happy birthday husband!!!!
today my handsome husband turns twenty seven years old! i thought i'd share twenty seven of the reasons i love this guy:
1. the photo above -- everything about it. how hilarious he can be. how seriously he takes growing a 'stache (it's been explained to me that there are certain times Navy life demands it -- and ryan just loves growing a mustache in record time). & the fact that he can always, always brighten my day.
2. the way he'll say things like, "i think we should have something that rhymes with 'pizza' for dinner." or "someone whose name rhymes with 'mary' insisted we stopped for ice cream." i used to demand he take the time to actually find a word that rhymes -- come on lizza, teeza, heeza or cary, tary, nary, it's not hard! but now, i find myself doing it too. (that's marriage for you!).
3. how open minded & open hearted he is -- ryan is always up for anything. road trip to 13 states in 11 days even though we've been only dating a few months? sure! driving a really long way to try some random restaurant? of course. going on a walk at 11 p.m. with hot chocolate, just to see if there are any new christmas lights up? wouldn't miss it. brand new friends who need help moving? he's the first one there & still unloading the last box.
4. his serious loyalty to potato chips -- the guy would have them every meal if he could. (& yes, i now find myself craving chips when before i never even would have thought to have them!)
5. how INCREDIBLY kind he is. for those of you who know my husband in real life, i know you're nodding emphatically. & even if you just know him through this blog, i think it's clear: ryan has a true gift for being kind in every sense of that word. he's really thoughtful. really intentional. really present. slow to judge. quick to offer any help he might be able to provide. it is SUCH a daily blessing in my life.
6. what an AMAZING dad he is. it's still hard for me to put into words what it was like to watch ryan with ellie in the first few hours of her life. he took diapering & swaddling lessons from the nurses, he kept his "proud dad" hat on 24/7, he was so calm with her. as she's grown, he has too -- those two are quite the pair.
7. his service to our country.
8. how he talks about "his girls."
9. how much he loves going to the movies -- no matter what is showing, or how many stars it got -- he loves the ritual of going to see something on the big screen.
10. how he loves the people in our lives -- ryan never wants to know someone is "good" or "fine" -- he wants to know the details of their life -- and he remembers them. he wants to show up. he wants to take care of people. he asks good questions. he keeps peoples trust.
11. how calm he is. in any situation, he just puts everyone at ease.
12. how patient he is (especially with me :)
13. how hard he makes me laugh -- he's a story teller & someone with a keen sense of what is really funny.
14. how he watches usa network tv dramas proudly.
15. what an incredible listener he is (clearly an asset with a wife like me :)
16. how much he loves the natural history museum in nyc. the GW parkway outside d.c. perdido key in pensacola -- he finds his places, is loyal to them & takes others there.
17. what an incredible road trip partner he is. this isn't scientific, but i'm pretty sure he's the best out there.
18. how he has a pizza quota in his life. if it's been too long, i know we're gonna be on a hunt for a good slice of pizza.
19. how he grocery shops -- let's just say there's no list involved. or food groups. it's pretty much a free for all as to what he might like to try. unpacking the groceries absolutely cracks me up.
20. that he likes to dress up & looks so gosh darn handsome when he does. a good bow tie. or seersucker suit. the guy is sharp.
21. how much he loves christmas.
22. how much effort he puts into planning date nights -- he sure knows how to sweep a girl off her feet.
23. how incredibly handy he is. my honey-do list may be a mile long, but ryan always knows how to tackle the projects. lowes is his happy place & i love going there with him.
24. his loyalty to american made cars -- if you want to get an earful, get him started on his Ford explorer -- the guy has had three of them.
25. how willing he is to constantly work at our marriage -- he is such an incredible partner & i absolutely cherish the chance to go through life with him.
26. he makes a mean jambalaya.
27. that he chooses to wake up every morning & love me -- it's such a blessing.
married life Thursday, September 13, 2012 at 6:17PM
Reader Comments (7)
beautiful.
and happy birthday.
Wonderfully kind words for an equally wonderful man. Happy birthday Ryan.
I love this, Mary!! What a wonderful man you are married to! I would love to get to know him better some day!
And I love that you made this list. I think it's going to inspire me to make a list, too. Someone I know recently told me that he and his wife take a few minutes before bed each night to tell each other a few things that they appreciate about each other. I thought that was a great idea. With the details of everyday life, it's easy to let days go by where we might not communicate (with words) to our spouse just how much we appreciate them.
I thought that was a great idea! I'm hoping your post today has me one step closer to implementing it. :)
Happy Birthday to your hubby!!! :)
Brought tears to my eyes! Happy birthday, Ryan. Love you three!
This is oh-so-very-you in every wonderful way. :)
Beautiful, Mary. (And happiest wishes to you, Ryan!)
Ryan... you're the best! Hope you had a happy birthday!! Such a sweet post, makes me happy to read it. Love your family!
Mary, I was reading this in class (instead of paying attention...) and I started to cry. I love that you have such a wonderful marriage and I hope I can find one like it some day.