Because it's his birthday

29 reasons I love Justin.

1. Justin makes me laugh every single day. Frequently so hard that I can't breathe.

2. I think I fell in love with him on our first date when he was taking me home. He turned to me in the car and said "Don't take this the wrong way, but you're drop dead gorgeous." I spent the next few days wondering how anyone could take a compliment like that the wrong way, and now it's become my own personal mantra, what I think of when I'm feeling down. It's crazy how he can say something small like that and instantly make me feel good about myself.

3. He's a hard worker. At one difficult point in our married life I saw him work three jobs at once to keep us afloat. I can't really explain what that did for me...to witness my husband doing whatever it took to keep our family going. It made me so grateful to him and his character, and it gives me an incredible sense of security, even now.

4. He helps me to be a better person. He takes me to church and reminds me that it's fast Sunday or that we need to have a family prayer before Audrey goes to bed. He served a mission for our church and did a darn good job at it.

5. Justin is a "guy's guy" he likes all things masculine. Baseball, football, anything-ball, camping, fist-bumps, mountain dew, muscle cars, snowboarding, and meatball sandwiches are just a few of his testosterone influenced interests.

6. Not only does he like sports, but he plays sports. I admire that even now (at 29) he plays softball every summer. I wanted to marry a man that could not only teach my son to build a snowman and ride a bike, but could show him how to hit a baseball and break down for a tackle. And the big broad linebacker shoulders that he has aren't bad either.

7. He squashes spiders with his bare hands and chases wasps with a hockey stick.

8. He's passionate about so many things. History, music, traveling etc.

9. Genuine. He's always 100% Justin, 100% of the time.

10. Justin is super-friendly. He is approachable and out-going. He can connect with people in a split second and always get the waitress or store manager or home-teacher laughing.

11. He is equally happy if I cook chicken piccata with a lemon white wine sauce or hamburger helper for dinner.

12. He's cool. That's really the only way I can describe it. In any new situation he finds himself in, he becomes "the in crowd" without even trying. Because I don't have this quality I've been studying him for years to try and figure out exactly what it is about him...but I still don't know, he's just cool. (I think this makes me cool by association.)

13. Divorce is not an option for him. Ever.

14. He is dependable. At work, if his managers need a last minute ad sold to hit their sales goal, Justin is the guy they go to. If his parents need something, more often than not it's Justin that they call. If I ask him to do anything, I know it gets done. I don't think he even realizes how much people lean on him.

15. I love that he grew up in the same little town that I did, that we have the same background, and that he appreciates it as much as I do. I love that I can say, "you know, if you drive out past the Vanderham's house..." or "you remember how hard Ms. Smith's english class was..." and he knows exactly what I'm talking about.

16. He's taught me the value of spontaneity. Because of him I've seen things like golden rail-road spikes and 620 foot waterfalls. Things that on my own I would have missed because of my tendency to stick to a schedule or a plan.

17. When we go to a restaurant if he sees anything on the menu that has "spicy", "fire-roasted", "pepper-jack", "jalapeno", or "melt your face off" in the description, he's ordering it.

18. Justin never judges people. He doesn't think he's better than anyone else, he always gives people the benefit of the doubt.

19. He's been my rock as I've grieved through this whole infertility situation. Before we had Audrey he'd see me crying and say things like "Beck, it will be okay if it's just the two of us forever. We'll have so much fun."

20. He's super athletic and co-ordinated. He can literally snowboard circles around me whenever we go. If confronted with a physical game that he's never even heard of, he'll be great at it immediately.

21. He loves to read. He reads books now that even I, the super-nerd, have never attempted. He always has a list of books in his head that he wants to start as soon as he's done with the next one.

22. Justin always knows what to say. He's comfortable in large groups, and a great conversationalist. He always says just the right thing at just the right moment that gets everyone in the room laughing.

23. He's determined. Although I will take a little bit of credit for where we are now, most of it goes to him. He's taken the circumstances that have been handed to us and made the best of them and more.

24. He has good taste. Despite the tie-dyed shirts, whenever we're shopping for anything he picks just the right thing. The gorgeous worn leather chair, the classic navy striped tie, or the rug that's just the right color.

25. He never complains. I am not the easiest person to live with. I am a little up-tight, bossy and opinionated and I like things just the way that I like them. And he doesn't mind.

26. He knows every single classic rock band that ever wrote a song and probably even some that didn't. I'm not exaggerating. When I asked him for a few of his favorite bands this is the response I got: "The Beatles, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, The Eagles, Grateful Dead, AC/DC, ZZ Top, The Allman Brothers, Queen, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, CCR, The Doors, Steve Miller Band, Doobie Brothers, Blondie, Rush, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Police, and Black Sabbath. Is that enough?" I rest my case.

27. He's the kind of guy that if he catches a ball or t-shirt at a sporting event, he'll turn and hand it to the little kid sitting next to him.

28. Justin's a great Dad. I say this all the time but it's true. He's more than happy to sit on the couch and watch an episode of The Backyardigans or Olivia with Audrey, or to read her a book or build a fort or share his sour cream and onion chips. He worries when she gets hurt and sneaks into her room every night and makes sure she has a blanket on before we go to bed.

29. He dances with me in the kitchen when I'm trying to make dinner.

I love him so much.

Happy Birthday Babe.

xoxo