For My Husband

Beloved husband,

Today is your 26th birthday, and today you are more than just an old geezer. You are also:

My best friend and my soul mate. There is no one else I'd rather spend every waking minute with, laugh with, cry with, joke around with, quote Madagascar with, or get Mellow Mushroom for dinner on a whim with. We fit together like puzzle pieces, you and I. We work well together, parent well together, and have the same desires and dreams for our family. You complete who I am, have all of my heart, and are the absolute perfect match for me. I am grateful to God for bringing you to me, and that you are my life partner and my rock.

Our provider. You understand and take seriously your biblical role to be the head of our home, and you do it for us at any cost, even if that cost is your stress and your sanity most days. You work harder than anyone I know and I am so thankful the Lord has carried you this far. Remember that "...suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3b-5) It will be worth it when it's (finally) over.

My cheerleader. Even though you are the biggest skeptic I know, you are always supportive in my endeavors, dreams, and aspirations. Whether it's my decision on a whim to tackle an incredibly difficult pattern on the first quilt I've ever made or my dreams to one day use my talents to "work" from home, you stand by my side, keep me grounded, and believe in me. You also encourage me beyond my own boundaries and nudge my stubborn self to set bigger dreams, and help me also believe I can accomplish the things you say I can. Not to mention you make me feel like I am doing a fantastic job at my most precious and important calling in life: being a mother to our children. Your belief in me and my abilities to fulfill my biblical role are unwavering and your understanding and encouragement for me to be a stay-at-home mom are crucial to the way we function. And you do it so well.

The best Papa. Our babies are incredibly blessed to have you as their father. Your zeal and love for them is insurmountable. The desires you have for them and their lives, the way you want to teach them, and what you want to teach them is priceless. You are fun, playful, and funny, but you are also their rock and protector. They love you with an enormous love, and to watch that grow as they grow into adults is going to be an incredible thing to behold. You are the best fit for their little hearts and they look up to you. 

Thank you for being all of these things (and so much more) to me and our precious babies. We couldn't ask for or want anyone other than you as a husband and a father. You are the best. Happy birthday to you, my love. You're everything we could ever dream of and we all love you very much.