his 29th birthday

reasons why i love this birthday boy:

1. he loves Jesus & his family & his friends with his whole heart.

2. he holds my hand and prays every night before we go to sleep.

3. he is passionate about living.

4. he practices what he preaches.

5. he sings in front of high school kids every week. he sings for me sometimes.

6. he drives while i sleep. if he needs directions when he drives, he asks.

7. he changes diapers without complaint (drama, yes, but no complaining).

8. his fingers do a funny wiggle when he claps.

9. he likes to dance. he smiles at me and his eyes sparkle when we dance. and he does a mean "dirty bird" (if you have not witnessed this, you must ask him to demonstrate immediately).

10. he cries. not too much. not too little.

11. he can make a complete stranger feel like a friend.

12. he loves where he comes from. trucks. mud. the whole 9.

13. he smiles in photos. and while i'm talking about photography, he knows how to take a picture.

14. he goes to artsy things with me (and usually enjoys it!).

15. he watches america's next top model & so you think you can dance with me (and always enjoys it!).

16. he appreciates me as a wife and a mom. he never makes me feel like i don't do enough.

17. he knows how to build and fix things.

18. he almost always feeds our dogs at night.

19. he goes to the counter to order kids meals for us at fuddruckers. i am afraid of the counter because they may discover we are not under 12.

20. he doesn't hessitate to give someone in need the $20 in his pocket when he feels a nudge from the Lord.

21. he acts like i am not crazy even when i act crazy.

22. he listens to christmas music when i am in the car because he knows i love it (even though he definitely does not love it).

23. he mows the grass. he doesn't mow the grass on sundays. he encourages me to rest on sundays...and other days.

24. he tells me he loves me several times a day.

25. he gets choked up when he talks about wanting his high school friends to know Jesus.

26. he helps me believe that i am beautiful.

27. he makes me laugh...and laugh...and laugh...and laugh some more.

28. he tells me that, when he is with me and maddie, there's nowhere else he'd rather be.

29. i know he means it.

happy birthday, my sweet charlie.