My Wonderful Wife Kristi

I've been thinking about doing a post like this for a while. I just wanted to write a few things that I think are wonderful about my sweet wife Kristi. Those of you who know her pretty well will already know most of this but it's important to say, even if she'll be slightly embarrassed by this post. :) I think everyone needs such embarrassment at times.

I don't think it's possible to not like Kristi. I've always been impressed with how people just seem to like her. She's not one of those super outgoing people (but she's certainly more outgoing than I am) but she makes friends easily and people enjoy talking with her. That's how we started liking each other - we worked side-by-side in the HBLL at BYU for 20 hours a week and had ample opportunity to talk. I still convinced that my family likes Kristi more than they like me! Who wouldn't? I certainly do. :) I've thought about what's the underlying quality that makes Kristi so likable. It's hard for me to pin it down. It's probably summed up by the following qualities: she's very nice and sweet and supportive. Kristi is also very thoughtful. People are just comfortable around her. I could go on but there are more qualities I'd like to write about.

Kristi is very organized. She loves calendars and lists. She absolutely loves crossing things off "To Do" lists! If I ever had a To Do list (it's possible I might have one written down some day - well, knowing me it'd be digital), I'd let her cross things off for me because she likes it so much. :) Kristi loves putting and keeping things in order; not like lining up toys - that would be obsessive - but she likes having binders and folders for everything. I'm sort-of the opposite. My organization falls under the Controlled Chaos scheme. At some point thing build up and I organize but until then not much is done. Kristi can walk by something and it will seem to organize itself!

Kristi is also very patient and level-headed. She'd make an excellent first response disaster coordinator. She'd remain calm and be able to direct everyone. I've had other people comment to me about how Kristi always seems so level-headed. She is. As I said, if disaster ever strikes - contact Kristi; she'll be able to formulate a plan and see it completed. That leads to another great quality of hers: she's very very dependable. If Kristi says she'll do something, she will. It reveals the integrity of her character. She's always been good at fulfilling her church callings - whether they are visit teaching or being in a Primary or Relief Society Presidency. About the only thing Kristi hasn't done is be in a Young Women's Presidency. She doesn't seek for leadership positions at church (her ideal calling is as a Primary pianist) but she's had the opportunity to serve in them. Kristi takes the gospel and church responsibilities very seriously. Kristi is one of the "doers" who gets things done.

Kristi is also a wonderful mother. She says that she doesn't know much about parenting - I certainly know the feeling - but she majored in Marriage, Family, and Human Development at BYU. She's researched parenting and she constantly scours multiple sources for ways to be a better mother. While academic knowledge doesn't necessarily directly translate to practical situations, Kristi's done a great job with applying her college degree to her life (she picked MFHD because she knew that there is nothing more important in life than family). I've seen countless people turn to Kristi for parenting advice. She's very humble and would tell you that she doesn't know very much but she really does. Our two girls are wonderful children; this has been all Kristi's doing.

Is Kristi perfect? Probably not, but I neither see nor look for any faults. I'm still amazed that she agreed to marry me. Now we've been married for just over 6 years and have two wonderful children. In the church we sometimes talk about the strength of the pioneer women - Kristi's inherited that strength. She has ancestors who walked to Utah. She has ancestors who crossed the stormy Atlantic on the Mayflower to start a new life in a new land. But of all of Kristi's qualities, her greatest is that she is a Mother (and a great one at that!). I couldn't ask for a better person to raise our children or to be my companion in this life and the next.