OH!

Where to begin?

Of the 34 years you’ve been alive you have spent seven of those years with me, your wife, Eliza J. Dawson. And I have endeavored to make your birthdays as wonderful as I could. (Remember when I tried to brow beat you into having a 30th birthday party – wasn’t that fun?!)

At least I am learning.

Slowly, but there is progress.

Now I just ask you what you want and give it to you — with only a small surprise thrown into the mix, like last year. (wink, wink)

Anyway,

I still remember when we were dating and you showed me your baby pictures.

That is when I knew I wanted to marry you.

Holy cow! Were you a little stunner.

WHAT would I have given to know you then?!

Seeing as you are a year older than me I can imagine that I watched you from heaven. I probably couldn’t help myself. You were so stink’n cute. I wonder if God let me be one of your guardian angels before I was sent to earth?

The other angels who kept a faithful vigil would see me swooning and wonder, “What is her deal?” and I would say, “One day that baby will grow up and be the man I marry. I’ll love him more than anyone in the whole world.” They would get it because you know, they’re angels and angels understand about love.

Anyway lets pull it back. Out of dream land and into reality.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

I know that I take your steadiness, your goodness, your kindness, your intelligence for granted every single day. So I am grateful for the chance to take stock and celebrate how much you mean to me and how grateful I am that you were born 34 years ago.

Would you mind if I briefly catalogued just a few of the reasons why I love you so?

I love how unflappable you are and I am grateful that despite my complete and utter flappability you somehow manage to just let it go. You even smile, a loving smile, when I go off on a tirade, have a spaz, or lose my mind. You let me be who I am without making me feeling like a total loser.  That is so kind of you, thanks.

I love to see you in action with our daughters.  You are not showy or flashy about the way you engage them – but with a gentle intensity you pay very close attention to what they are doing, and then you celebrate it. First by noticing how they are progressing and what they are doing, then you help stretch them further. You give them credit. You ask things of them that I don’t, then you show me, through your example that they are totally capable. They are so blessed to have you as a dad.

I love your brain. It is such a good one. Not only is it  packed with information, but I love how you take that information and break it down for me into bite sized pieces that I can understand. I love how your process all the information that you seem to endlessly cram into your brain. For example, I might read something about politics in the news paper that would outrage me. I would tell you about it and you would very calmly explain two or three other angles at which I could examine the story and come up with a very different conclusion.  You have an ability to do this with almost any subject in which you are well versed.

I love your sense of humor. I love your great big laugh. I can’t wait to share things with you in the hope that that great big laugh might come toppling out of you and fill my heart with delight.

I am grateful that you always look out for me – and find ways to help me. I know you have my best interest at heart. I feel so safe with you. I know that you would never ridicule me or knowingly hurt me. Remember the other night I came home and you had put Clara down successfully with a bottle and you could tell instantly that I was upset. You just held me then when you looked at me and saw that I had tears in my eyes you held me even tighter. You didn’t even understand why this would make me sad, all you knew was that I was sad and you were instantly on my side. Then you gave me the time to explain how wonderful and  hard it is for me to give Clara independence.

I feel like our marriage is made up of hundreds of moments like these. Moments of kindness and understanding.

I am so happy to be your wife. You are such a source of strength to me. I am grateful that you are honoring the commitments that you made to God and to me when we are married. If God were to come to me and ask me, “So, how is he doing?” I would give him the mushiest, gushiest report of the swell job that you are doing – as a husband, as a friend, as a provider, as a builder of his kingdom (he knows already, but if he were to ask, I would not hold back!)

I also love…your complete and utter dedication to the gospel, your enthusiasm for baseball, that you love to play basketball, the kindness you show to my family all the time, your generosity and that you support me in my efforts to be generous, your love of all things technological (and the ways you spend your effort helping me out in this department – whether it’s putting conference talks on my iPhone or helping me start a blog), and how you always make my birthday the most wonderful day of the year (I hope I do half as good a job).

I love you more than words can express.

Happy 34th birthday.

Last year on your birthday I gave you

a gift never to be topped

May this year be full of all that is good, and beautiful and true!

Love,

Lize