I don’t know a lot about marriage. Even after 13 years I find it to be exasperating most of the time.

It feels like work a lot. And I know it shouldn’t be. But with 4 kids, autism, an emotional 8 year old, sports, a toddler, work, and a baby…well, we could very well be speaking different languages most days.

But this afternoon, watching my husband get in the pool with 15 rambunctious, crazy, insanely loud boys, I remembered exactly why I married this guy and will gladly spend the rest of my life with him.

Find the guy who plays with the kids. Who throws the football and launches kids 5 feet in the air. The one who the kids are drawn too and who doesn’t skip a beat when his shoes end up at the bottom of the pool.

Before kids...I had no idea how important this time is.

See I'm typically the one who plans the events. And packs the swimsuits, goggles, and towels. The one who coordinates the time in the pool and digs out the suits and swim diapers.

And I always put my swimsuit on too. I want to be fun too. The cool mom. I can admit that I will never be the fun dad dunking and throwing and chasing.

I'm so thankful for him. And the 60 minutes I get to sit here and watch.

I think this might be the secret to a long marriage even.

The guy who gets in the pool. The guy who the kids love.