Happy Birthday, Brian!

Today is Brian’s birthday, and being the terrible wife that I am, I

completely forgot

when we woke up this morning. We got dressed, went jogging, bickered about what a standard USB looks like, got back home, made coffee, packed lunches, ironed clothes (okay, those last three things were just me), and kissed each other goodbye. And I completely forgot to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

Grand prize to Maegan for being the total OPPOSITE of a Wonder Wife!

Anyway, I knew this day was coming. I’m not completely terrible. And every year on Brian’s birthday, I tell him why I love him, one reason for every year. This year, I thought I’d post them on my blog. Of course, not every reason in his personal birthday card is appropriate to share with the world, so in those cases, I’ve substituted other reasons.

It’s alright. I’ve got plenty. :)

I love Brian, and here are twenty-nine reasons why:

1. He’s so, so handsome. Sometimes when I look at him I am transported back to being a young single thing and watching his broad-shouldered silhouette walk through the swinging church doors. The sight of him still gives me excited shivers.

2. I love that he is consistent. He doesn’t have wild mood swings and he knows nothing of the word “drama”. In this way he reminds me of God, like a deep, still lake. I think this quality is going to make him a wonderful father.

3. He is the spiritual leader in our home.

4. I love that he teaches Sunday School for the teens.

5. He doesn’t know how to procrastinate. Are there seven or eight hours of yard work to do? Well, let’s do it tonight so we can enjoy the weekend tomorrow! Despite my complaining, I love this about him.

6. I love that he is always learning. When I get on the computer, I am checking Facebook or playing Solitaire. Probably because I work on the computer, so during free time I just want to log on and check out. But he’s always reading or watching something informative. I admire that.

7. He knows his priorities, and he’s got them straight. He’s not a workaholic, but he works darn hard. He comes home at night and leaves the stress of his job behind him. He enjoys hunting but restricts it to deer season (no small game hunters here!) and generally spends the rest of the year with me and the Bonus. Just as it should be.

8. I love how industrious he is. I love how hard he works, on the job and at home.

9. He’s easy-going. “What do you want for dinner, Brian?” “Whatever you feel like cookin’, baby.” “Omelets?” “Sure.”

10. He loves seafood. Over this, we bond.

11. He makes me laugh like a giraffe. Cracks me up like an egg. Makes me grin with a double chin. Brian’s sense of humor wasn’t particularly obvious when we started dating (his first nickname for me was “Fancypants”) but I have discovered he’s got a pretty funny side to him. Right now, in fact, I am smiling about his recent impression of “the Frazzled Maeg” – hands above his head, depicting wildly messy hair, with a deer-in-headlights stare: “Uh, for dinner, we can have pickles or omelets! What do you want?!”

12. He’s so handsome, it counts as two reasons.

13. He’s a good friend. He doesn’t get bothered by offensive comments or selfish behavior. He can look past a rough outer shell and love the person beneath it. And he won’t give up on a friend.

14. I love his strength, his big arms that seem like they can pick up almost anything.

15. He hunts. Yes, I do. I love this about him. You know, all men have “me-time”. Some spend hours in front of the TV, watching sports. Others waste their time lost in a video-game world, giving their thumbs a work-out. Others have to be the best on the basketball court. And others spend their time gambling or surfing the web or hanging out with their buddies or exercising. Hey! I don’t want that. Give me a man who perfects a real-world skill, going out into the woods with nothing but a bow and an arrow and bringing me back some organic, free-range venison for my babies. Give me a man who brings down the fiercest game in the forest and puts its skull on my fireplace mantle. I want THAT guy.

16. I love Brian because he balances me out. He’s mellow, straightforward, calm. I am hectic, dramatic, and busy. We make a good team. Maybe an even better team if I wasn’t so hectic, dramatic, or busy. But I digress.

17. He has remained strong in his faith through the toughest of times. Brian lost sight in his right eye almost five years ago through a terrible hunting accident after he had just relocated to North Carolina by himself. Throughout the next several months, he had to learn to live with his injury without the support of any friends or loved ones nearby. I can’t imagine the hours he spent in that dark apartment. But Brian’s faith is not easily shaken, and he grew closer to God through those trials. I love him for that.

18. I love that he likes to get a project DONE. No screwing around. Start it, and finish it. Ahh.

19. He wants kids. Yes, believe it or not, we do want a family someday. Both of us! The key word here is someday, my “some” being by Christmas 2010, his “some” being by “some” Christmas “somewhere” down the road. We’ll get there. :)

20. I love how he gets up early on Saturday mornings. I hear him making coffee in the kitchen, taking the dog outside, chopping kindling, hauling wood. It’s enough to make a girl want to get out of bed just so she can watch it all.

21. He takes care of his things. His cars are well-maintained, his garage is organized. His broadheads are sharp and so are my kitchen knives! He gives the dog a bath and seals all grout and granite at the proper maintenance intervals. And heaven forbid we wait a couple hundred miles to change the oil! Thank God for this man. I am not this way.

22. I love that he earns my respect.

23. I love that when our plane landed in Atlanta and he stood up to wrestle our carry-on out of the storage compartment, while he stood in the aisle, he set the bag on the seat so I could lean my tired head against it. And he stroked my hair while we waited to exit the plane. I closed my eyes and I loved being his woman.

24. He is very smart. One thing I appreciate about Brian is that when he knows about a particular subject, he knows the heck out of it. But if he’s not familiar with something, he won’t posture himself as a great genius. (Um, lactation specialists notwithstanding.)

25. I love his diligence. Brian is many wonderful things but to me, his best quality is this. There are a lot of promises in the Bible for the diligent man. He deserves them all.

26. I love that he calls me during the day just to say hi. Not all the time, but often it’s right when I need to hear his voice.

27. I love that he finds new ways to be thoughtful. He’s the furthest thing from a “romantic”, but he finds lots of ways to make me smile.

28. I love that I can trust him with my life. I mean this not only in the sense that he makes me feel safe and protected, but also, God willing, that he will be there in ten years, and twenty, and fifty, and all the rest. I love that I know he is mine, forever.

29. I love that he picked me.

I love you, baby. Happy birthday.