Written by Chad -

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I thought it was be fun to publicly proclaim why I love my wife, Amber, so much. I thought I would put together a fun list of the top 12 (her favorite number by the way) reasons I'm excited about spending the rest of my life with her. So let's get right to it:

12. Her sense of adventure
Whether she is trudging through snow in sub-arctic weather to get an amazing frozen sunrise over Lake Michigan or skipping through the leaf covered trail in northern Wisconsin, Amber loves being active and out in nature. I'm so thankful that she is this way because I'm such a home body. Without her, I wouldn't have noticed how beautiful our planet really is.

11. Her amazing talents
This girl has amazing aim and I'm not talking about the obvious. One fall weekend, we went up north with some friends. Our friends thought it would be fun to go to the gun range and shoot. At the time, Amber had not shot a gun for quite awhile and I hadn't been around guns since I was little. So, we could easily say we were rusty. After we got the targets set up, Amber destroyed everyone on accuracy and consistency. What the Heck?!? I'm so thankful to know that if things go south and there is a zombie apocalypse, I will always be able to rely on her to hit her mark. :)

10. Her consistent goofiness
Amber always makes sure that the people around her are having a GREAT time. Her desire to make everyone happy and feel love is something that I've always wanted to have on my personality resume. One way she does this is her consistent goofiness and silliness. Her unique ways of bringing laughter into the conversation is inspiring and I'm so happy that I have someone who can make me laugh, no matter what mood I'm in.

9. Her leadership ability
Amber's ability to take something and run with it makes my life somewhat easier. She is so good at leading people and guiding them to their end goal. Her ability to communicate and describe the situation is mind boggling. I tend to find myself following her more than leading her because she's so darn good at it. I love the fact that I'm constantly learning how to be a better leader from an amazing person.

8. Her love for her sisters
Amber would give up everything for her sisters. She is willing to give up hours, days and even weeks to spend time with her sisters. She loves them with every fiber in her being and it is very inspiring. It helps me stay accountable with my brother.

7. Her creative ability
Even though we tend to disagree in the very beginning when we brainstorm design ideas, we usually end up going with Amber's idea because she has thought through everything from every angle. I'm usually the guy who likes to check it off the list, but Amber loves to slow things down and think it through. My skill set as a designer has been sharpened by her and I'm so thankful to have her as a coworker.

6. Her blog knowledge
I always laugh when she says she doesn't like to read unless it's in a blog format. She loves reading blogs for learning, improving as a follower of Christ, understanding camera gear, running a business and for a good laugh. Without her, I would totally be out of the loop on what's happening on the internet.

5. Her skill as a photographer
Not may people can say that they turned their hobby into a profession, but Amber can. She took a weekend hobby and turned it into a successful business. Don't get me wrong, there was a lot of hard work involved and a lot of grace from God to make it happen, but her passion and drive really fueled it. Even when she was having difficulty in the beginning, she would always say it was what God created her to become. How inspiring is that?!!! I'm tearing up just thinking about it.

4. Her passion for missions
She is always talking about the next mission trip—even from the first time I met her. Amber believes in the importance of going out and spreading the Good News. I'm so thankful that she has a heart for missions because it pushes me in my faith. Without her, I wouldn't have found my gifts and talents as a believer in Christ.

3. Her desire to disciple
Amber is motivated by Matthew 28:18-20 which says, "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'” She loves encouraging and mentoring people in their faith. The impact that she has had on other people doesn't measure up to the impact she has had on my life. Without her, I wouldn't even know Christ today.

2. Her love for me
Words can't describe the love she has for me. I've never felt so loved by someone in my entire life and I'm so thankful that it's Amber.

1. Her dedication to loving Christ every day
Her daily time in the Word of God, random prayer outbreaks and endless worshipping to God is truly inspiring. Amber strives every waking minute to be obedient and "a pleasing aroma" to God. She loves Him so much that it oozes from her. That ooze helps me stay on top of my game and I can't thank her enough for that because, boy do I need it.

I love you Amber and I want to wish you a Happy Valentine's Day!!