The One and Only

MY WIFE:

She organized the raising of $120,000 within a month or two in order to help her mom pay for stem cell cancer treatment. If my family did not have Lisa, we would likely be viewed as anti-social. Why, you ask? Well, if Lisa didn't keep us straight on appointments and calendars, we'd likely never see the light of day.

She takes an honest and loving interest in the lives of her friends and neighbors. If we haven't seen a certain person at church or around the neighborhood, she's the first to notice. Cookies will soon follow and relationships are re-forged.

She follows her gut (the spirit). I can't count the number of times she's received major inspiration that, when followed, has helped our family immensely. And we're talking LARGE decisions like moving, and having kids. It usually starts with a wane smile and a comment like, "Lance...I need to talk to you about something."

She can put on a happy face. If I am angry or irritated, everyone knows about it and everyone feels that negative energy. I can't even wonder how that is a good quality to have. Lisa can put on a smile and positively charge others even when she's not at the top of her game because she puts others' needs ahead of her own.

She worries about me more than I worry about myself. She'll ask questions that I've never even posed to myself that make me realize she has my best interests at heart.

She's damn smart. Did you know Lisa graduated college with honors? Magna or Suma Cum-something. She even got a 4.0. If you ever need a teacher who's the smartest of ALL teachers, Lisa is your man....er...woman!

Lisa keeps a dang clean home. Our kids have come back from other peoples' homes (no offense, seriously) and commented on how much they enjoy living in a clean house.

Lisa has had a gazillion callings over the years and she never fails to magnify them. She thinks about the people she's responsible for and puts her thoughts and feelings into action by serving them and their needs. She prays for people with sincerity.

Did you know Lisa can play sports? If the ward/stake sports people knew about her genealogy, she'd never get OUT of church sports. She can play basketball and volleyball as well as anyone I know. Heck, she even played softball for many years when she was younger.

Lisa can SING. In high school, Lisa quit playing sports and student government and asked her parents for singing lessons. She's an anomaly in her family because her dad and sister can't carry a tune in a bucket! She took professional voice lessons and got REALLY good. She's always telling me that my voice is better than hers, but everyone that knows us knows that is a royal CROCK of hoo-doo. She just doesn't want to get asked to sing at funerals and sacrament meetings. Honestly, if you could hear her sing "All I Ask of You" from Phantom or "On My Own" from Les Miserables, you'd be amazed. That voice belongs on Broadway.

Lisa gets me all excited. I'm sorry, but she's hot! She gets more beautiful with age, which most people are not blessed with.

The second thing that attracted me to Lisa was her confidence. Holy crap this woman knew who she was, where she was going in life and had it all planned out to the minute! She sweats confidence. Not arrogance, but true, womanly confidence.

And lastly, my kids have all asked me over the years whom I love most. They all know the answer: Mom. I make it clear that my love for Lisa is in a class all its own. Those kids got nothin' on her!