Today, my darling husband has his birthday! And he's hard at work in Ohio - he won't be home until after ten this day, which means he'll arrive while I'm on Centra doing my Apple class.
But I wanted to wish him a very happy birthday, and share some reasons why he's so special.
First of all, he is persistent. When he saw me, he says that he knew he wanted to marry me right off the bat. I had such a "cool" boyfriend (read: jerk), and barely gave him the time of day. But he persisted, and when it turned out that we were in a physics class together at the local community college, he told his friends he would do everything he could to "become firmly entrenched" in my life before the end of the semester. By the end of the semester, I knew I was going to marry him, and had dumped the "cool" boyfriend.
Secondly, he is, as he once told me, the "nicest guy [I'll] ever meet." I laughed when he said it, but it's true. This man would do anything for me. It's totally crazy, and I constantly have to watch myself and what I ask of him, because he'll do it! He has gone without so that the girls and I can have. He would walk through fire for us. And the nice thing is, we all know it. He's sweet to me, and if I ever start feeling upset with him - that I'm being neglected - all I have to do is remember that if I just say the word, that situation is fixed. Can't hold a grudge with someone who constantly gives up things so you can have or do what you want. (Fortunately for him, I don't like to take advantage of that.)
He's also really hard-working. You know he paid his way through college himself? Worked his way through, taking out only one loan for under $6000, and that was just after we married, so we could manage our expenses a bit in that first year. (We got married in 1993 and graduated in April and December of 1994.) And even now, he works hard to provide for our family. And when he does something, it's done right. No corner-cutting, no cheaply done stuff. That ginormous deck he built is super-sturdy. Same goes for the slide tower for the girls. And they are beautiful, to boot.
But I wanted to wish him a very happy birthday, and share some reasons why he's so special.
First of all, he is persistent. When he saw me, he says that he knew he wanted to marry me right off the bat. I had such a "cool" boyfriend (read: jerk), and barely gave him the time of day. But he persisted, and when it turned out that we were in a physics class together at the local community college, he told his friends he would do everything he could to "become firmly entrenched" in my life before the end of the semester. By the end of the semester, I knew I was going to marry him, and had dumped the "cool" boyfriend.
Secondly, he is, as he once told me, the "nicest guy [I'll] ever meet." I laughed when he said it, but it's true. This man would do anything for me. It's totally crazy, and I constantly have to watch myself and what I ask of him, because he'll do it! He has gone without so that the girls and I can have. He would walk through fire for us. And the nice thing is, we all know it. He's sweet to me, and if I ever start feeling upset with him - that I'm being neglected - all I have to do is remember that if I just say the word, that situation is fixed. Can't hold a grudge with someone who constantly gives up things so you can have or do what you want. (Fortunately for him, I don't like to take advantage of that.)
He's also really hard-working. You know he paid his way through college himself? Worked his way through, taking out only one loan for under $6000, and that was just after we married, so we could manage our expenses a bit in that first year. (We got married in 1993 and graduated in April and December of 1994.) And even now, he works hard to provide for our family. And when he does something, it's done right. No corner-cutting, no cheaply done stuff. That ginormous deck he built is super-sturdy. Same goes for the slide tower for the girls. And they are beautiful, to boot.
He also has some of the highest integrity I've ever seen, coupled with a wonderful humility that is truly rare. Even in his unbelieving days, when he'd lost his faith in God, he still had integrity. Stealing, cheating, lying ... these are not and never have been a part of his makeup. And yet he's very humble. I love that he's that way.
And that humility spills over into his faith, as well. We were talking one night about how the girls and I wear Scapulars, and how it reminds me of whose I am. He said that one thing that's happened to him is the recurring thought, "I'm a Catholic gentleman. How should a Catholic gentleman act in this situation?" I find that fantastic! Though I'm a cradle Catholic, I find that his faith journey very often is one that I just draft on to. I follow his lead very often, and wonder how in the world he can be that way. I so admire his faith, and the way he lives it. It's not on his sleeve, but still waters do run deep.
Way back when we were dating, I watched him get down on the floor to play with his nephew. How many 21 year old men will lay on the floor and make faces at a baby just to make him laugh? Watching him that day, I knew he'd make a terrific father someday. And I was right. He is a phenominal Daddy to our girls. They both love him dearly, and when they hear him walk in the door after a long trip (or even just a day at the office), "DADDY!" is heard loud and clear. The girls adore their father, and he just soaks it up. Many are the weekend mornings that he lounges in bed with his "three favorite girls." Our girls are blessed to have him, and he provides them both with a good example of what to look for in a husband.
One of my favorite things about my husband, though, is that he's fun to be with. He was my best friend before we started dating, and we just love to hang out together. And when he gets me laughing ... watch out! We just feed off of each other! It is just such a joy to be with him, to do things together - even grocery shopping together is good! - and I know that God has truly blessed me with someone wonderful.
I don't think a day goes by when I don't thank God for my husband!
Happy birthday, sweetheart. I love you!
(As a special present, why not go over and leave him a birthday comment at his blog?)
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