Sounds like you're doing a great job.
Several years ago I wanted to change our living room--really dark paneling that just sucked up all the light. Knowing that DH hates change I said, "I'm going to paint the living room. Yes, I've been giving it some thought and I'm going to paint it to look like Greek ruins. I'm going to have that corner look like a big hole with the sky showing through and vines growing down the wall." He said, "NO WAY" Well, the more I insisted the more he said no. Finally he said, "Don't you dare paint this room. Promise me that you won't paint it while I'm gone." I gave in and agreed, he left for work (over the road trucker). That weekend when he got home I'd put up the prettiest wall paper and border! He decided he liked it (didn't have much choice) and said, "Well, you promised you wouldn't paint and you didn't. I'll learn to be more specific." He was laughing when he said it---probably a good thing.