Happy Birthday to My Hubby!

HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY, BRYAN!

A few words about my fantastic husband, on this, the day that marks his entry in to middle age. (Or is that 40? I'm not sure. What with 40 being the new 30, I may be off the mark on this.)

1. Bryan and his jungle garden keep me well-stocked in tomatoes, fueling my very favorite fall activity, which is making homemade tomato soup. (Or, "nummy shoop", if you were to ask Zoey.)

2. Bryan has an unnerving calm about him, and tempers my somewhat-neurotic behavior so beautifully that it is clear we were meant to be together forever. He humors my compulsive habits, such as chronically sweeping and vacuuming, and cooperates with my hard and fast rules regarding the laundry. He has either become immune to my rigid sense of order, or it is the rigid sense of order that forces him to remain even more calm.

3. Some may not know this, but Bryan may very well have missed his calling--yes, that's right, if chiropractic ever doesn't work out for him, he would make a very fine fire fighter. You know how fire fighters leave their pants and boots and a majority of their clothing puddled together on the floor so they can jump quickly in to their gear when going out on a call? (Or is this just in the movies?) Every morning when I (lovingly, very lovingly) peel his socks and underwear out of his pants, and his shirt from the inside of his sweatshirt, I am reminded that he at least has another career choice available to him, should the need arise.

4. Bryan can fix anything. ANYTHING. And for this, I love him. We needed new steps built for the stairway from our kitchen to the mudroom. Bryan whipped them out (paint and all) in a day. He miraculously figured out a way to remove the marker stains from our hardwood floors (thank you, Zoey), and he can even sew buttons back on shirts. I am in continual awe of his Mr. Fix-It personality.

5. The most endearing trait of Bryan's is his ability to positively melt when in the presence of our daughter. He thinks everything she does is fantastic, and takes her with him most everywhere. On any given evening, you are likely to find the two of them outside tending to the jungle garden, or mowing the lawn--mowing is a favorite past-time of Zoey's, and sometimes I think Bryan mows the back yard even when it doesn't necessarily need to be done, only because Zoey will turn to him with her big brown eyes and ask "Daddy, mow?"

I love you Bryan! Have a wonderful day!