my favorite birthday

**Disclaimer: I had been working on this post for two weeks leading up to his actual birthday. I had written it, erased it, written it, edited it, etc. To complicate matters, the last couple of months we have been dealing with a lap top on the fritz and unreliable Internet connection. I couldn’t and still can’t seem to do him justice. I feel really bad that his post of all posts is the one I post so ridiculously late, but I tried to post it on time. I promise. I doubt my words will convey how great he is, but I will try.

We met in 7th grade. I tell people who ask how we met that his first act of chivalry was dissecting the frog alone in 7th grade science. We were lab partners. We were friends back then. I was the girl dating all the stupid jocks. He was the guy who got to hear me complain about them. In the 8th grade, we had a group project to do and the group met at his house. I wasn’t feeling well that day and he was really sweet to me. When my mom came to pick me up, I got in the car and said, “I may be dating That Guy Who’s Totally in Love with Himself, but I will marry Andrew Thompson some day.” No joke. Here is where you ask me why I continued to bother with the jerks jocks if I said that and here is where I would tell you that that is a great question to which I don’t have the answer. Then 9th grade rolled around and he continued to be all chivalrous and got me through algebra. I would not have made it through without him. He sat right in front of me and this non-rule breaker turned around in his seat to help me many a time when he probably wasn’t supposed to.

That year we went to Orlando for a choir trip. We sat together on the bus and he endured girl talk and Seventeen Magazine with me. During that trip, we went to Church Street, which was an Orlando attraction because of it’s shops, restaurants, and mostly for it’s ridiculously freaky haunted house. As part of the “allure” for the haunted house, creatures roamed the street scaring people, even if you weren’t anywhere near the building. That night he sat in Brookstone with me for hours because I wouldn’t go outside onto the street. I didn’t want to be near anything that scary. I don’t do scary. I like to hear him tell the story because he talks about the moment I grabbed his hand to cross the street and run into Brookstone because some kind of werewolf or zombie was coming towards us. I love that he remembers that and that he will say it was the first night we held hands.

Then I transferred and went to a new high school. We kept in touch, but didn’t see each other much for years. Freshman year of college we IMed {if you have to ask me what that means then you are really young and I am getting old} quite a bit and he will tell you that I am the one who encouraged him to go out for men’s glee club. Then one summer we were both home from college and started hanging out. All the time. And the rest is history. 

He is still my knight in shining armor. We went through another algebra class together. This time he volunteered to take the class with me after clearing it with my professor. He sat in and took the notes so I could pay my full attention to the professor. Then he took me home and sat me down to do the homework and tutor me. {Which was no easy task. I was a hostile and resentful learner.}  I went to the first week of that class without him and failed the first exam. After he started going with me, I aced every single exam and quiz I took. Did I mention it was a 7am class? The man is my hero.

I think I could write enough to fill books with the ways he has shown me how he loves me, and the reasons why I think he is the greatest thing God ever came up with. Two reasons why this post was difficult to write; how do you condense all of that and still portray significant meaning? 

He loves the Lord and it was that quality that made me first believe that I could trust him. He is the greatest friend a girl could ask for and I am so blessed to share life with him. We have been through a lot together. He has loved me at my worst. He has the patience and gentleness of a saint. A SAINT, I tell you! He is good to me. He works hard and he is an amazing husband. I can’t wait to see him with our kids one day. He’s pretty funny too. He can make me laugh and smile in those moments when I don’t even want to. I love him dearly. I don’t tell him or show him that enough. He is my favorite person and my very best friend. His birthday is my favorite of all birthdays.

Babe, I am sorry this came so late. I love you so much! I hope you had a very happy birthday and that this is one of your very best years yet.