Dear Nathan,
It's your birthday today, and you're one year closer to 30! I know you probably won't be thrilled that one of my blogging days just happened to be on your birthday but I'm going to take it as a sign that I need to write an open letter to you.
These past few months have been some of the best and worst of our whole marriage. In the last year I quit my job, you changed your job, we lost a child, went to Africa, sold our house, and moved to a new city. We always joke that we do everything at once and I have to laugh at how true that is. We are a lot of things but we will never be bored.
But with so many serious life changes I thought I'd keep today a little more on the lighthearted side. So for those of you who thought you knew Nathan...I'm about to prove you all wrong ;) Without further ado, here are some of my favorite stores from this past year...
- That time you were sitting on the couch on your laptop and you all of a sudden looked up, yelled out "I hate wearing clothes!" and tore off your shirt. Then you continued working like nothing happened.
- That time when you wanted me to laugh in the morning (an admitted non-occurence) so you came bursting out of our room at 6am singing at the top of your lungs. Only instead of running around the living room like you planned you tripped on a cord and literally fell flat on your face.
- That time when you thought goats and sheep were the same animal.
- That time our house suddenly got infested with flies and you went on a hunting spree, killing 13 of them with your bare hands in the matter of a few minutes.
- All the times you woke me up with a fresh pot of coffee already brewed, even though I'm the only one who drinks it.
- That time when we were walking on the streets of Africa with our translator who was trying to explain their alternative to toilet paper and for the life of you, you couldn't understand it. Funniest moment ever.
- That time I served you cow's hoof from a buffet and you ate it, no questions asked. Or that time you let me make cow tongue tacos for you...and you actually ate them.
- All the weddings where you've made me put down my camera during a slow song so you could pull me out on the dance floor with you.
- That time you surprised me with a trip to Richmond and a stop at Pierce's BBQ along the way.
- The many times you chose not to wake me up when Lilo conveniently got sick under our bed in the middle of the night. Instead, you just took care of it and pulled the covers up so I could keep sleeping.
- Over the last year I've asked if I could go to North Carolina for a girl's retreat, visit New York with a friend, take a train across the country to San Francisco by myself, and go to Lake Tahoe for a creative conference - and every time you just said yes.
- That time I mentioned that I liked trendier hairstyles, and you showed up at the airport with a fresh new haircut just to make me happy.
My favorite memory of all, though, is this - after Joel passed away in January our baby crib and furniture arrived at the house. My heart hurt thinking about dealing with all of that. You locked yourself in the baby's room for hours and when you emerged you had put together the crib, dresser, swing, and everything else. You even decorated the room exactly how I would have wanted it. Of all things you've done, both funny and kind, this was the most thoughtful act I could imagine.
Today on your birthday, I celebrate that you are one year older. I celebrate the year ahead and all the memories we will make together. And I celebrate and cherish you - my husband, my best friend, and my soulmate. I love you forever. Happy birthday.
Commence the embarrassing, never-before-seen iPhone pictures!
