thirty-nine.

39.

Tomorrow, the man I love turns 39. For eight entire months, I’ll be married to an older man, and I certainly won’t let him forget how fortunate he is to have a young wife. And, after my own birthday later this year, I won’t mention his young wife again until he turns 40. It’s how I roll.

The first time I celebrated Craig’s birthday was when he turned 19. It’s hard to believe this will be the 21^st time that I’ve had the privilege of spending his special day with him – and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. 2022 is our 21^st year together, our 17^th year married, and our 14^th year of being parents. The time has passed so quickly and for good reason. Time flies when you’re having fun…there’s nothing truer than that. Because we do birthdays big in our house, I thought we’d start a day early this year and I’d share 39 of my favorite things about my favorite person. He won’t be expecting it today since his birthday is tomorrow, so that makes it more fun.

1. Craig in a backward hat. That is all.
2. When the alarm goes off in the morning and he won’t let me go for a few extra moments because it’s his favorite place to be.
3. He always apologizes when he’s wrong.
4. He always puts us first.
5. He packs lunchboxes (I hate lunchboxes).
6. He interrupts his own mornings and afternoons to take our oldest to and from school so that I don’t have to do two separate drop offs and two separate pick ups at four different times every single day of the week.
7. He likes to cuddle.
8. He’s the best dad.
9. He always cleans up child vomit so I don’t have to (I see it, I gag).
10. He is the most intelligent man I know – even when he has his moments.
11. He brings me coffee every single morning without prompt.
12. He is always up for an adventure.
13. He loves date night as much as I do.
14. He is a gentleman. He holds the door, he opens the car door, he holds the umbrella, he offers his jacket to me and/or the girls when it’s chilly. He stands when one of us excuses ourself from the table. He’s such a gentleman, and he is a wonderful role model for our son. He, too, will be the kind of husband who opens doors and rises, who is chivalrous and kind.
15. He never walks by me without touching in some manner – I love that.
16. He tells me he loves me almost as much as Carter tells me he loves me. And, Carter tells me around eleventy billion times a day.
17. He always lets me have the last of anything when we are out or even at home and there’s only one left.
18. He knows which bottle of wine to order without asking.
19. He is an amazing chef even though he is not a chef.
20. He pushes me to be my best.
21. He doesn’t whine like a man when he’s sick. You wouldn’t even know he was sick unless you saw him taking meds.
22. If anyone needs help in the bathtub, he is the go-to because he knows I have an issue with grout and bathtubs and it grosses me out.
23. He never says a word about anything that shows up at the front door or at how many packages arrive each day.
24. He compliments me, and he complements me.
25. He’s funny.
26. He’s the best friend anyone could ever hope to have. He’s a ride or die kind of guy. Once he loves you, he loves you forever.
27. He will do anything for anyone who needs him.
28. He always gives back. Paying for the people behind us at a drive-thru. Buying gift cards if he knows we are going to a restaurant and asking the waiter/waitress to pass them out to other tables anonymously. Donating to families in need. Asking what he can do and how he can help when I say a girlfriend and I are buying lunch for an entire school staff on a meeting day. Adopting kids at Christmas. He’s always doing something for someone, and I love that about him.
29. He’s as competitive as I am, and we have some very intense, loud, rambunctious game nights and athletics in our house. It is fun – and we hope our kids learn to have as much fun as we do.
30. I have more fun with Craig than anyone else.
31. He is the math homework master.
32. He reads to the kids.
33. I love watching him at golf lessons with Ava and Carter learning, practicing, and working with them once practice is over.
34. He takes care of us.
35. Everyone loves Craig.
36. He is the easiest person to talk to.
37. He’s even easier to love.
38. He listens, and he asks if I want him to respond with suggestions or just listen and make the appropriate sounds while I vent.
39. He doesn’t get sick of me even though we’ve been doing everything together every day for the past 20+ years…including sharing our home office 24/7 since 2016.

Happy Birthday Eve, handsome. You are my favorite, and I love celebrating you.