She reads my blog.