the key to my Hart

Kaylen was scrolling through our blog the other day making sure that there were equal amounts of pictures of her and Avery. There aren't, but she pointed out something else. There are no pictures of Daddy, and nothing written about him. I saw this version of a "tag" on another blog and decided to borrow the idea.

1. Full Name: Britton Nathaniel

2. How long have we been married: 8 and 1/2 years!

3. How long did we date: on and off for EIGHT years!!!! (Four straight years before we were married.) We were together on and off my junior year of high school. We never "dated" my senior year, but couldn't really stay apart either. . . Then we were weren't together my freshman and sophomore years at K-State (Britton was still in high school), but when I was home on the weekends he usually found an excuse to stop by:) Then a few weeks before Britton moved to Manhattan to start school at K-State he "stopped by" to tell me that he had changed his mind, that he wasn't going to college after all! I remember my reply to this ludicrous line of thinking exactly. "Well that's a bummer because now we'll never be together." Long story short, he went. We're together.

4. Who eats the sweets: Well that's a no-brainer. Me. All me.

5. Who said I love you first: Britton. Over the phone on Christmas morning when he was 15-in 1992!!! Do you think he really meant it?

6. Who's Taller: Britton is 6'1" and I'm 5'5" (in heels:)

7.Who sings better: I'm not sure either of us sing that great, but I guess we would both say me?

8. Who is smarter: It depends on what we're talking about. I'm smart in all things reading, writing, and book-related. Britton is a math, number crunching, kind of guy. He knows about cars and sports and guy stuff. I'm more knowledgeable about babies, laundry, and medical stuff.

9. Who does the laundry: Ahhh. Me. Sadly.

10. Who pays the bills: Britton.

11. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed: Britton

12. Who mows the lawn: Britton (I've mowed it twice. In Eight years:)

13. Who cooks dinner: Britton again. Come on people, where are the "Who changes diapers? Who gets up with the baby in the middle of the night? Who knows each child's birth weight, current weight, shoe size, favorite food". . . kinds of questions?

14. Who drives: We both do, but usually Britton

15. Who admits they are wrong: Neither of us, but I am pretty stubborn, so I can sometimes get him to admit he was wrong. (He usually is. :)

16. Who asked who out first. Britton asked me out and I turned him down. Twice. Then he finally manipulated his way into a double date with my best friend and the guy she was wanting to date at the time. (He was two years younger than me. It was pretty uncool at the time!) The rest is history.

17. Who wears the pants: Both of us.

18. What does he do that surprises you? Gets emotional when he talks about Avery.

19. What is your favorite feature on him? His eyes.

20. What is your favorite quality he has? He is the most hands-on, loving and patient father I've ever seen. He love for his girls is so obvious and it melts my heart.

21. Does he have a nickname for you? Leigh (or Lee?)

22.What is his favorite food? Too easy. Spiral cut ham and cheesy potato casserole.

23.What is his favorite sport? To coach? Track. To watch? Football

24.What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? Ha. Since Avery's birth and diagnosis we've had very little "couple time," but we have so many plans and dreams. We love to travel together. Right now those are just short trips to the Ozarks, or to the lake, or for an overnight in Kansas City (like this New Year's Eve!), but we hope to be lying on a beach somewhere on our tenth anniversary next year. We plan to walk hand in hand down the street in Italy, named after my Grandpa's family and kiss under the Eiffel tower. Goofy I know. But those are the shared dreams and plans that get us through the tough times.

25. Does he have any hidden talents? He is an amazingly talented woodworker. He builds beautiful furniture. (Not sure if that's "hidden"?)

26. What do you admire most about him? His work ethic, his dedication to giving anything he commits to 100%, his faith.

27. What is his favorite color? Green or Black? I don't honestly know.

28. How did he propose? It wasn't that romantic or anything. We were on a trip to Branson together and he planned to propose on the patio of restaurant that sits up high on a bluff overlooking the lake, but then our reservations were pushed back, and I talked him into going somewhere else to eat because I was starving, so he just got down on one knee in our hotel room and very nervously (which is funny because we'd been together eight years at that point!) asked me to marry him. I said yes, and the rest is history!

There is so much more to my husband than just these 28 questions. I wish I had the words to explain what he means to me. When I try to explain I fall short, only coming up with the old cliches "the love of my life", "my best friend," and his favorite "the key to my 'Hart'':)

The past two years have been the most difficult years of our lives and they have taken a huge toll on our marriage. For obvious reasons my life and my energy has been focused on keeping Avery alive and making her well. I know that has changed who I am and Britton is married to a different 'Leigh' than he fell in love with. But he is different too, and the most important thing is we are "soul mates" for lack of a better cliche. Regardless of how time and circumstance changes us, our love is the same. I can't imagine my life without him. I can't imagine having gone through the struggles and heartbreak of Avery's illness and surgeries without him. He "carries" me in so many ways. When I am upset or worried, he is the first person I run to. I will never forget the day of Avery's first brain surgery. When the time came to finally hand Avery over to the anesthesiologist, as the weight of her little body left my arms, my knees buckled and I started to go down. But I never hit the ground because Britton was right there to catch me as I fell.

I could go on and on about the one I love forever, but I know eventually the "sappiness" will get to ya! Suffice it to say that the "Hart of the Matter" is that I am truly blessed to be married to my best friend!