I bet you all didn't know I was a cougar? It's true. I turned 30 last July and my husband turns 30 on Wednesday. He's a hard person to plan anything for. He doesn't really like to party (although he's a DJ) and he doesn't drink (despite this picture.... I had to memorialize a rare drink with a picture.) So I decided instead to plan 30 fun things for us to do during the week of his 30th birthday.
To start things off I compiled a list of 30 reasons why I love my husband. I could have kept writing after I finished which is even more reason for me to love him.
So if you don't know my husband very well you're about to.
1. He's an amazing husband. And we're well past the honeymoon phase so you would think some of that would have died down. I know that after God, I am the most important thing to him and I know he knows I feel the same about him.
2. He is an amazing father. I knew from the minute I met him he would be great but he's exceeded all of my expectations. He's a hands on dad and our kids will hopefully realize one day how lucky they are to have him as their dad.
3. He's a lover, not a fighter. This was tough for me at first because I had to learn he responds to conflict differently than I do. When I would bring up something I wanted to "discuss" I would want a reaction from him, but he just doesn't have it in him to argue. He thinks before he reacts. He processes and wants to come up with a solution rather than argue. Sickening I know! :)
4. He's incredibly smart. I have already instructed Farrah that Daddy will be the one to ask for any help regarding math and science. And when she gets to high school, probably everything.
5. He knows how to make others feel important. When you're in his space you can feel his sincerity and you leave a conversation with him feeling better about yourself.
6. He has an amazing ability to teach. He can come up with a quick game for pretty much any teaching scenario for kids to understand a concept. There's usually a basketball reference in there too.
7. He's goofy. He's not afraid to look silly or tell a dumb joke.
8. He's great with kids (see # 7.)
9. He's a great listener. I'm sure he wasn't listening all those times I told a lengthy story, told him about something that happened at work, or vented, but he sure made it seem like he was.
10. He is strong in his faith. He's flexible when it comes to most things but when it comes to his faith, he doesn't waiver.
11. He knows who he is. Is there anything sexier than someone with confidence in who they are? (sorry mom!)
12. He won't apologize for who he is. I remember countless times where people have said "you don't drink???" It's not a situation where he judges people that do. He just doesn't really like it so he doesn't do it, and he doesn't feel the need to explain.
13. He doesn't follow the herd. This is one of my favorite things about him. In college he took some Black Studies classes, enjoyed them and decided to make Black Studies his major. In case you didn't notice, he's white. It didn't matter to him that other people would think it was weird and I was so intrigued by this super white guy majoring in Black Studies.
14. He would give anyone the shirt off his back. He loves people. He cares about people. He wants to help people.
15. He laughs at his own joke before he even finishes telling the joke. It's really the cutest thing. He starts to tell a joke but then starts laughing and oftentimes can't get the rest of the joke out.
16. He balances me well. We're very different in certain ways. He needs details, I don't. I make quick decisions. Let me tell you about the peanut butter story. One of my first experiences of his need to make an educated decision came in aisle 6 of the grocery store. I had wandered around looking for something, probably a dessert of some kind, and when I went to find him I saw him in the peanut butter aisle staring at the backs of 2 different peanut butter jars reading the ingredients. He sat there for probably 5 minutes deciding which peanut butter would be the best..... Peanut Butter! I wanted to just walk over, grab one, throw it in the cart and be done with it but that's not how he rolls. At least when we're learning a new game I can make him read the rules and give me the cliff notes version of what I'm supposed to do.
17. He makes time for himself so he can be the best version of himself. Whether its playing basketball, working out, writing, whatever he has to do to be the best version of himself so he can be the best husband and father.
18. People think he's quiet when they first meet him. I did too. Once they get to know him they find out how funny he is and that he has a lot to say. He's just selective in who he shares that part of him with.
19. He allows me to do my thing but takes the reigns when I need him to.
20. He loves his mom. I always think you can tell a lot about a person by how they treat their family and he is a wonderful son and brother. And it just so happens the icing on the cake is that I love his family. Jackpot right?
21. He's a great friend. Loyal is definitely a word I would use to describe him. If one of his friends called him in the middle of the night and asked him to meet them somewhere with no explanation he would do it.
22. He's a very hard worker. There have been many times when he would leave the house around 10am to work a gig, and not get home until 3am and then have to be back at work by 9 the next morning and he would never once complain.
23. He's optimistic. He doesn't think about the worst case scenario. He believes that everything will work out and it always does.
24. Every decision he makes is based on what's best for his family. Even down to which peanut butter to buy. :)
25. He is so passionate about basketball. I didn't grow up watching basketball so this was all new for me but I'm pretty obsessed myself now. I didn't realize that basketball was a metaphor for everything in life but just ask him and he'll explain to you how everything relates to basketball.
26. He loves music. Music is something I did grow up with but he's taught me about different types of music I would never have been exposed to if it weren't for him. And I think I've brought him over to the country music side too. Mission accomplished!
27. He wants everyone to be happy. Which is why he'll watch my stupid reality show, play dress up with Farrah, and give Evan raspberries until he laughs uncontrollably. If he can make other people smile it makes him happy.
28. He's got a hot body. Enough said. (Sorry mom!)
29. He never has a bad word to say about anybody. He doesn't have it in him to try to bring someone down or hurt anyone.
30. He's everything I ever dreamed of as a little girl when I thought about the man I would marry and I have no idea how I landed him. The big man upstairs was looking out for me the day our paths crossed in that quiznos sandwich shop :)
Happy Birthday my love! Looking forward to the next 30 years and beyond!