Reason #8

He is an excellent father.  Some people do not think step-parents are real parents.  That's crap.  He's amazing as a father, and his step-daughters love him to bits and pieces.  He helps me model what I hope they have in a relationship someday - he helps them with their homework, he drives them where they need to be, he encourages strongly and corrects seldom, he shows them the world in ways they haven't seen and he encourages them to see the world in ways that they want to as well.  He teaches them not to be afraid.  He teaches them to embrace kindness in their hearts.  He brings them to temple, and participates fully in our home spiritual life, though he's not Jewish (in fact, he's an atheist.)  He apologizes to them when he's made a mistake as well, and is not afraid to let them see him deal with emotions.  If he feels sad, it's okay, and they then see how adult men can be emotional too.  And he helps them laugh - every day of our lives we laugh together, and when the children see us laugh they laugh too.  They learn so many lessons and he loves them with all his heart.  He is a gift I give to my daughters - a steady rock of patience and kindness and intelligence that I have not met the match of.