11 years ago I married Sam Knecht in the Los Angeles LDS Temple for time and all eternity.  There has never been any moment, not even a second, of the last 11 years that I wished I wasn't married to Sam.  I am the luckiest girl in the world to be married to Sam Knecht.  I love him even more today than I did 11 years ago.  There are so many reasons to love him.  I'd like to share 11 (in no particular order) of the infinite reasons that I love him:

1.  Sam is the father of Ben.

It was so exciting and special to jump off into parenthood together with Ben as our first.  Every little experience of becoming a parent was even better because it was with Sam.

2. Sam is the father of Tom.

When we found out I was pregnant with Tom we were stunned.  We were a little scared about being the parents of two children so close in age.  Sam moved on with courage and determination.  Not once did he ever back down from changing a diaper or getting up in the middle of the night to soothe a crying baby.  Becoming parents to 2 boys within 14 months of each other made us a stronger couple. 

3.  Sam is a "hands on" dad.

Sam loves doing activities with the kids.  He's the pumpkin carver, cake decorator, toy picker-upper and wrestle master of our house.  He can take just about any activity and turn into a fun time with our kids. 

4.  Sam loves the outdoors.

He loves to be playing outside or camping with our family. 

5. Sam is extremely good looking.

Nuff said. 

6.  Sam is a very hard worker.

Not only does he provide for our growing family, he takes care of a lot of the work around the house.  He would tell you that he's very lazy, but I know the truth, he's not.  In college he only got 2 B's and all the rest A's on his report card and now that he's working to provide for us he generally works 10-12 hours a day 5 days a week.  What's more, he's always willing and ready to pitch in immediately when he gets home from work.

(That's him shoveling snow in front of our house.) 

7.  Sam is the father of Eliza.

When we found out we were having a girl it took me a while to get excited.  Sam had been hoping for a girl all along.  Eliza is definitely daddy's little girl.  It's one of the sweetest things to see Sam holding and lovingly caring for our daughter.  I don't know what it is, but it's some how different from when the boys were babies.

8.  Sam loves to travel.

Sam loves to explore and experience new places.  It's so fun to be with him and learn new things about different places. 

9.  Sam married me in the Los Angeles LDS Temple.

Sam loved me enough to marry me for time and all eternity.  He takes that very seriously and has always honored the covenants and commiments that he made on that day, July 28, 2000.

10.  Sam has a great sense of humor.

Sam loves to laugh.  He has one of the best laughs ever!  He's really funny.  He gets the joke.  He loves being silly and having fun, but never at the expense of anyone else.

11.  Sam is my man.

Some women say that they've "married the man of their dreams".  I don't like that saying.  I prefer to think that I've married the man of my reality.  He's real.  He's has a few tiny imperfections, but it's because of those imperfections that he can love me, his imperfect wife.  He's my favorite person ever. 

I love you Sam Knecht.