Happy Birthday, Old Man

{Disclaimer: I'll try to keep this post as un-mushy as possible. 

My apologies for any "awwww" moments.}

Lately I've been thinking about so many of the things I love about my husband and, since his birthday is tomorrow, I thought I'd document them here. I met this guy 9 years ago and, as we have grown up and navigated through our 20s together, I realize more and more how lucky I am, and how lucky our kids are to call him "Dad." So, here we go. 29 reasons I luh this guy...

Baby Jason, circa 2005
{He still wears those sandals}

1. He is one of the hardest workers I know. He is constantly burning the candle at both ends.

2. He holds strong to his convictions. {But never judges others if they disagree with him}

3. He has a fabulous head of hair.

And people wonder how I have a red-headed child...

 4. Most people would describe him as quiet and reserved...

5. ...Yet he can sing every word of "Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.

6. He will recite lines from Scrubs and Arrested Development over and over with me and laugh every time.

7. He says things like "What's the scuttlebutt?" to my girlfriends and is not embarrassed at all.

8. He has prettier eyelashes than any woman I've ever met.

9. I've never heard him yell. Not even during a sporting event.

10. He LOVES wedding season.

11. He is most certainly the calm to my storm. The words "even" and "keel" come to mind.

12. He can fall asleep anywhere. I once found him at his desk with his forehead on the keyboard, completely cashed out.

Forever one of my favorite pictures.

13. He looks really good in a baseball uniform.

14. He encourages me to pursue my goals, no matter how much I protest and procrastinate.

^Here he's freaking out about the thought of my new ring
falling through the cracks into the river.

15. The man could eat a dozen donuts {preferably Krispie Kreme} all by humself.

16. He calls cardigans "carn-a-gans," even after I've corrected him 1,000 times.

17. His one vice in life is Diet Pepsi, which I can live with.

18. He never gets overly-emotional {see #11}, but every now and then he has a laugh attack that is so contagious, mostly because of its rarity.

19. His Ryan Lochte impression is pretty spot on.

20. Some of our shared loves include: dancing to hits from the 2000s, the movie Away We Go, Ben & Jerry's Cinnamon Bun ice cream, Mad Men, Coldplay, and Outback Steakhouse.

21. He tolerates me on road trips, which we take often.

22. He is an amazing teacher who cares deeply for his students. I am constantly in awe of his dedication to his job and the kids he teaches.

23. He recognizes my need for girlie time with friends, or by myself. The other night he turned on Pride & Prejudice and left the room saying, "I think you need a night off of boys." Nice move, Mr. Burghardt.

24. Seeing him as a dad is an amazing experience. He is loving, silly, and a great role model for our boys.

25. When we met, he drove a manual-transmission Jeep Wrangler. Hot.

26. He's the master of giving thoughtful gifts. For one of our anniversaries, he made me a "Brenna & Jason" board game complete with trivia cards and an elaborate game board with highlights from our relationship. It was amazing.

27. He quotes lines from Major League and Baseketball as if I'll know the reference. I never do.

28. He has given me two beautiful boys who have made our lives so lovely and chaotic and entertaining. I am forever grateful that I get to parent them with him.

29. He's a great friend, roommate, cook, companion, provider, partner, and date. I'm just lucky all-around.

Happy Birthday, Mister!

You sure are great!