Tony and I lived in NE Washington for 7 years. We were about 95 miles outside of Spokane up close to the Canadian border. The winters were always cold and snowy. I loved it. Our first month living in Kettle Falls was November. On the first day of school for our son, snow had fallen heavily during the early morning hours. We woke up shocked to say the least. When you wake up to snow (uh… not real snow) in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, everyone knows you turn on the radio or the tv to listen to the news. The school closures would scroll across the bottom of the screen. Just a whisper of “snow”, closes everything. People in Oregon cannot function at all with just a light dusting. Anyway, I got up to check the news, there was nothing. I woke our son up and told him to get dressed and we would drive to town to see if the schools were open. Tony was fussing because I had never driven in much snow, but he knew the roads would be clear (thank you Stevens Co snowplow drivers), so he thought we would be ok going without him. Well, sure enough! Everything in town was open. We were told the school had only closed one time in the past 18 years, so no need to watch the news. I learned pretty quickly that driving in the snow was not a difficult task, as long as you lived in a place where the county knows what they are doing and the people around you are used to driving in it. There were things about snow and winter driving that I had not considered, my BIG mistake.

It snowed in Oregon today. I woke up to about 6 inches on the ground. I was so excited. What a beautiful sight to see. As I got myself ready for work, I quickly realized Tony wasn’t here to make sure the roads were safe for me to drive on. He wasn’t here to start my car to make sure I wasn’t cold. There was no loving man outside brushing the snow from my doors and windows, there was no one to call and check on me to make sure I made it there safe, or to call me before I began my drive home.

I felt sorry for myself all the way to work this morning and again on the way home. As I sit here tonight and think about my life the past 14 years, I think how blessed I have been. How God gave me such a wonderful man that loved me beyond measure. My happiness was truly his happiness. He spoiled me by going the extra mile to provide the best for me, and by the best, I mean his loving gestures of starting the car when it was cold, sweeping the snow off the windows, and his watching over me so I would be safe. He knew what his job was as my husband. He knew what the Lord expected of him in our marriage.

Ephesians 3:19 – Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.

Tony, you fulfilled the duties required of you and you did it with joy in your heart. If there was ever a Knight as in fairy tales, you are mine. My Knight in Overalls and Work Boots. I love you, CL