So here goes:
One of the first things I noticed about Herman when he got off of his mission was his singing. I was leading the music at our little university branch, and I sooo appreciated his singing. He's got such a loud voice as he sings. I'll tell you a weird high school fantasy that I had. You see, I was a Les Miserables fanatic. I LOVED that musical! Still do! And I listened to the soundtrack over and over and over. And I absolutely LOVED the voice of the man who played Enjolras, the leader of the student rebellion. I wanted to marry that man. I was going to join the orchestra of some traveling Les Mis production and marry that guy. It was a lock tight plan ... except that I didn't have professional level talent when it came to playing the trumpet, and I didn't really have the great lady skills it was going to take to nab some awesome broadway talented guy. So it was just a dream. You can say that "I Dreamed a Dream." Get it? Do you? You know, from the musical? Anyway ..... it turned out that I didn't nab my broadway singer, but I did nab a guy with an enthusiasm for singing that is infectious. One of my friends told me that one of the things that she missed most when our wards split last year was hearing Herman sing while he was on the stand. I miss that too since he is now traveling with his stake calling. But luckily I can still hear him sing at home. I love it ... most of the time. I have to admit I did wish that his voice was not quite so loud and enthusiastic when he started singing New York, New York while we were in line to head to the top of the Empire State Building a few years ago. But I guess I can't pick and choose my moments to enjoy the blessing of Herman's voice, can I?
2. His Enthusiasm for EVERYTHING
Herman is just one giant ball of enthusiasm. For everything. Whether he is talking about church or his business or his family or politics or music or whatever comes his way, he is excited about it. It is hard not to have lots of that enthusiasm rub off when you are around him. And I love that. It makes all of life exciting and fun!
3. His Ability to Make Me Laugh
I like to be silly. Really silly. Not everyone would guess that about me, I think. Probably because it takes a little while for me to get comfortable enough with people to show that side of my personality. But I love to laugh. Cue the Mary Poppins music! Ha.Ha.Ha.Ha. And Herman can get me into giggling fits like no one else on earth ... except for maybe Savannah. I love to hear him recount conversations he has had with the kids. Or stories about our life together. I think there are things that have happened to us since we've been married that we will laugh about into the eternities. One story that will probably only be funny to us, I'm sure: I had graduated college and was waiting around for Laney to be born. So I took a college lit class with Herman for enjoyment. We wrote our first papers and both felt good about them. Mine was six pages long. Herman's was a half of a page. His was entitled "The Wonderful Similarities Between Frederick Douglass and Benjamin Franklin." When Dr. Closser (LOVE HIM!) handed our papers back I got a big fat A, and Herman's paper only had a giant question mark on it. No grade. I think Dr. Closser was amazed that anyone had ever turned in such a paper to him. You'd be surprised how many of our life events mirrored that moment. So we laugh about it a lot.
4. His Ability to "Talk Me Down"
I can freak out about little things every once in a while. It is very helpful to be married to a man who can talk me back from the ledge and help me to see that things are not as dire as I might think that they are. Case in point: For the past two days Herman has been at youth conference with Laney and Savannah. Well, on day one of his absence my thumb on my right hand started shaking uncontrollably. You never realize how important your thumbs are until you can't use them. And I couldn't use this thumb for anything. I couldn't carry the dishes to the table from the kitchen. I couldn't type. I couldn't use a pencil. It was no fun. No fun at all. Well, I decided to be an informed patient and headed to the internet to see what it could be. And what could it be? Only something like Parkinson's Disease, or Lou Gehrig's Disease, or any number of neurological disorders that sounded extremely vexing. I remembered that I heard Michael J. Fox in an interview once saying that the first time he knew that something was wrong with him was when he couldn't get his thumb to stop twitching. Yikes! I was beginning to freak out. So when Herman got a break and was able to call me I told him all that I had learned. He talked me through everything, listening patiently while I expressed my concerns, and then telling me that it was too early to worry about anything. He suggested a good night's sleep and then told me to see how I felt in the morning. Well, it seems that all is well. It was probably just that I had overworked my poor thumb that day, and my body was trying to tell me to take a break. I'm glad for his calm in the face of my concerns. He could have easily wound me up with worry, but he made me feel better and more relaxed. And he does that a lot. Hallelujah!
5. His Ability to Forgive Freely
I have never met anyone who can be as forgiving as Herman. He has had people say extremely hurtful things to him. People who should never, ever say such things. And often these people are projecting their anger onto him, not for things that he has actually said or done, but because these people harbor their own worries about various things and need someone to blame. This doesn't happen to him a lot (generally I would say that he is a hard guy to hate), but when it does I am always AMAZED at his willingness to put aside his pride and do whatever it takes to make things right. Sometimes I ask him why he does this, why he lets other people think that they are right when they treat him so wrong. Herman just explains that the relationships he forms with others is way more important than him holding onto some sense of winning an argument. He is such an example to me in this area.
6. His Love of the Gospel
Do you know one of the things I love most about Herman? One of the first things I noticed about him? His testimony! And it isn't just that he knows that the Gospel is true. He does. But it is that he has such an enthusiasm in his love. He is excited about it! He doesn't just live the life because it is what he is supposed to do. He lives it because it is AWESOME! Living the Gospel life with him is a blast! And I can totally see that infectious enthusiasm rubbing off on our kids. Love it!
7. His Amazing Blessings
It is such a blessing having the priesthood in my home. And one of the great blessings that comes along with that is the opportunity for us to receive priesthood blessings in time of need. I have such a testimony of the power of these blessings. And Herman is full of so much faith when it comes to administering them. One of the things that I love most about his blessings is the way that he words them. He knows just how to phrase words to make them mean the most to me. I can't even begin to count the number of times that I have been comforted by those words. Or guided in a decision. Love them!
8. His Love for Our Children
I love to watch Herman and the kids interact. Whether they are moments of serious discussion or extreme goofiness, I can see his love for them. He is definitely the fun parent between the two of us. I love that he is always thinking twenty years into the future as he talks to them and guides them. He cares about their choices and wants the very best for them. And he is their biggest cheerleader. Seeing him laughing uncontrollably while playing with the kids is one of my greatest joys.
9. His Blind Belief in My Gorgeousness
I'll admit that it can be a bit embarrassing for Herman to introduce me to others as his "Hot Wife." I can just see the faces of these people with their "I could do better" looks plastered on. But you know what? It is awesome to be married to a man who thinks that I am the most gorgeous woman on the planet. Am I? Not even close. I'm not delusional. But I am the most beautiful woman to him, and that is the most important thing. The older I get and the more my body starts to age, the more beautiful he makes me feel. And it is a truth generally acknowledged that every single woman wants to feel beautiful to someone. So I love him a lot for that.
10. His Enthusiasm for Our Business
Several times we have been out at dinner with new people who have moved into our area, and they ask Herman, "So what do you do for a living?" Oh no. Get ready because we are going to be in for a long, detailed discussion of the joys of starting our own business. He loves to talk about our little business. And he is a big believer in others working for themselves as well. I think that he has probably convinced half of the missionaries who have come through our area to stay away from traditional forms of income and head off on their own to live the American dream. It's fun to watch him get 'in the zone' when he is talking about these things. But it can be a long conversation.
2. His Enthusiasm for EVERYTHING
Herman is just one giant ball of enthusiasm. For everything. Whether he is talking about church or his business or his family or politics or music or whatever comes his way, he is excited about it. It is hard not to have lots of that enthusiasm rub off when you are around him. And I love that. It makes all of life exciting and fun!
3. His Ability to Make Me Laugh
I like to be silly. Really silly. Not everyone would guess that about me, I think. Probably because it takes a little while for me to get comfortable enough with people to show that side of my personality. But I love to laugh. Cue the Mary Poppins music! Ha.Ha.Ha.Ha. And Herman can get me into giggling fits like no one else on earth ... except for maybe Savannah. I love to hear him recount conversations he has had with the kids. Or stories about our life together. I think there are things that have happened to us since we've been married that we will laugh about into the eternities. One story that will probably only be funny to us, I'm sure: I had graduated college and was waiting around for Laney to be born. So I took a college lit class with Herman for enjoyment. We wrote our first papers and both felt good about them. Mine was six pages long. Herman's was a half of a page. His was entitled "The Wonderful Similarities Between Frederick Douglass and Benjamin Franklin." When Dr. Closser (LOVE HIM!) handed our papers back I got a big fat A, and Herman's paper only had a giant question mark on it. No grade. I think Dr. Closser was amazed that anyone had ever turned in such a paper to him. You'd be surprised how many of our life events mirrored that moment. So we laugh about it a lot.
4. His Ability to "Talk Me Down"
I can freak out about little things every once in a while. It is very helpful to be married to a man who can talk me back from the ledge and help me to see that things are not as dire as I might think that they are. Case in point: For the past two days Herman has been at youth conference with Laney and Savannah. Well, on day one of his absence my thumb on my right hand started shaking uncontrollably. You never realize how important your thumbs are until you can't use them. And I couldn't use this thumb for anything. I couldn't carry the dishes to the table from the kitchen. I couldn't type. I couldn't use a pencil. It was no fun. No fun at all. Well, I decided to be an informed patient and headed to the internet to see what it could be. And what could it be? Only something like Parkinson's Disease, or Lou Gehrig's Disease, or any number of neurological disorders that sounded extremely vexing. I remembered that I heard Michael J. Fox in an interview once saying that the first time he knew that something was wrong with him was when he couldn't get his thumb to stop twitching. Yikes! I was beginning to freak out. So when Herman got a break and was able to call me I told him all that I had learned. He talked me through everything, listening patiently while I expressed my concerns, and then telling me that it was too early to worry about anything. He suggested a good night's sleep and then told me to see how I felt in the morning. Well, it seems that all is well. It was probably just that I had overworked my poor thumb that day, and my body was trying to tell me to take a break. I'm glad for his calm in the face of my concerns. He could have easily wound me up with worry, but he made me feel better and more relaxed. And he does that a lot. Hallelujah!
5. His Ability to Forgive Freely
I have never met anyone who can be as forgiving as Herman. He has had people say extremely hurtful things to him. People who should never, ever say such things. And often these people are projecting their anger onto him, not for things that he has actually said or done, but because these people harbor their own worries about various things and need someone to blame. This doesn't happen to him a lot (generally I would say that he is a hard guy to hate), but when it does I am always AMAZED at his willingness to put aside his pride and do whatever it takes to make things right. Sometimes I ask him why he does this, why he lets other people think that they are right when they treat him so wrong. Herman just explains that the relationships he forms with others is way more important than him holding onto some sense of winning an argument. He is such an example to me in this area.
6. His Love of the Gospel
Do you know one of the things I love most about Herman? One of the first things I noticed about him? His testimony! And it isn't just that he knows that the Gospel is true. He does. But it is that he has such an enthusiasm in his love. He is excited about it! He doesn't just live the life because it is what he is supposed to do. He lives it because it is AWESOME! Living the Gospel life with him is a blast! And I can totally see that infectious enthusiasm rubbing off on our kids. Love it!
7. His Amazing Blessings
It is such a blessing having the priesthood in my home. And one of the great blessings that comes along with that is the opportunity for us to receive priesthood blessings in time of need. I have such a testimony of the power of these blessings. And Herman is full of so much faith when it comes to administering them. One of the things that I love most about his blessings is the way that he words them. He knows just how to phrase words to make them mean the most to me. I can't even begin to count the number of times that I have been comforted by those words. Or guided in a decision. Love them!
8. His Love for Our Children
I love to watch Herman and the kids interact. Whether they are moments of serious discussion or extreme goofiness, I can see his love for them. He is definitely the fun parent between the two of us. I love that he is always thinking twenty years into the future as he talks to them and guides them. He cares about their choices and wants the very best for them. And he is their biggest cheerleader. Seeing him laughing uncontrollably while playing with the kids is one of my greatest joys.
9. His Blind Belief in My Gorgeousness
I'll admit that it can be a bit embarrassing for Herman to introduce me to others as his "Hot Wife." I can just see the faces of these people with their "I could do better" looks plastered on. But you know what? It is awesome to be married to a man who thinks that I am the most gorgeous woman on the planet. Am I? Not even close. I'm not delusional. But I am the most beautiful woman to him, and that is the most important thing. The older I get and the more my body starts to age, the more beautiful he makes me feel. And it is a truth generally acknowledged that every single woman wants to feel beautiful to someone. So I love him a lot for that.
10. His Enthusiasm for Our Business
Several times we have been out at dinner with new people who have moved into our area, and they ask Herman, "So what do you do for a living?" Oh no. Get ready because we are going to be in for a long, detailed discussion of the joys of starting our own business. He loves to talk about our little business. And he is a big believer in others working for themselves as well. I think that he has probably convinced half of the missionaries who have come through our area to stay away from traditional forms of income and head off on their own to live the American dream. It's fun to watch him get 'in the zone' when he is talking about these things. But it can be a long conversation.
11. His "Plans" for the Future
Herman likes to make plans. He has lots and lots of ideas about where he sees us and our children in many years. Some of them are brilliant. Some of them are eccentric. Some are a bit scary. But it sure is fun to hear him talk about what he'd like for our life to look like as we age. I can't wait until the kids get engaged because Herman has some hilarious ideas of how he is going to 'test' potential spouses to make sure they make the cut in his mind. We'll see how that turns out. Luckily for them, I'm around to temper some of those grand plans.
12. His "Three Things" Conversations
Speaking of potential spouses, one of Herman's favorite thing to talk about with our older kids and other youth in the church is their list of the top three qualities that are most important to them as they look for a future spouse. I LOVE it when Herman takes the missionaries out to lunch right before they transfer out of our area. We get a lot of missionaries who are heading home after serving here, so he loves to have this conversation with them. He gives them the opportunity to list three things and then he systematically tears their choices down. Well, he doesn't exactly tear them down. He just debates them to make sure that they really mean for those to be the top three choices. Always an interesting conversation. "Looks" at number one, Elder Syme? The most important thing? Really? He definitely lost lots of cool points after that discussion in my mind. But I think Herman talked him through things. He'll be just fine. But anyway, Herman does have some great convos about this when he talks to anyone. At least it gets people to think.
13. His Love of the Adventure
Whenever we go traveling anywhere Herman always loves to say, "It'll be an adventure!" When we headed to China we had the opportunity to go on guided tours all through the country. But instead we decided to do it on our own. And it was an adventure! We got lost. We wandered through little Chinese neighborhoods off the beaten path. We had tons of things go wrong that ended up being soooo fun. So I am grateful that I am married to a man who doesn't mind taking the road less traveled to see where it takes us. I love our Blau Family Adventures!
Herman likes to make plans. He has lots and lots of ideas about where he sees us and our children in many years. Some of them are brilliant. Some of them are eccentric. Some are a bit scary. But it sure is fun to hear him talk about what he'd like for our life to look like as we age. I can't wait until the kids get engaged because Herman has some hilarious ideas of how he is going to 'test' potential spouses to make sure they make the cut in his mind. We'll see how that turns out. Luckily for them, I'm around to temper some of those grand plans.
12. His "Three Things" Conversations
Speaking of potential spouses, one of Herman's favorite thing to talk about with our older kids and other youth in the church is their list of the top three qualities that are most important to them as they look for a future spouse. I LOVE it when Herman takes the missionaries out to lunch right before they transfer out of our area. We get a lot of missionaries who are heading home after serving here, so he loves to have this conversation with them. He gives them the opportunity to list three things and then he systematically tears their choices down. Well, he doesn't exactly tear them down. He just debates them to make sure that they really mean for those to be the top three choices. Always an interesting conversation. "Looks" at number one, Elder Syme? The most important thing? Really? He definitely lost lots of cool points after that discussion in my mind. But I think Herman talked him through things. He'll be just fine. But anyway, Herman does have some great convos about this when he talks to anyone. At least it gets people to think.
13. His Love of the Adventure
Whenever we go traveling anywhere Herman always loves to say, "It'll be an adventure!" When we headed to China we had the opportunity to go on guided tours all through the country. But instead we decided to do it on our own. And it was an adventure! We got lost. We wandered through little Chinese neighborhoods off the beaten path. We had tons of things go wrong that ended up being soooo fun. So I am grateful that I am married to a man who doesn't mind taking the road less traveled to see where it takes us. I love our Blau Family Adventures!
14. His Weird Obsession with 'Sticking it to "The Man"'
Whenever we go out to eat a buffets Herman is always telling the kids that we have a responsibility to 'stick it to the Man' as we eat. That means that you don't eat the crust of pizza so that you can get more pizza in you from the buffet. That way the price per plate goes significantly down. If they offer you free cheese on your burger, you take it. You know, stuff like that. We don't all follow this philosophy, but some of us are big believers. Even when Herman is not around I'll have Hyrum say, "Look Mom! I'm totally sticking it to the Man!" Well done, Hy-guy. Well done.
15. His Other Weird Obsession with Stockpiling
Whenever we go out to eat a buffets Herman is always telling the kids that we have a responsibility to 'stick it to the Man' as we eat. That means that you don't eat the crust of pizza so that you can get more pizza in you from the buffet. That way the price per plate goes significantly down. If they offer you free cheese on your burger, you take it. You know, stuff like that. We don't all follow this philosophy, but some of us are big believers. Even when Herman is not around I'll have Hyrum say, "Look Mom! I'm totally sticking it to the Man!" Well done, Hy-guy. Well done.
15. His Other Weird Obsession with Stockpiling
Military Gear that He Finds at Thrift Stores
Since Spencer started getting into scouts a few years ago Herman has been madly collecting any spare military gear he can find in order to make Spencer's scouting experience be awesome. Since we live in a military community it is pretty easy for Herman to find some great deals at the local thrift shops. Did I ever tell you about the time his excitement for these deals potentially could have ruined an awesome girls camp devotional I had planned? No? Well here is the post where I wrote about it HERE. I tease him about this, but I do know this one thing: Team Blau is totally going to be ready for the Zombie Apocalypse. We've got your back world!
16. His Willingness to Walk the Length of the Earth to
Since Spencer started getting into scouts a few years ago Herman has been madly collecting any spare military gear he can find in order to make Spencer's scouting experience be awesome. Since we live in a military community it is pretty easy for Herman to find some great deals at the local thrift shops. Did I ever tell you about the time his excitement for these deals potentially could have ruined an awesome girls camp devotional I had planned? No? Well here is the post where I wrote about it HERE. I tease him about this, but I do know this one thing: Team Blau is totally going to be ready for the Zombie Apocalypse. We've got your back world!
16. His Willingness to Walk the Length of the Earth to
Help Me When I am in Need
This I know ... If I am ever in trouble I can depend on Herman. He will do whatever it takes to help me. No matter where he is or what he is doing, he'll be there. He is definitely my rock!
17. His Belief in My Great Talent
I can find a lot of things wrong with me. I have no problem noticing my flaws. But Herman always sees the best in me. Always. When I was called to teach seminary last winter I think that it is safe to say that I felt quite a bit underqualified. I thought there were any number of people who could have done a better job than me. But Herman was my cheerleader. He told me all of the reasons that he felt like I was the best for this job. He told me why the youth needed me to be there for them. He told me that I could do it! Having someone believe in my so much makes such a difference as I approach difficult tasks. I love that!
18. His Ability to Motivate Me/Anyone
Herman can take the weakest link in a chain and somehow motivate it to become the strongest. I don't know how he does it. It really is a gift, I think. All I know is that Herman is able to motivate me to do things that I know I could not do otherwise. And that is amazingly awesome! I am all that I am because of him and his belief in me and his ability to help me climb a little higher each and every day!
19. His Ability to Always Put Me At Ease
What makes a great marriage? Two people who can feel free to be exactly who they are. There are no secrets or acts. They are real. And they are comfortable with each other, constantly being their best and working to be even better. Things may not always be smooth, and they might make mistakes along the way, but ultimately they are at their best with each other without having to work at it too much. And that is how I feel with Herman. He has always put me at ease, making me happy to simply be me ... not what I think he needs me to be, but simply me. I have felt like he was my best friend from our very first date. And nineteen years later I feel exactly the same way. ...Well, I think that actually I feel even more deeply than I did back then. But I am soooo grateful to be married to my best friend, a man who always makes me feel most comfortable. Being married to him has always felt like coming HOME.
This I know ... If I am ever in trouble I can depend on Herman. He will do whatever it takes to help me. No matter where he is or what he is doing, he'll be there. He is definitely my rock!
17. His Belief in My Great Talent
I can find a lot of things wrong with me. I have no problem noticing my flaws. But Herman always sees the best in me. Always. When I was called to teach seminary last winter I think that it is safe to say that I felt quite a bit underqualified. I thought there were any number of people who could have done a better job than me. But Herman was my cheerleader. He told me all of the reasons that he felt like I was the best for this job. He told me why the youth needed me to be there for them. He told me that I could do it! Having someone believe in my so much makes such a difference as I approach difficult tasks. I love that!
18. His Ability to Motivate Me/Anyone
Herman can take the weakest link in a chain and somehow motivate it to become the strongest. I don't know how he does it. It really is a gift, I think. All I know is that Herman is able to motivate me to do things that I know I could not do otherwise. And that is amazingly awesome! I am all that I am because of him and his belief in me and his ability to help me climb a little higher each and every day!
19. His Ability to Always Put Me At Ease
What makes a great marriage? Two people who can feel free to be exactly who they are. There are no secrets or acts. They are real. And they are comfortable with each other, constantly being their best and working to be even better. Things may not always be smooth, and they might make mistakes along the way, but ultimately they are at their best with each other without having to work at it too much. And that is how I feel with Herman. He has always put me at ease, making me happy to simply be me ... not what I think he needs me to be, but simply me. I have felt like he was my best friend from our very first date. And nineteen years later I feel exactly the same way. ...Well, I think that actually I feel even more deeply than I did back then. But I am soooo grateful to be married to my best friend, a man who always makes me feel most comfortable. Being married to him has always felt like coming HOME.
This was beautiful! I could really feel your love as I read this post. It has been such a blessing to get to know your beautiful family! I think you should have Herman write 19 things he loves about you!
ReplyDeleteYou are both truly blessed!