Happy Birthday Love!

There is this amazing man that I know.

He sends me off to work every morning with a kiss and a big hug. Even when he is in the midst of a deep slumber he somehow manages to draw himself out of it enough to squeeze me really tight, the way that I love, just because he knows that it is my favorite. Every night he sends me off to sleep with the same tight hug and loving kiss.

He understands how neurotic I can be at times about having a clean house-mostly when I know company is coming and he is a man that is not afraid to do what needs to be done. He doesn’t leave his dirty laundry sitting around; it always goes into the basket. When the basket gets full, he washes the clothes in it. He folds them immediately when it comes out of the dryer…I never touch it! When I leave a pan sitting in the sink because I hate washing them by hand, he always does it, without complaining. When I first moved up to Canada and had my own place I did not have a dishwasher. I had just a single sink in the kitchen. I hated doing the dishes by hand and they would often pile up on my counter. I don’t know how many times he came over, turned on the hot water, poured in the dish soap, and scrubbed away…at all of my dirty dishes.

He pays attention to the small things. Every night he tells me thank you for making the dinner. Often he adds in a “This tastes fabulous, honey,” or “That was really amazing!” just to make sure I know how good it was. He brushes the hair off of my face and calls me fun nicknames, knowing how special it makes me feel when he does this. He supports me in everything that I do. When I coached the volleyball team to the Provincial Championships last year he came to all of the Regional games, sitting with me on the bench to keep me calm and telling me later how great he thought that I was. When I have moments that I think I am a terrible teacher he always reassures me and reminds me of the things that I am doing that work and tells me of the stories I have told him throughout the past three years to inspire me anew.

He always knows exactly what to do to make me feel just right. If I am sad, he understands whether I need his strong arms around me holding me tight, a funny face to make me laugh, or perhaps even a distraction like a nice dinner out or a movie or walk. He is always coming up with new gimmicks to make me laugh. Rubbing his eyes like a little boy, running and leaping onto the bed with his arms flailing, talking with his Sean Connery lisp, and tickling me top the list of my favorites. When I am in the middle of a “woe is me” kind of day he knows that making me laugh will work much better than pitying me.

He is an amazing friend. He is my best friend! When we are taking that long, long, long road trip from BC to South Dakota he can always think of some kind of fun game to play to pass the time. Whenever I have a problem I can’t quite seem to work through, he is the first one that I want to talk to. I know that his calm and logical mind will help me to make sense of it in a way that I cannot do on my own. He is loyal to those that he loves. He has friendships that have lasted for almost as long as he has been alive. I am amazed at the way that he has grown in those friendships throughout the years. His childhood buddies are now grown men just like him and their families have joined with ours to form our small group…not just a “Bible Study,” but rather more of a family. It is his strong ties with these people that have brought them into my life and made them my family away from home.

I love his care of his parents. He works hard to make them happy and proud. He always wants to show them that they have had a positive affect on his life. His deep commitment to honoring them shows me that he will always be deeply committed to honoring me and our family.

He would do anything for me. I remember years ago when we had driven down to California to pack up my stuff and drive it back up in a U-haul truck. He worked the system and found a truck we could borrow from his friend. We discovered that the truck needed a hitch so he paid to have that installed and then drove the truck-without air conditioning-all the way from BC to California and back again. He drove the entire way. Without complaining even once! While we were on that trip, I had to go to the hospital because of an emergency. I remember sitting in the waiting room, with my head on his shoulder, for hours. He just sat there, comforting me, offering to get me a drink, a magazine, whatever I needed. I knew in that moment that I was making the right choice in moving to Canada to be with him. After we left the hospital he drove me across town to get my prescription, ordered us a pizza and drove to get it and spent the night just taking care of me and making sure that I was all right. His tender spirit was so evident to me in that moment. He gets me a glass of water and brings it to me in bed whenever I need it. He rubs my shoulders almost daily when I come home from work with that same crick in my neck. He surprises me with flowers at the most random times, sometimes knocking on the door just to throw me off so I won’t know that it is him. Every night before bed he gently listens as I rehash my day, knowing that I need that time to be able to sleep well. He then does devotions with me and prays, our last act before we fall asleep. I love that time the most, it shows me how committed he is to God and putting Him first in our relationship.

He is passionate about the things he loves. One of the things he enjoys the most is sports-of all kinds. I love watching him skate across the ice and score a goal in hockey. My favorite moment is right after the puck soars into the net and he looks up at me and raises his hands in the air. He looks so right running down the soccer field, working his muscles hard to stay fit while doing something he loves. Some of my favorite times with him as a couple have been our two seasons playing softball together. I love hearing his encouraging words on the field and seeing how solid he is on the team. I always find it amazing how he can know so many statistics and organize so many fantasy sports teams! He brought that to my family and bonded us across the miles by starting the Brunner Bowl-our annual fantasy football league. Although we are spread out from BC to South Dakota to Illinois we are all connected every Sunday when we “play” each other on the virtual football field. He brings his co-workers together at school every year by creating a hockey pool that everyone-even women-can join and anyone has the chance to win!

Yes, this man that I know is pretty amazing. Knowing him has changed my life! I can barely remember what my life was like without him in it every day. We are so tightly knit that we truly have become one. Where he ends I begin and when I am apart from him I feel as though a part of me is missing. He has made me a better woman simply by knowing him. He has made me feel cherished every single day of our marriage and he never lets a day go by without peppering it with several “I love yous.”

Today this man turns 30. It’s a milestone of sorts. I have watched him grow and change so much over the last four years. He has turned into a strong man of God, one that prays with me about situations and demonstrates a heart for God through his actions and words. I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to be a part of his life every day for these past four years. I look forward to this, his thirtieth year. Big things are going to happen in his life this year, and I know that he will rise to every challenge that comes his way with integrity and dignity, because that is what Kevin does.

Happy Birthday, my love! Enjoy your day and all that it brings to you!