I think this is my all-time favorite picture of Kim. It captures everything I love about her.

Day one of this project started with my Family.

After stating how I got the idea for this project the first person I name is Kim.

The first paragraph is about Kim.

Then I mention my boys.

Each of them got one short paragraph on day one. Later in the project, each of the boys got their own days. Friends got their own days. Kim never did. She never mentioned or maybe didn’t even notice that she’d not gotten her own day.

I have a better life because of this amazing woman.

Nicholas, Peter, and Jonathan all have better lives because of her.

But so do many, many other people. Kim is a stay at home Mom. Some say “you don’t work?” Well nothing could be further from the truth – she works harder than just about anyone I know – she just doesn’t get a paycheck.

She takes great care of us here at home showering us with love, good meals, a clean home, clean laundry, shopping for us, managing schedules and much more. There are so many things around the house that I just don’t know how to do anymore because as we say “That’s a Mama get”. Meaning – that’s something Kim takes care of… not me. There’s a lot of that stuff.

Never mind the things she’s done for me and our kids. She’s done a lot for our community and it’s a better place because of her.

Here are a few things she’s done for the community of Liberty Hill in the past 12 years. I’ll list them here because she never will:

• She started the Partners in Reading Program at LH Elementary School and personally read with several students – most who have graduated already or will this school year.
•  She and Mary McKenna started Rafflemania, a fund-raiser that has raised over $200,000 now for the Liberty Hill Elementary Schools. This tradition is still going on and continues to benefit our schools.
• She was the volunteer coordinator at the Elementary, Intermediate and Junior High Schools.
• She was the Vice President of the PTO of the Elementary School.
• When Nicholas started High School there was not a Volunteer Coordinator – so she created the position to help out when it was needed.
• She has been active in the Band Boosters since Nicholas was in 6th Grade Band and has been Fund-Raising Chair, Concession Stand Manager/Chair, Vice President and President for two years. This year she’s not an officer so she can be there to watch Nicholas in his Senior Year marching season – but that certainly won’t mean she won’t be volunteering – that’s what she does.
• She ran the Band Boosters Concession Stand and made it the most profitable it had ever been to that point, treating it like a business.
• As a member of the Band Boosters, she oversaw the creation of new fund-raisers, the trip to Disney World and more.
• She is a member of the School Health Advisory Committee.
• She was a member of the School Facilities Advisory Committee, and later an instrumental part of getting the bond package passed to start construction on a new High School that will be much needed in our community in the coming years.
• She’s active in the Liberty Hill Ladies Group and several other events in town.
• She is co-chair of the 2012 Project Graduation Committee.
• Best of all – she’s meticulous in keeping records and files and each time she leaves an office she passes on a notebook for the incoming officers outlining what she did, when, how it worked, what to do differently next time and other ideas so the ladies taking over her position don’t have to start from scratch like she often did. Hopefully, people put those notebooks to good use.

Me and Kim at Peter’s Graduation from UT Austin. My shirt is very Retro.

Kim is so cute. Kim has a heart of gold and is always there for her family and friends. If someone she loves is hurting – she’ll do whatever it takes to stop that pain (emotionally or physically). She’ll drop what she’s doing to be there for a friend.

She’s a great cook, home keeper, friend, and mate.

She is the funniest person I know. She’s the last person I want to talk to before I go to bed and the first person I want to talk to in the morning. She is the very model of the type of person I hope my sons find to marry them.

She’s my friend, my lover, my soul mate. Her essence permeates every day of my life and parts of her are scattered throughout this entire 100 Days of Gratitude project.

Kim knows everything there is to know about me with nothing held back. She loves me just the same – faults, quirks and all. What more could I ask for?

I look forward to Kim and I being that old couple holding hands at the movies, taking care of each other as we age, spoiling grandchildren and great-grandchildren together, traveling places, seeing things and collecting more of the incredible memories that we already have. I look forward to every day with Kim.

To know Kim is to love her. And I know her better than anyone in the world – which means I also love her more than anyone in the world.

Today – Day 100 of my 100 Days of Gratitude is for Kim Hofstetter. My friend. My lover. My wife. My soul-mate. I love you with all my heart Kimmi – even when you’re grumpy with me.