Belated Birthday Post

Well, this is belated. Hubby turned 32 on Sunday, and I'm just getting around to "publicly" proclaiming the big day. His birthday always falls on Memorial weekend so we usually go out of town for his birthday. I was trying to remember where all we've been for the last 9 birthdays we've been married and came up with a list:

1. 2001-Lake Tahoe (first vacation as a married couple, other than our honeymoon)
2. 2002-Houston (we lived there at the time, and I kinda remember going to a Memorial Day picnic and listening to his grandmother's "band" perform)
   
3. 2003-Boston (we lived in New Jersey at the time so it was a quick hop over)
4. 2004-Amarillo (He lived in OK City while I clerked in Amarillo so he drove in for the weekend to see me.)
   
5. 2005-Amarillo (I lived in Lubbock while I studied for the bar exam so it was "kinda" like a trip coming to see him for the weekend!)
   
6. 2006-Dallas
   
7. 2007-Threw him a party in Amarillo for his 30th
   
8. 2008-Chicago
9. 2009-Oklahoma City (for the Big 12 baseball tournament)

And just because it seems to be a list-kind-of-day, I'll list the 9 things about him that continue to knock my socks off:

1. He's devilishly handsome.
   
2. He has no idea how handsome he is. No ego. No arrogance. I never have seen such in all my life.
   
3. He's laugh out loud funny. When I look back at my journal from the first year I met him, I repeatedly talk about how much I laughed when I was with him. I'm still amazed at how much he can make me laugh (even on days when I'm positive there ain't a thing in the world worth laughing over).
4. That man can organize him a garage, some drawers, and clean a window like you've never seen.
5. His touch. If we're in an argument, the first thing I say is "don't touch me!" Because he definitely knows the quickest way to disarm me is to touch me. I'm a sucker for his touch.
   
6. He's a "glass half full" kind of guy.
7. I don't phase him one bit. Sure, it's a little frustrating at times, but he sees right through me. Throw a tantrum and go completely postal? I'm not proud of it, but I've done it (way more than once, sadly). Unphased. He just waits for it to end, dismisses it, and waits for his rational wife to return. Start using big words and get all"hoity-toity" ? Yep. Done that, too. Unphased. Points out my roots and helps me get over myself. I've definitely met my match.
8. He can pray. As someone who has done a lot of public speaking, I often fall into a trap where my prayer feels like more of a formal presentation than a heartfelt communion with God. But him? Man. It's like this intimate conversation that I almost feel guilty listening to--like I'm intruding on a private moment. He won't pray publicly, but he'll pray with me, and it always knocks my socks off.
9. His devotion. Talk about digging your teeth in and never letting go! His staying power is unbelievable. He has maintained relationships and taken high roads I never knew existed! And as for his devotion to me and our marriage, it still baffles me. At a time when I was struggling to love and forgive myself and really struggling to accept God's blessings (especially and primarily, the blessing of Jonathan), I worked as hard as I could to push that man on to greener pastures. He would not budge, and he wouldn't let me either. I continue to be amazed at the shower of blessings that have rained down since I accepted that first one (him!).

So...happy belated birthday, hubs!