Where do I begin this evening? So much has happened since my last post (I know…it’s been too long), that I don’t even know what to cover first.

Let me quickly address our housing situation since that’s where I last left off.  To make a long story very short, everything worked out….solely due to God’s grace….well, God’s grace along with the meager price of $600 to make the wife “comfortable” with letting us move in early.  We were able to move into our house last Saturday.  It was a rough few days to minimize how things really felt, but we made it through in tact and are pleased to have enjoyed our first week in our new house.   Corey and I love the house.  The kids seem to like it as they are adapting to the change a bit slower than we have, but I know they will grow to love it time.   Every box is unpacked.  All the pictures are hung.  We are settled in and now planning out our home improvement projects.  Our closing is this week Wednesday, October 14 (so much for “hoping for” October 2).  While we have made it our home already, it will still feel wonderful to make it official by signing on the dotted line!

Moving on to even bigger and better things than our new home is my husband, Corey’s birthday!  His birthday is tomorrow, October 12 and in this house, we celebrate birthdays BIG!  Well, I mean we don’t fly to Paris for the weekend or anything, but it’s always been really important to me that I make everyone feel extra special on their birthday.

When Corey came into our lives many years ago, this grand celebration with a big dinner, family and friends over to celebrate, presents, cake, and ice cream was not met with open arms by him.  He never really cared for the big “fuss” over him.  He always preferred to go about his day as if it were any ordinary day and did not like all the attention and fan fare we put on for him.  I always had hurt feelings because the kids and I would go out of our way to make him feel special, and he would get crabbier as the day progressed.  I talked to his mom about his apparent attitude one time, and she told me that he’s always been that way.  Holidays, including his birthday, were never his favorite.   She told me that he always seemed to get quiet and sullen on big days and that it was just part of who he was.  I needed to just accept it and treat his birthday as any other day if I wanted to keep the peace.

Well, for any of you who know me, you can imagine how well that went over.  I just couldn’t get myself to ignore his birthday.  The kids were always excited to celebrate it, and it just didn’t seem right to treat the day he was born as “no big deal”.   So I did things my way…the only way I know how.

We celebrated every year whether he liked it or not.  I would make a big dinner.  The kids and I would make the cake and decorate it together.  We would pick out his present and wrap it.  The streamers and decorations were hung and the camera battery was fully charged and ready to go.  There were a few years after he knew what to expect when he came home from work that he would work “late” on those nights just trying to avoid the ordeal.  But we waited patiently and celebrated when he did decide to show up regardless of the time.

As the years together progressed, he seemed to accept that this is something we need to do and he’s become a much better sport about the whole thing.  One year I even threw a little surprise party for him with family and friends at his favorite restaurant.  His mom was nervous and holding her breath to see how he reacted to this little ditty. I just walked in holding his hand and praying to God he wouldn’t be angry with me for the rest of the year for pulling a stunt like that.   Much to all of our surprise, he handled it well and seemed to really enjoy himself.  I think that was a real turning point for both of us.

Given his feelings surrounding birthday hoopla, you can just imagine my surprise this year when he started talking about his “birthday weekend” coming up and what we were going to do to celebrate!  I can honestly say that every time he mentioned the weekend with excitement and anticipation in his voice, it nearly brought me to tears.   I felt more relief and pure joy in my heart celebrating with him this year than ever before.   We didn’t do anything spectacular, but just knowing that he was looking forward to it made it all the more special…for me at least!

On Saturday, we went to dinner and a movie with some dear friends of ours.  We laughed, talked, and enjoyed the evening together just as any date night….but for me, I felt more connected to him than ever before.   To see him relax, let his guard down, and enjoy being out to celebrate HIM, was almost magical!  It felt like we had finally broken down whatever barrier had been in place all these years that made him feel he was unworthy of celebrating.

Tonight, we had a nice, big family dinner complete with decorations, ice cream, and angel food cake (his favorite).  He opened his presents and again, it appeared as though his wall was down.  Tomorrow night is his actual birthday and of course our schedule is chalked full of events….football practice, volleyball game, homework, etc, etc….so the festivities will come to an end for this year.

But as I reflect on this amazing man I get the privilege of growing old with, I am moved once again to tears over how blessed I am to have him in my life.  He is insanely intelligent and wonderfully charming.  He is a man of few words, but when he does chose to speak up, he is always worth listening to.  He is passionate about so many worthy causes that when I sit back and watch him discuss the injustices in this world that move him, he actually compels me to want to make a difference….he even makes me feel like I can make a difference in this world.  He is one of my biggest supporters and knows me better than I know myself.  He is strong and steadfast and the most fiercely loyal man I know.   To know him, is to love him, and he sincerely makes me want to be a better person each and every day.  I am blessed to lay beside him each night and tackle each day with him by my side.

It is because of all this and so much more, I will do my best to honor my husband on his special day…this year and all the years to come.  Whether he realizes it or not, the day he came into this world will ALWAYS be worth celebrating!

And to his mother who raised him to be the man he is today….thank you!

Happy Birthday Corey.  I love you!