Happy Birthday Brian

Happy 32! I love you!

I hope you know how amazing you are. Remember how "We are 'posed to be together."? There is no one else that could be my perfect compliment. Here is a mix of my favorite Brian memories, things you do that I appreciate and my favorite things about you...

1. You are my glow boy and have been since Day #1. That's what I remember about you from the very first moment I saw you. You were opening the door on your parent's Bronco for your girlfriend at their house and I noticed right off your huge smile and your countenance literally glowed from the inside out.
2. They say you should find a guy that treats you like a queen. I had been out with lots of nice guys and thought I knew what that meant. Turns out I had no idea what it meant until I started dating you. No one was so sweet or kind as you are.
3. You have strong hands and are always willing to help massage my neck to get rid of my headaches and tight muscles.
4. No matter how many times they do it, you are always willing to happily pretend you can't find the kids after they run to hide as you open the front door after work. When you find them, you always act scared when they say "Boo!" or roar like a lion...day after day after day after day.
5. You are a finisher. When I loose interest in a project and let other things distract me so I can't return to something, you quietly finish up the detail work like paining the baseboards or changing out the light switch covers or other little things.
6. I randomly find broken things around the house fixed. Toys, stairs, lights, switches, faucets, towel racks, door latches, CD player in the truck (over and over and over) the list goes on and on and on.
7. You tease me in a sweet way. I just wish I could remember if I made the bed or if you did it this morning so you couldn't give me such a hard time. Just in case it was you today, thanks.
8. Computers are your thing and you love to help others out. The pile of CPUs and monitors in the basement may make me nuts sometimes, but it's nothing compared to the junk I hoard. Plus, you're keeping them to fix up and give away to other people. Not so with my piles of junk. Your heart is so selfless.
9. Organization is your middle name. If I didn't live here, our house would be the most organized place in the country. You always have a place for everything and always manage to put everything away. How do you do that? I find that completely amazing and admire you for it.
10. As Maddie would say, "Magic. Magic. Magic." We love your dinner shows. It is fun to know that almost everyone that we invite to dinner will get a show with their meal.
11. You always help me cook when you see me in the kitchen trying to get a meal ready and juggle kids at the same time. When we have company, you always come up with a way to upgrade a meal by making an additional fancy dish that goes above and beyond what I had planned.
12. Smoothie King. Need I say more? You are Ben's best friend when you yell out from the kitchen, "Who wants a smoothie?" I immediately hear the pitter patter of little feet as two excited kids run full speed into the kitchen to help you make a delicious treat.
13. You could keep a secret forever if you had to, especially what you are getting me for my birthday or Christmas. I love the sly, sneaky smile you get when you tease me. It is the cutest smile.
14. A fresh haircut makes you look so sharp.
15. You keep both the car and truck in good repair and up to date on all they need for regular maintenance so they are safe for us.
16. You faithfully fulfill your callings for the church with a good attitude and never a word of complaint.
17. I loved swimming with you in the crystal clear water on Magnetic Island in Australia. It is so fun to share travel adventures with you.
18. Moving for all our internships in college was amazing. I loved that you let me plan week long road trips so we could see the country together. Only four more states to go before we have been to all fifty together. I've loved all forty six with you so far.
19. Staying up until 4:30 in the morning just talking when we were dating was so much fun. Remember when I asked you to do it again with me? I know you thought it was totally stupid, but you tried for me anyway. Then we realized that neither of us could make it and we went to sleep around 2:00. These days if we're up until 2:00 in the morning, we've got crying, vomiting kids. Times have sure changed!
20. You are so full of fun ideas with the kids. I loved the night you suggested having races around the house for Family Home Evening. Ben still remembers doing wheelbarrow races.
21. Daddy dates with the kids. They love knowing they have you all to themselves. You just know how to make individuals feel special and important.
22. Wise advice is always readily available from you. You are so even tempered and level headed.
23. Middle of the night feeding shifts with all our newborns. It makes a world of difference to me. I am so grateful that you can sleep anywhere, especially sitting up in a rocking chair.
24. You never get sick or need anything. You are so strong!
25. Mr. Fix-it could be your middle name. There doesn't seem to be anything beyond your ability to figure out, repair or build from scratch.
26. Teaching comes easy to you and you have helped so many people with your ability to tutor all the really difficult subjects. I remember when I went with you to the Nielsons in Houston to help Bryce with calculus. It had been five or more years since you had even touched a calculus book. You opened the textbook and not only knew how to do the problems, you remembered the names of the theorems!
27. Safety First has always been the way things have been run at our home since our intern days. You wear the right gear for every job.
28. Remember when we spent all day working on the brakes together in my parents garage, went to AutoZone eight times, broke the lug nuts, replaced calipers on both sides and as you tightened the last lug nut on the last tire and the wrench slipped? You got whacked in the face really, really hard but said you were okay. We went inside to clean up a little bit of blood and you passed out in the bathroom and started convulsing. I yelled for my dad to come help because I couldn't support your dead weight and keep your head from slamming into the sharp corner of the cabinet. We got you laid out on the floor and recovered. I finished cleaning up the garage with my dad and we ended up staying the night there. I think it's cute that the scar that you have on your right eye looks like an eyeliner tattoo. I smile every time I see it.
29. You're that cool kind of dad that will take his kids with him anywhere. You always have faith in them that they can and will behave properly and never seem to be overwhelmed by the thought of dragging them out with you to do errands and shopping.
30. Knowing that Christmas is my favorite time of year, you always indulge my love. When you were away on business for most of December in 2005 you bought an advent countdown book for me before you left. Then you called me every other night from Europe to read the story with me since we couldn't be together for the start of holiday season.
31. I love midnight meals with you when I'm pregnant and starving about 11:45 pm as we are both ready to roll over in bed and fall asleep. You always come to the kitchen with me and talk while we cook something incredibly healthy, usually hot dogs.
32. You look amazing in a suit coat. I love when the weather turns cooler and your wardrobe shifts to long sleeve shirts and ties. Everyday when you come home from work I notice how good you look.