1. My husband is far from being a romantic but we text each other on a daily basis just to say “I love you.” One day he sent me a text that said “I think I’m in love with you and I’m lucky to have you for my wife.” That’s romance.

2. About five or so years ago, my husband and I, who both work in education, worked at the same elementary school during that school year. Since we got married in September, our anniversary usually gets interrupted by the beginning of school hustle and bustle. So we usually celebrate it a little later in the month once school settles down.  Well, this one year, I taught third grade and my husband taught sixth grade down the hall and around the corner. In the middle of my afternoon math class, one of his students entered my room with a CD player and walked over to a wall to plug it in. Then the student just walked out!

Bothered by this “rudeness,” I walked over to my classroom phone to call my husband and let him know what happened. Before I could dial, a second sixth grade student entered my classroom with a crystal vase and placed it on my desk. Once again … no comment.

By this time my kids and I were both confused and distracted from our lesson.  Quickly a third student enters the classroom, walks over to the CD player and presses play. The CD player begin to play my favorite song “You Are So Beautiful” by Ray Charles. As that student exits, another 12 students enter one at a time, placing a red rose into the vase while the music played. Needless to say, between the tears in my eyes and my poor little babies “Ooooh-ing and Aaaahh-ing,” the rest of the afternoon was a piece of cake!

3. My husband and I have been together for almost 22 years. We were separated for three of those years, and during that time we individually turned our lives over to Christ. I used to yearn for the typical romantic gestures—poetry, candy, flowers, an unexpected kiss. Now, I can honestly say that the most romantic thing that my husband does for me is when I am having a bad day, he will put his arms around me and pray for me. It means more to me than I can ever express and is one of the most romantic things he does for me.

4. This may seem like a small thing, but it means a lot to me.  I take my lunch most days and my wife Cherie always writes a note to me on my napkin saying how much she loves me and respects me.  I have kept every one of these napkins (unused of course) and try to return the favor to her when I get a chance.

5. It was a normal random day. I stopped at a very long red light. I didn’t realize that my husband was in the car right behind me. I heard a knock on my window, rolled it down and he gave me a very long kiss and then ran back to his car. That was three years ago and I still smile at that red light!

6. Before we were married I was flying up to the Bay area for a job interview. The interview was last-minute and I had to fly standby because that was the only affordable flight to get. I got to the airport at the crack of dawn, got the last seat on the plane and called my (then-future) husband to tell him I was on my way but hadn’t even had a cup of coffee. He picked me up from the airport an hour and a half later, and brought me by a friend’s house where I was going to stay. I got dressed for my job interview and appeared a few minutes later, nervous, stressed, and tired. He had breakfast all set out for me; waffles with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, as well as a much needed cup of coffee. I already knew he was the man I wanted to marry but that just may have sealed the deal.

7. He kissed me, just because. He had no expectations or ulterior motives.  Just a simple kiss that said, “I love you.”

8. Early in our relationship, before we were married, my wife, Gigi, ran a mile down a road after me (I was driving) because she did not want to be without me (she was in Florida and I was headed back home to Maryland). Nothing was (and still is) more important to her on this earth than “us.”  I pray to God every day that I can love her as strongly as she loves me.

9. He brought me home my very own pint of Haagen-Dazs coffee ice cream.  Why so romantic?  To me it is the small things that count.  He doesn’t even like coffee ice cream so it was ALL for me!

10. After over 35 years of marriage, on the first day of his retirement he did the dishes for me while I was still at work.  That may not seem like much to many but prior to his retirement I can count on one hand the times he washed the dishes.  Every time I think about that my heart sings!

11. Throughout our 35 years of marriage, my husband has left little notes for me. First they were on the bathroom mirror, written on yellow sticky notes. Over the years they’ve changed, white paper with colored markers, colored paper with markers, tender cards, to long banners of paper taped together stretched across the room. So many “I love you,” “You’re my honeybaby,” “Hurry home, I’ll miss you,” etc. I have a deep drawer full!  I am so very blessed! Of course I happily returned each message!

12. My husband made a calendar of dialogue questions for the complete year. He gave it to me for Christmas—it was the best present ever and led to many, many romantic nights.

13. It was my birthday and usually we don’t get away much because we have four girls. So we were just going to hang at our house and watch a movie after the kids went to bed. Well, I went away for a couple hours one night with my daughters to the store, which they said they needed to go to.  Here I came back a couple hours later and see my hubby had lasagna made, wine, candlelit dinner, and cheesecake, which is my fave. He even made Italian cheese bread for me, all by himself. He also had our song playing on the radio, a CD filled with songs I liked … yeah it touched me so … I never had that done before.

14. I have pretty bad pollen allergies during this time of the year.  I normally have a humidifier in the room to help with my throat and breathing at night, but it wasn’t enough to keep the room at the moisture level that I needed. One day, my husband decided he would not only clean our bedroom and bathroom and add a portable air purifier in our room; but he also built me a makeshift tent over my side of the bed to put the humidifier inside. His little tent was made of draping a bed sheet over my pillow area using the clip-on bed side lamp as support.

A couple of hours after sleeping under the tent, it started raining from the inside! The moisture got so saturated that the bed sheet and lamp started dripping. I was laughing pretty hard and thinking about all the little sweet things he does to take care of me.

15. It was when we had our picture taken together. He had the biggest smile and his eyes sparkled. He said it was because he’s proud to be by my side and that I’m his wife! I have that picture sitting up in our bedroom so it’s the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing at night. It’s a constant reminder of my husband’s love for me!

16. I decided to stay at home with our two small children and took up babysitting to help out financially. It had been a long hard winter with many of the kids needing breathing treatments twice a day along with wiping noses and potty training accidents. I was just plain burned out and tired. My husband had called all my parents and arranged for me to have a Friday off and had made reservations down state where spring had already sprung.

When I awoke that Friday morning ready for a long day, he told me I had the day off and we dropped our kids off at his parents and we talked all the way to our destination where the sun was shining, the flowers were in bloom, and in less than six hours I was feeling so refreshed. I was so captivated by his love and attention to my needs and all the work he did to plan this get away for us. That was the beginning of a tradition as he has continued to take me away for a weekend every March!

17. To me, it’s all the little things that my husband does to capture my heart. Michael has to leave to work every morning at 5 a.m. and he still finds time to leave my vitamins out and make our bed before heading out the door. That is so romantic to me.

18. Three years ago on my birthday, my husband took the day off work and made my gift.  I received an e-mail at work from him that was a picture of our two dogs covered in paint. I was completely confused, but was told that they had made me a surprise.  When I got home, there was a huge banner that said “Happy Birthday, Mommy!” with dog paw prints all over it.  To anyone that knows me, my dogs are my children, so the fact that he included them made me love it even more.  He was also baking a birthday cake and it’s the only time I’ve ever seen him bake anything.  I hung the banner in the living room, where it stayed for a month and the cake was delicious!  This homemade gift made me feel more special and loved than any expensive gift he’s given me.

19. In May of 2009 I had brain surgery for seizures I had been experiencing on and off for over 20 years. My dear husband went through all those years watching me have those seizures and being with me through it all. And in May of 2009 he went through my surgery (partial right temporal lobectomy) with me, staying every night with me in the hospital and helping to care for me as I recuperated at home.  The tender love my husband showed me will remain forever in my mind.

Doug has always blessed me with a gift, flowers, or a card for most occasions, but what he did for me at this time in my life was the most romantic thing he has done. What a blessing!! (By the way I’m doing great with no more seizures, and my doctor from Mayo in Rochester said that my tests looked great; in fact my memory tests were slightly elevated.  Hmmm, God is the only one who can take out a marble sized amount of your brain and put more memory in.)

20. The most romantic thing my wife has done for me is when I come home from a business or hunting trip and sometimes she will have a candlelight dinner ready and dressed in a negligee with all the lights out in the house. We have had some great romantic episodes in our 28 years of marriage but this one is at the top of my list and it is very inexpensive. I love you, Baby.

21. This isn’t the most romantic thing he has ever done, but it is something romantic that he regularly does: Even after 18 years of marriage, my husband still comes to the front door and rings the doorbell to pick me up for our dates! I still feel giddy and excited when he does this.

22. Before we were married, my husband came over to my house before 4 a.m. on Valentines Day and placed a five-foot tall heart complete with gnomes, balloons, and flowers on the ice of the frozen lake across the street, and decorated my yard with more balloons, notes, flowers, cards, and candy. It was below zero that morning.  I got lots of comments from people driving by all day.  The school bus driver even slowed down so the kids could look!

23. My husband has done many romantic things for me including creating a love song playlist just for us to dance to in the privacy of our home and surprising me with special songs he finds that remind him of the love we share. But probably the most romantic thing he has ever done is the day he asked me to be his wife and life partner. He did his best to re-create our “firsts.” He took me to the first restaurant we went to on our first date, then re-created our first dance and first kiss in the same place we shared those very special moments before whispering in my ear, “Marry me.” A priceless memory I will never forget. I love you, Honey!

24. While we were still dating, my husband spent one whole Saturday with me (unusual with his job).  He went with me to the vet to pick up medicine for my poor cat (whom he did not like). He took me out in a canoe for the first time ever and arranged a picnic lunch for us.

As I started to get out of the canoe, I slipped and while I had one foot in the boat and one foot on land, the canoe started going further and further from the shore.  I was going to fall!  Before I could do a splash down, he stepped into the water and gently put me on the shore. Even though his shoes and pants were soaked we had a sweet romantic picnic and he became my hero that day. We have been married 10 years, and though that time has not been easy, he is still my hero.

25. We have been married for almost 28 years, but for our tenth anniversary, my husband arranged with my boss for me to be off from work for two days so that I could attend our son’s Circus Day at his Pre-K school on Friday, enjoy the weekend, and relax on Monday. He arranged for my mother to fly from Tennessee to Baltimore, where we were living. Without my help or knowledge, he contacted friends and relatives who could not come to our wedding in Tennessee and invited them to our church service on Sunday, which is the day our anniversary happened to be on that year.

At the end of service, right after the benediction, our pastor at the time announced that my husband and I were going to renew our vows! Wow! What a chock full of surprises! Thank goodness my sister encouraged me to look extra special on that day.

My husband seemed to enjoy every minute of it. It was a wonderful experience.

26. The most romantic thing my husband does for me almost daily is when the house is nice and quiet and the kids have gone to bed. He shuts off the TV and the cell phones, lights a few candles, and he brushes my hair while whispering how much he loves me and how we are meant to be together forever.

27. David, my beloved husband of 27 years, still wolf whistles when he finds me in the grocery store. I will be shopping and hear a wolf whistle from the end of the aisle. It’s my husband who has finally located his wandering wife. It always puts a very big smile on my face.

28. On our third anniversary he had roses delivered to my work place and he’s the type of guy to not express himself in public.

29. My husband has a hard time sharing his heart with me. Last June we celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary and instead of the usual Hallmark card he wrote me a three-page letter sharing his heart. He let me into his personal thoughts and it made feel very special knowing he did something he isn’t usually comfortable doing. He knew it would mean a lot to me and he was right! It is tucked away in my nightstand drawer where I pull it out from time to time!

He told me he would always love me no matter what I did or said or have done.  You have to understand why he said that—I have a disorder that makes me not the nicest person sometimes and I say and do things that I do not mean, I can control it better with medication but I still have my days. He makes time for me every Saturday or Sunday night to spend with me while the kids are in bed and we get to do whatever I want to do.

30. I have an amazing husband. He does many romantic things, but one of them is to paint my toenails when I am pregnant.

31. My husband asked me to install a content filter on his laptop before he deployed to Afghanistan.  He didn’t want to be tempted to look at anything that would hurt me or our marriage since we would be apart for so long.

32. For my fortieth birthday week he brought a different gift to my work (I work at a school).  First was chocolates in the shape of a 40, balloons the next day, flowers the next, a picture frame of our wedding photo the next, and then more flowers for that Friday.

He did not stop there—he had a huge party for me with 40 friends and then prayed over me giving thanks, it was so sweet and romantic.  I know that he loves me and he is my perfect gift.  God has richly blessed me with a man of God!

33. I must first say that I am really blessed to have a very thoughtful and romantic husband, who is very good about doing thoughtful things for me on a regular basis. So I really have a few I could list. The one that comes to mind first right now is when the kids where young, we had three all two years or so apart. We didn’t really have a lot of extra money to go out.

He told me we were going on a special date, so we both got dressed up.  The kids were visiting his sister for the night. He had the table all set with our good china, candles, and flowers for me! He made a delicious dinner and one of our favorite fruit tort desserts! So we just stayed home, all dressed up and enjoyed our evening together! It really meant a lot to have him take the extra time to make dinner, and dessert and even have the kitchen clean!

34. My wife took me on a blindfolded tour on my fortieth birthday including a private dinner at a castle. She kept me guessing the whole time. Very exciting.  I think the après dinner was exciting too!

35. One of my favorite memories is the day my husband drove toward the mountains to find snow just for me. He shoveled some into the bed of his truck, drove back home, and dumped it in the front yard. We spent the afternoon building a snowman and throwing snowballs! What a fun and thoughtful surprise! That year we found a snowman ornament for our Christmas tree so we can always remember that special day!

36. We were at a big event with over 500 people. They had a live DJ, and my husband asked the DJ if he could recite a poem, which he did, and let everyone l know how he thanked God for his wife.

37. The most romantic thing my spouse has ever done was surprising me for our anniversary by taking me to Disney World without the children for a week. He arranged for my parents to come watch them during school and took the time off from work without me asking. Felt strange but it was quality time I needed to fill my love tank. Happened this once and never again, making it romantic and special.

38. My dear husband takes me shopping, waits for me in a comfortable chair nearby, and reads his book while I leisurely shop.  Another thing he does that is so kind and romantic is to put oil on my back after my shower.

39. Our church was participating in a Daniel fast for 21 days.  I just knew he would never consent to doing the fast so I just bought food for myself and figured I’d do the best I could do on my own.  Much to my surprise and joy, he told me that he was going to fast with me and at the end of 21 days, I can actually say that he has been my Daniel fast chef and biggest cheerleader throughout the last three weeks.  That spoke such love to me.  I will never forget it ever!

40. My husband has done a lot of romantic things in the past. But the latest thing was huge to me. We love camping in our travel trailer but our old truck was so rough for me. (I have degenerative discs in my lower back.) So the truck ride always had me in a lot of pain, to the extent of crying and popping pain pills. So he bought us a newer truck that doesn’t hurt me. I am so blessed to have a husband that thinks of me and we can continue to enjoy each other on our trips in the States.

41. This is a very memorable Valentine’s Day present:  I don’t like chocolate at all.  Instead, I enjoy sour/sweet candy such as sweet tarts, sourballs, etc.  On our very first Valentine’s Day together, he presented me with a heart shaped, red box of candy and a very beautiful and sweet card.   As I accepted the box, I’m sure I had a very sour look on my face because I just don’t like chocolate and I remember thinking, “He just doesn’t know me at all!”

I was so disappointed but as I opened the box, I noticed very quickly that it was a box of sour balls!  My favorite!   He had spent the night before eating all the chocolate candies (poor thing!) and replacing them with sourballs! What a man who is after my heart! Thank you, God … we have now been married for 12 years!   By the way, my husband is a chocoholic!

42. My husband surprised me by having my sister fly in to stay with our children while he whisked me away to a fancy hotel in the city. We spent the afternoon strolling through the city market and then dinner at a private club a top one of the tallest buildings in the city. In a word … perfect!

43. A few weeks ago I was having a horrible day … battled to get myself and kids out the door to Bible study/playgroup, spent the whole time there policing my 3-year-old and trying to get my infant daughter to fall asleep instead of soaking up the study with my mom friends, cried all the way home and through my lunchtime call from my husband. An hour or so later I heard rustling downstairs and then found my amazing husband, coming home from work three hours early, flowers in hand, to take over at nap time so that I could be assured a nap, too. He is my knight in shining armor.

44. Lately one thing that my husband did that I found very romantic was that he listened when I had commented that for a gift I would be happy with a nice box of tea. When the festive occasion arrived he had bought me a bookmark with a holograph of hummingbirds on it (my favorite bird as it symbolizes creativity and generosity) with some simple loving words written on the back, a bar of dark chocolate, and a box of tea. Just that he heard my simple comment and acted on it in such a loving way really touched me. This has been one of his most thoughtful gifts to me yet. That is romantic.

45. One day when I was feeling like I’m not worth a lot, my wonderful husband turned to me and said, “I love you. You are my everything.” It was just what I needed to hear at that moment.

46. One year my husband made me a coupon book. He made it all on his own and really thought about the things I would appreciate. Watch a “chick flick” of my choice, play a board game, and the best by far … I got three coupons for grocery shopping, I made the list and he went to the store!

47. I used to travel a lot due to my career as a pro golfer.  After two weeks of traveling and upon returning home in the evening, my wife had already put our two boys down for bed.  I walked into the bedroom to find my wife standing there waiting for me.  I looked around to find the bedroom decked out with candles, shrimp cocktail on the coffee table with sparkling juice in the glasses and one of our favorite movies ready to play on the TV.  We enjoyed the movie, shrimp and juice … and each other.  That was 14 years ago and I still remember the great feelings that evoked and still do.  We’ve had many more since then.

48. We were afraid to have a baby because of finances (mostly). After lots of support from family and friends, we decided to try. While we were pregnant, we were still very concerned about finances. I remember my husband telling me not to worry, that he would make it work. Him telling me that was what I needed, but even better, now he’s doing it. He took a second job so I could stay home with our son. It was great for him to say it, but he followed through. God has blessed me with an amazing husband.

49. The most romantic thing was when hubby told me to dress up for Valentine’s Day and be ready early. It was snowing something fierce and I was a bit apprehensive. We drove an hour to our hometown, dropped the children off at my parents and drove downtown to the Top of the Five Seasons restaurant where he had taken me once while we were dating.

That night was probably 20 years ago or more; we’ll be married 30 years this summer. Being a stay-at-home wife and mom, with hubby being a currently inactive-because-of-the-economy realtor, going out for us these past few years has not been an option. I surely remember the year he took me “to the top!”

50. My husband and I lost a baby last April when I was 19 weeks pregnant.  We were devastated to say the least.  This was our first and we were so excited.

My all-time favorite musical artist is Van Morrison.  It was on my bucket list to see him perform live one day.  I had tried before to find tickets nearby to where we live and it seems he was always playing in the UK or on the west coast.

After our loss I suffered from post-partum for many weeks.  My husband was so supportive and loving, but my hormones and emotions got the best of me during that time.  I was overwhelmed with sadness and loss and not myself to say the least.  In early May of last year my husband called me from work and said he had planned a surprise for our anniversary and that it would require travel by car.  He wouldn’t tell me what it was or where we were going.  As we drove I tried to guess where we were going, but was wrong each time.  Finally after seven hours in the car we pulled into a hotel in Alpharetta, Georgia (a town outside of Atlanta).  My husband said with a triumphant smile, “We’re here!”

The look on my face must have said it all because he said “You want to know what we are doing here?”  He reached into the back seat and after fumbling through his portfolio he pulled out two tickets for the Van Morrison concert in Alpharetta that night! The amphitheater was just minutes from the hotel he had chosen for us to stay in. I sat in disbelief for what seemed like a lifetime. I was so overcome with emotion not only by the romantic  and thoughtful action of my husband surprising me with such a wonderful gift, but also by what I saw as God’s hand in having that concert to fall on our anniversary weekend and to put it on my husband’s heart to happen to think of planning that!

It was the most wonderful weekend for us and a real turning point in my healing process.  God is so good to have given me the gift he has in my precious husband!  He truly is a gift that I get to enjoy every day.  I am thrilled to say that we are expecting a little boy this summer and that so far all is going well.

51. On my birthday my husband gave me a vase with exactly 100 roses. And, here comes the romantic part: each single rose had a little card on which he had written “I love you because …” and he really found 100 different reasons why he loved me! I am so thankful and happy that the Lord has sent me this man!

52. My husband is working and going to school.   I might be able to stay at home with our children when he is finished. I am so proud of him! He even made the Dean’s list!!

53. We married in the courthouse. Four years later we decided that it was time to marry in the church. On the wedding day, when the priest asked for the rings, my husband quickly got new wedding bands from his pocket. My husband later told me that he wanted for us to know the difference between the two weddings. Thirteen years later we still wear both wedding bands. That is romantic for me.

54. My husband and I had always talked about taking a cruise to Alaska.  When our tenth anniversary came around we decided to celebrate it by finally taking that cruise. It was a beautiful sight to see.  What I didn’t know was that he had made arrangements for us to redo our wedding vows while on that cruise! What a romantic thing to do! I wouldn’t consider my husband to be the romantic type, but he knows how to “wow” me when he chooses to.  Seven years later, I just love this man, and can’t get enough of him.

55. The most romantic thing my husband has ever done for me is to take my hand and pray for me. I have never in my life felt more loved than when he has done this for me. He simply reached my heart at the deepest level by loving me enough to take my concerns to our Jesus.

56. We were in the process of moving to our first home, so we had been working like crazy to get it ready (painting, tiling, etc). We were both worn out and so he e-mailed me while I was at work, just telling me what to pack for a one-night getaway and whisked me away to a hotel a few towns away to stay for the night to relax and rest. It was a bonus that the management heard our story and gave us a room with a Jacuzzi!

57. When I met my husband online, we were both older and had never been married. I had an adopted daughter, then 5, from Russia. The Christmas after we were engaged, but before we married, the three of us went to a restaurant in Frankenmuth, Michigan. Shortly after being seated, Santa Claus came into the restaurant. I pointed him out to my daughter—imagine her face when he came right over to our table and said, “Merry Christmas, Elliana!” He then gave her a big hug and a stocking filled with treats and posed for pictures. I was just as surprised as she was! It was truly magical. My husband-to-be had arranged it all. I always tell him that if I hadn’t fallen in love with him already, I would have at that moment.

58. Several years ago we went to the Boundary Waters of Canada on a canoe trip with his best friend and the best friend’s 14-year-old.  I had never done anything like that: paddling a canoe across unknown waters, carrying the canoe and all of our belongings (on our backs) across land, setting up tents and cooking over a fire while hearing stories of bears, etc.  By the time I crashed (passed out) in my sleeping bag that first night, I was in tears!  I couldn’t imagine six more days of this. It was at this point that my husband pulled out a Snickers candy bar!  I cried, again.  This time it was pure joy that my husband had planned ahead—such a unique way to bless me (there are no 7-11’s in the wilderness!).  What a man!

59. The most romantic thing my husband ever did for me was when I was at work one day. He went into the kitchen, scrubbed my kitchen counters, and made them shine beautifully. He reorganized all my spices alphabetically and he just made my kitchen look brand new.  When I got home it was just so special that he would take the time to do that for me.  He continues to do this for me all the time.  I just love that! I know it doesn’t sound like much, but to me it’s the best thing he could have ever done for me.  When you cook all the time, it’s the most wonderful thing somebody could do for you.

60. I will seize every opportunity to talk about my husband; he is wonderful! It’s not the one romantic thing that he does; it’s the continual show of love and respect that tells me that my husband does indeed love me as Christ loved the church. For example, he values my opinion, he praises my accomplishments in front of other, and always opens the car door for me. Every morning he leaves me a little love note on a napkin under my coffee cup … and he writes poems to me. Once he hid a poem he wrote on my laptop and then sent me (via e-mail) on a treasure hunt to find it. The occasion? There wasn’t one; he just loves me!

61. He thanks me every day for the things I do as a wife and mom.  He also rolls up his sleeves and pitches in to help with the dishes and even the laundry.  Now, that’s romantic.

62. My husband, Amar, is a pretty romantic man. But what stands out for me was my first marathon. It was 10/10/10, my first marathon with Team World Vision. There were so many people around but Amar promised to meet me at several checkpoints throughout the course. I first saw him at mile 4.5 where I received my first hug and words of encouragement.

By mile 8, I was hot and dehydrated and ready to quit and I saw Amar waiting for me. I cried my eyes out and told him how badly I wanted to bow out, but instead, he promised to walk with me for as long as I needed. He walked with me for four miles! I made it to the halfway point and I told him that I would see him at the next checkpoint. He waited for me at mile 18, but didn’t see me (he thought I passed by already) so he walked to mile 20, and then to 22, but he couldn’t find me and walked back to mile 20. Scared and worried, he took a cab to the finish line and tried his best to look for me. Called the Red Cross, the marathon organizers, the charity I was running with, and nothing. I crossed the finish line at 7:30 and couldn’t stop crying. What an accomplishment! Amar made me feel so very loved that day. I was extremely touched at how far he traveled—Amar walked a full 12 miles—to support and encourage me. He is an amazing man!

63. My husband took me out on a photo shoot (he was the photographer). We went to different areas in town, had me change clothes, and we even stopped at a boat shop and they let me take pics on their boats (really cool pics).

Then weeks went by and I forgot about the pics. I came home to arrows on the staircase (made out of heart stones). Some steps had a message like “this way” and “almost there.” They led me to my bedroom (he was hiding in the bathroom) and when I opened the door there was all the photos and some others of friends (taken earlier) hanging at the bottom of balloons. The bed had a box with the rest of the photos, a candle with a special message on it, a dozen roses, and a poem he had written for me.

We went to dinner where a ton of friends were waiting to share my birthday with me. This was a memory I will never forget and will cherish always! I thank God for sending my husband to me!

64. Years ago, my husband searched all over Little Rock for a skeleton key.  Finally found one.  Made a very sweet card on some construction paper saying that I had the key to his heart and taped the key to the card.  Valentine’s night he had candles and our fine china set on the table along with a cheesecake he had also purchased.  Very romantic!  He’s taking me away this year for a night somewhere on Valentine’s weekend!  Don’t know where, but I’ll be with the best man in the world!

65. He won my heart when we were first started dating with an audio tape he made for me on my birthday. He imitated our college professor’s voices, all wishing me a happy birthday, and in addition he added beautiful songs. We have been married for 10 years now, and over the years he did another couple of romantic keepsakes for me.

However, once we began having children, it sort of stopped.  Don’t get me wrong, our marriage is like a little piece of heaven, but he just did not have time to do that sort of thing anymore.  Well, I used to bug him about how he doesn’t do that any more, and he made me a video for our 10-year anniversary that was just absolutely beautiful.  I would like to share it but it is too large to send in an email.  It shows pictures of us dating before we knew the Lord, then pictures of us as the new couple in the Lord, our engagement video, our wedding pictures, pictures of our childless days, then pictures with our kids, video with our kids wishing me a happy anniversary (priceless because our 3-year-old could not say anniversary), pictures of us with the kids, and (he titles this our future) he even added pictures of old couples kissing each other, and finally, he showed a picture of the Lord.

66. My wife cooks for me all the time, although I can cook myself. (And yes, she likes my cooking too!)

67. He came to Las Vegas with me for a work trip.  We were wandering around, and walked into a casino where scantily dressed women were up on the tables dancing very provocatively.  My husband took one look, then looked at me and said “Let’s go, I don’t need to see this!”  I was touched to the point of tears that he would do that.

68. Valentine’s Day has been a rough time for my husband as he works for Edible Arrangements–and Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest holidays for them. Last year I was hanging out with some girlfriends in an attempt to not think about what day it was and that I wasn’t with my husband. I did one of my friend’s make up and helped the other dress for a date. They both had boyfriends who showered them with gifts. One was in another state but had sent his girl several very sweet gifts. And the other had driven a couple of hours to see her, bringing her birthday and Valentine’s gifts.

While I tried to be happy for them, all I could think was, “I’m the one who’s married, and I don’t have anything!” I wasn’t even expecting anything due to our financial situation. After one of the girls left on her date, I sat down with the other and just cried. Right as we were making other plans for the evening, since I had no idea when my husband was going to get off, my husband called saying he was on his way home. I dashed home, crying but feeling selfish for doing so.

I got home and fell into my husband’s arms, just glad that he wasn’t working anymore and was with me. Then, he gave me an Edible Arrangement: a bouquet of white and dark chocolate covered strawberries. I was shocked! He had saved all his tips and extra money and had received a major discount on the arrangement. I felt so special. We enjoyed the strawberries that night and made them last a couple of nights thereafter.

69. At my fiftieth birthday party my wife surprised me with a weekend trip to the Poconos. She had made the arrangements ahead of time and even got me the day off the following Monday when we would be returning. She even wanted to pack for the both of us but due to time constraints in getting my party set up she did not have the chance.

70. In my kitchen we have a huge picture window that overlooks the woods.  Most mornings a family of deer will come just to the tree line to take a look around.  Last year for Valentine’s Day my husband bought me a bag of deer corn and a “salt lick.”  He strategically placed the salt lick just this side of the wood line, and a couple of times a week my husband would go out and spread a gallon or so of deer corn.  My deer now come out of the woods just enough so I can enjoy them as I drink my coffee in the mornings.

For Christmas this year my husband bought me an automatic deer feeder.  This way he can fill the feeder up once week.  The deer feeder goes off twice a day—once in the morning, and once in the evening while I am cooking dinner.  I love watching the deer.  My beautiful husband knows how much they mean to me, and makes a point to make sure they are fed, so they will keep coming back.

71. There are so many I don’t know where to begin … I am so blessed.  When we were first married and he traveled a lot he left a note on the CD player that said:  press play.  The song was “Forever My Love.”  Another time he invited me on a business trip to Australia by leaving a travel brochure that he had made himself to include the things we would be doing there.  He left ahead of me.  The weather was supposed to be cold but when he landed he called and said … pack warm clothes for three days and a bathing suit.  When I arrived we spent four days in Sydney and then we flew to Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef.  Then he ordered a wine and cheese backpack from our hotel and took me to a secluded beach.  Last Valentine’s Day I woke up to my favorite chocolates on the counter but the box was ringing with a new touch-screen phone inside.

72. For Christmas morning, my husband built an ice-skating rink in our yard, helped our daughter put on her brand new skates, and took her outside to skate.

73. Leading up to Valentine’s Day I asked my wife a question a day … such as, what is your favorite love song, your favorite song, favorite movie, favorite color, favorite snack, favorite dinner, etc. Then I surprised her in her office on the Friday before Valentine’s Day, cancelled her class (she’s a college professor) and took her away for the weekend. During the weekend I incorporated as many of her favorites as possible.  She really enjoyed the weekend!

74. The most romantic thing my husband has ever done for me, wasn’t something he actually did … it was something he wanted to do.  After being unemployed for over two years, money was tight, to say the least.  One day my husband looked at me across the room, in the middle of watching a football game no less, and said, “You know what I’d like to do?  I’d like to take you away for a weekend, just you and me, no kids!”  The fact that he was thinking about that, while watching the game made me realize just how special he is, and how blessed I am!

75. Do I have to limit it to just one? One of the sweetest things my husband does is whenever anyone asks how or when we met (over 18 years ago), he tells them, all the while looking at me with the cutest smile and twinkle in his eye, “I noticed her noticing me!”  It so quickly takes my mind to that moment when I was noticing him, and I feel so loved to know he still thinks of me in light of that moment, too.  Thanks, Honey!  I love you, too! 

76. My husband knows my love language is gifts. It is not the price that counts, but the thought behind it. He brings me my favorite dessert, tiramisu, to work sometimes. Or when I have worked a long day he will make me a bath that is ready when I get there. It is not really the most romantic thing he has ever done, but all the many romantic things he has done. He is such a good husband!

77. The most romantic thing my husband, Garr, has done for me took place last Valentine’s Day. For a while we had talked about going on a Weekend to Remember—it was a tough year financially so we agreed that it would be best to wait until the next year to attend one. Little did I know, he had already begun his planning.

My husband took care of every detail of planning going to the Weekend to Remember in Hershey, Pennsylvania. He organized babysitters for all three of our children (7, 4, and 10 months at the time), he packed all their bags, he packed bags for us (and even included all those little things that women “need” and men don’t seem to understand the need for), he organized the perfect date night at a very formal restaurant (and, yes, packed the perfect dress to bring along as well!). All without me knowing a thing about it.

That day he arranged for me to meet a friend for lunch then go shopping. After I got home he asked me to go for a ride with him. I thought it was a little odd that all the kids were gone, but I went along with it. About two hours into the drive to Hershey he asked me if I was curious where we were going. I was, but I was also enjoying the time together so much I wasn’t worried about where we would end up. That’s when he told me all he had planned. I was blown away by the time he took to plan each detail—and put our marriage at that high of a priority. We had a great weekend, and certainly will be one we always remember!

78. There are so many romantic things my wife has done for me I could write a book about them. The most recent occurred this weekend. She is a co-leader of a women’s group. A part of their study is marriage and God’s design for it. The study concludes with a weekend away for the whole group (including husbands of course) to be together.

During one of the sessions the wives shared what their husbands mean to them. It took courage for them to all share so deeply and not only on the surface. My wife took the time to compose a poem and then read the poem to me. After the first line I had tears in my eyes. She mentioned one thing that I had always thought was one of my strengths; no one at any other time in my life had ever mentioned or even noticed it. I thought all those years I was being arrogant to think that of myself. She noted it as strength and one of the things that had drawn her to me. I was overwhelmed. She is a wonderful woman anyway, but this put her over the top in my book and that is the only one that counts.

79. My spouse (a lover of all things jazz and blues) joined the Vince Gill and Brooks and Dunn fan clubs to surprise me with front row tickets to their concerts (classic country) and a meet-and-greet with my country “crushes.” The meet-and-greet was me only, he waited outside while I got to meet them in person!

80. We were both divorced, both just learning how to date all over again. After he got off work one night, the doorbell rang, so I opened it and all I could see was this the largest bouquet of red roses that I had ever seen in my life. All I could do was stand there in surprise, with tears coming to my eyes, as no one had ever thought to give me anything like this in my life! All of a sudden, my future husband peeked out from behind the roses, smiling the sweetest smile. I told him, “I have never in my life received roses, let alone a bouquet like this! This had to have cost you a fortune! You really shouldn’t have done this! I feel really bad for what this must have cost you!”

He looked at me and said, “I think you are worth it!” To that, all I could do was hug him, still on my back doorstep and cry and cry, and finally in between the tears, laughingly, told him to come in. He gave me the biggest hug and kiss as he handed the flowers to me. I sat them down and just looked at them and cried. I don’t think I will ever forget that moment!

I took a picture that I keep in a “marriage collage frame” in our bedroom, so I will be sure to never forget it. That’s just how endearing and sweet he is. Every wife deserves to get a bouquet like I did that day! He can be the orneriest and most irritating, but the sweetest and most endearing man, I think I will ever know.  I am so blessed and know it!

81. We lived in Germany and I was going to school to get my master’s degree. Oftentimes I would leave right after work, drive more than an hour to get to class, sit in class for three hours and then drive an hour and a half back home. It made for some pretty long days!

For almost two years he would sneak across town at lunch time or on his way home from work and leave a candy bar or something to eat or drink in my car, just a little something that said, “I’m thinking about you and I care” on class nights.  He also sat in the car outside the testing location when I sat through my 4-5 hour comprehensive exam.

82. The most romantic thing my husband did for me was on our wedding night. I walked into our hotel room to find it littered with rose petals and candles everywhere, even floating in the tub.  But this is not what caught my attention.  On my pillow was a gift.  I opened it to find a journal that he had been keeping for the few weeks right before he proposed to me.  He wrote everything in it—how he shopped for the ring, what I was doing on certain days, how I had just gotten home from the hospital.  He kept going after he proposed, too … talking about the day I went shopping with my girlfriends for my dress, the baseball team we ran and how he arranged for me to miss a game so I could do girlie wedding things. It was all in there.  Just beautiful, and I still read it today.

83. I’m a field sales engineer, so I spend much of my time in my car. My wife made me a couple CD entitled, “Songs That Remind Me of You.” My favorite track is “When You Love Someone.” It is a constant reminder of her love for me … and my love for her.

84. I can’t pick just one …

It was our sixteenth anniversary. My husband’s mother had come up from Florida to visit as she does most years sometime in March. At the time, I thought it was great that she happened to be coming the weekend of our anniversary; he and I could go out and she could kid-sit. Well, that was all part of the plan, I later found out. I woke up that Friday morning and my husband said, “Have a bag packed for the weekend and be ready to leave at 1 p.m.” The first thing I said was, “I have a Girl Scout Cookie Booth scheduled tomorrow!” He said he had it all taken care of with a couple of the moms from the troop.

Later that day, he came home from work at lunchtime. Right before we left, he told me we were driving to Virginia Beach for the weekend. He had booked a ninth-floor room in a hotel with a jacuzzi facing the beach.   Though it rained pretty much the entire weekend (He had wonderful ideas of us strolling on the beach, etc.), we had fun being tourists and eating out. It was a lovely weekend alone with my hubby!

On the weekend of our seventeenth wedding anniversary, he had my mom come visit. She stayed with the kids while he took me on a surprise day trip. When we arrived at our destination, I cried with joy and appreciation of how thoughtful he was. We spent the day at a huge craft show! He followed me around for several hours carrying bags and running out to the car. It was so fun! We ate dinner at a restaurant on our way home.

On our thirteenth wedding anniversary, I went to a girls’ night out with friends. That was a Friday night. He and I were planning to go out on Saturday, so I went ahead and went to my friend’s party on Friday night. When I got to the party, several of our other friends were already there hanging out in the kitchen. I glanced at the huge bouquet of roses on the kitchen table, thinking they were a lovely touch for the party, but then turned my attention to everyone standing at the island where the food was.

Everyone kept talking and after a few minutes, I turned my attention back to the roses just because they were so beautiful and I took a sniff. It was then that I saw the card sticking out with my name on it in big letters! I couldn’t believe it! My friends laughed and commented how special it was that he had them delivered to my friend’s house earlier in the day. There were 13 roses for our thirteenth anniversary.

Early on in our marriage, before kids, I had to work on the Presidents’ Day holiday in February one year. My husband was off that day. When I got home from work, the lights were low and there was a candlelight dinner set up in our living room by the fireplace. My husband was wearing a nice dark suit and an apron, and had cooked Chinese stir-fry for dinner! He also had a dozen roses on the table which he had purchased cheaply because it was the week after Valentine’s Day! I was really surprised!