It’s March 9, 2015. Why is today so special? Well, it’s my guy’s 30th birthday!!! The big 3-0. I couldn’t let today pass without making a post about him on the blog. Whenever I was thinking of what I wanted to write about, I decided that I just needed to share with the world 30 reasons why I love my guy. So, Patrick… this is for you. Happy 30th.

30 Reasons why I love my guy.

1. You’re my best friend. Plain and simple. You’re the peanut butter to my jelly, the creamer to my coffee, the warmth to my summer.

2. Speaking of coffee. I love drinking coffee with you. We have some of our best conversations while sipping java anywhere or anytime. To think when you met me, I still worked in a coffee shop. Seems like a different lifetime ago.

3. You are the hardest working man I know. Seriously. I don’t know anyone else who works as hard as you do.

4. Your determination is a trait that I hope Bennett has. When you set your mind to something, you get it done and it’s always done in excellence.

5. You’re half the reason that I have Bennett. So thanks. 🙂

6. You get me to laugh when I take myself or situations too seriously. When I still don’t laugh, you try even harder.

7. You try to speak my love language. Even though we have completely different love languages, you never stop trying to go out of your comfort zone to let me know I’m loved. Thank you.

8. The beach is your favorite place too. I’m so thankful we share that love.

9. You’re always pushing me out of my comfort zone to try new things. Without you, life wouldn’t be as fun.

10. You’re so incredibly handsome. After 4.5 years of marriage, I still find myself all girly goo goo eyed over you.

11. You love me through my failures. When I fail, you never give up on me.

12. You’re turning out to be an amazing dad. Bennett is going to have an amazing role model.

13. You love God. That sounds so cliche but seriously.

14. You’re passionate about missions and helping others. Not just through church but in your everyday life. You’re the first to run outside if you see a neighbor who needs help. A friend calls and needs help? You’re there.

15. You’re dependable. I can depend on you.

16. You’re a man of integrity. There’s nothing shady about you. I trust you and what you say. Other people trust you.

17. You never have made fun of my cooking even when I thought a good home cooked meal was hamburger helper. Remember those days? You loved me through my picky eater stage.

18. You embrace (put up with) my excessive picture taking.

19. You always support and encourage me. In everything I do, you’re there telling me I can do it.

20. You’re a dreamer. You’re always thinking outside of the box. If you find something you want or want to do. You figure out how to get it or do it.

21. You put our family first. You’re always making sure that no matter what you decide to do, that Bennett and I are taken care of.

22. I love that you can fix anything. Literally anything. If you don’t know how…. you figure it out. It always amazes me.

23. I love that you sing and play guitar. Doesn’t matter if you’re singing to Bennett, playing a silly song or seranading me, there is something so attractive in watching you.

24. You never speak poorly of me. I know that whoever you’re talking too, you don’t display my shortcomings to the public. This might sound like a weird one, but not every husband out there speaks highly of their wife. SO, thank you.

25. You’re always there to help me out. If I need water while feeding Bennett, an extra set of hands, someone to lift something… You’re there. 🙂

26. You have a vision for your life and for our family. You’re always moving forward.

27. You’re brave. Whenever I stand on the edge, terrified to make that leap of faith, you hold my hand and we jump. You don’t always know where we are going to land, but you have faith that God’s got us and we will be ok.

28. You hold me. It doesn’t matter if I just need a hug, have had a hard day, am birthing our kid…. you’re there to hold me. You’re there for me. Always.

29. You can cook! My newest favorite is your homemade pizza. 🙂            

30. You love me. All of me. The good. The bad. You take me as I am and love me through it all. I love you because you love me. Thanks for doing life with me. You’re a keeper.

Happy 30th birthday babe. You’re an amazing man and I am blessed to know you, let alone call you my husband.

I met my husband in 2008. I was a week shy of turning 17. I actually don’t remember meeting him for the first time. Now? I’m turning 24 and he will be 30 in 3 months. Time is flying.

Interesting fact? Patrick and I have a 6.5 year age difference. This is less of an issue as we both grow older but at the time, it seemed like a big deal. However, I knew within 6 months of meeting him that I wanted to marry him, even before we officially dated. I remember sitting in class, talking with Pamela and saying… I think I love him. I can see myself marrying him. Looking back, those are big words for a 17 year old. My friends probably thought I was crazy.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the past 6 years. So much has changed in 6 years. I went from a single high school senior, to a married mom of a 2 month old. I have traveled the world with my husband, we have purchased 2 homes, we both started and ended school careers, we have fought, learned to forgive, celebrated and learned and most recently, brought a life into this world. Patrick was there for me when my dad died, only 4 months after meeting him. Patrick was there when I graduated high school and college. I was there when he changed careers, started his own company and went back to school. We have seen each other grow up. We are celebrating 4 years of marriage this week.

Patrick and I dated for 364 days. He took me back to the place he asked me to be his girlfriend, dropped to his knee and asked me to be his wife. I ugly cried and said yes. I had just celebrated my 19th birthday only 6 days prior. I was young and had a lot to learn about being a wife, but 4 months later, we were married.

That first year was hard. We learned a lot about each other that first year. I wouldn’t trade it though because it helped me learn how to forgive which is essential in any marriage. It helped me learn how to communicate, budget, cook and love without expectations.

When your husband or wife is a complete opposite, it takes a lot of compromising and a lot of patience and understanding. Patrick and I learned quickly that we are polar opposites in a lot of stuff which makes his strengths my weaknesses and vice versa. In reality, 4 years later and we still are learning about each other. Marriage takes work. You have to put effort in. You have to love extravagantly, forgive often and communicate. I am thankful for a husband who is patient with me when I’m not being the nicest or my tone could cut ice. I am thankful for a husband who doesn’t point out my flaws whenever they are the first thing that I’m putting forth.

I have learned so much in 4 years. I am so thankful that I had friends and family who still supported a crazy 19 year old saying, “YEA! Getting married at 19 is a great idea!” It sounds crazy now that I see how young I was and how little I knew… but I’m so glad I made that leap and commitment. I have had the most wonderful 4 years of learning and experiencing life with my best friend. Our marriage is like wine, it gets better every year. So cliche, but true.

Patrick and I have visited Aruba

Belize

Honduras

Grand Caymans

Bahamas

… I think I’m forgetting a few.

My husband has brought out the best in me. On our honeymoon (a cruise to the bahamas), I was TERRIFIED to leave the boat. Like, in tears. Here I was, just married, never traveled without my parents and all of the sudden, I was in another country with a man who I had just moved in with. Now? You can’t keep us on the boat. Can you tell that we love cruises? We love to explore and try new things. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still much more reserved than Patrick, but he challenges me to come out of my comfort zone. I have changed so much (for the better) in 4 years. 

1st year anniversary session!

The day after he proposed

Becoming parents.

3rd cruise!

3rd year anniversary session!

2nd anniversary photo session

Second cruise!

Our first anniversary!

Day 1 of us being a “couple” haha

The night he asked me to be his girlfriend.

Our first cruise! Honeymoon!

At our favorite place. 2009? 

Dating.

Aruba.

Engagement Photo.

High school graduation.

My 18th Birthday.

My 18th Birthday

Dating

Dating.

After my half marathon

Now. 🙂

Marrying Patrick was one of the best things I did in my life. I love living life with this man and look forward to the decades we still have before us. Bennett is waking up, so it’s time to go. I’ll probably have a sappy facebook status on the 27th. Be prepared. Happy 4 years (on the 27th) babe!

Thank for living life with me Patrick, I love you.

Is Folgers in your cup? Actually it’s choconuts coffee in my cup with french vanilla creamer…. while sitting in bed next to my husband.

Fun fact, when Patrick met me, I was working in a coffee shop. Even funnier fact? I didn’t drink coffee. I didn’t drink coffee until 2010? Once I started drinking coffee though, that has been our go-to date for years. Need a quick date? Coffee it is. Need a long in depth conversation? Coffee it is. Want to people watch? Coffee it is. Want to surprise the hubby to just say I love you? Coffee it is. Saturday mornings? Yard sales and coffee. Going into labor? Breuggars and coffee. Coffee Coffee Coffee.

When I was a nanny and Patrick had the typical 9-5 job, we would wake up at 5 am and sit in bed and drink our coffee together. Sometimes we would talk, sometimes we would surf the web on our phones but either way, it was the best part of waking up. Over the past  year or two, I have given up coffee several times, switched to tea or didn’t drink anything. We lost our 5 am dates over the years and chose to sleep in. We stayed up later at night and therefore, we slept in longer.

With Bennett here, everything is different. Patrick leaves for school, drives an hour, spends all day in class then has to run his company whenever school let’s out. By the time he’s home, we eat dinner, watch a show, hang out with Bennett and then it’s time to start bedtime. (7:45 or 8 pm). After bedtime, I crawl into bed and crash after I set my alarm for B and I’s 3:30 am nursing session.

What’s missing? Quality time with just my guy. My big guy. Having a kid consumes your world. Everything revolves around them. We have heard for years though, make sure your marriage comes first but sometimes that is easier said than done. Last week, Patrick came into Bennett’s room while I was nursing him for the last time of the night. He walked in and asked me for a coffee date the next morning. A million reasons of why I should have said no ran through my mind. Does he realize that I wake up at 3:30 everyday? Does he realize that I’m tired. Does he realize that I could be sleeping. Let’s get real, I love sleep. I NEED SLEEP. But then it hit me. He’s pursuing me. He wants to spend time with just ME. He could sleep an extra hour but instead is choosing to wake up at 5 am, shower and get ready for his day and then spend a kid free hour with me.

I said yes. He said good. He had already set the timer on the coffee maker and we were set for a date…. in our room with hushed voices and morning breath. The next morning was well worth trading in an hour of sleep. We talked and it didn’t revolve around Bennett. We drank our coffee and enjoyed each other’s company. We were on a date that cost us virtually nothing but was the freshest breath of air. It was so refreshing that we have kept it up. We have our morning coffee dates before the world wakes up. Before Bennett wakes up. Before the sun decides to rise and start the day.

As B becomes older, we will be able to actually go out for coffee dates or dinner but for right now, this is what we will do. I make the coffee the night before and Patrick brings it up to me in the morning after he showers. We will have a date, every day. 1 uninterrupted hour of just my guy and I. Another perk was for the first time in weeks, I was waking up to silence instead of Bennett crying to eat. I wasn’t rushing around, trying to pee, trying to put my hair in a bun, trying to not stumble over my feet as I make my way to his room. Coffee dates remind me that our marriage will come first so that we can be the best parents possible for Bennett. We will put ourselves first so that Bennett can see a healthy and happy marriage as he grows up. That might mean sacrificing sleeping an extra hour to make it happen, but it will happen. It’s worth it. It’s SO worth it. I’m so thankful for a man who will ask me on a coffee date even after 4 years of marriage. Knowing him, he’ll still be asking me on coffee dates after 80 years of marriage.

The best part of waking up is coffee in bed with my husband.

I pray for many more years of refreshing coffee dates with my guy.

We woke up to watch the sun rise on our cruise… and to drink coffee.