February is a busy birthday month for our family! This week it is my husband’s turn. We celebrate his 35th this year! We have been through so many wacky seasons of life together. I guess that’s what happens when you literally grow up with someone. He is my absolute favorite and I am so thankful that he chose me to be his girl. Although, when I think back on our story, I often think, “How the heck did we get here? The odds were certainly not ever in of favor.

The 1st photo we took together. 1998

Here are 35 reasons that we defy all odds:

1. I told my cousin when I was 13 years old that I was going to marry that kid someday. I just knew it. BOOM. Nailed it. (no pun intended)
2. Those plaid pants you wore. Really? Yikes.
3. How I broke your normal black umbrella and replaced it with a loud zebra print one for you to walk around our high school with.
4. That we started dating when I was 15. (Our kids will do nothing of the sort!)
5. How I had raging jealousy issues and almost EVERY girl you knew had a crush on you.
6. Your overt goofiness, my default RBF. How in the world did we get through that?
7. Remember how you didn’t eat sushi?
8. That time you broke up with me.
9. The way it took quite a while for my big brother to like you. I’m sure he does by now.
10. My somewhat creepy daily “Dear Josh” diary from before we were actually even friends. *Super creep*
11. That other time you broke up with me
12. How I was the girl with all the baggage and you were the guy with all the pride. Classic combo.
13. How it was the late 90’s and your hair proved it. (Those frosted tips were on point, Babe. For reals.)
14. That time I traipsed my rebound guy in front of your face cuz I was movin’ on…. sorry about that.
15. That time we didn’t talk to each other for over a year. Glad that’s over.
16. The fact that we actually did become best friends. C’mon. That’s pretty cool…
17. How I couldn’t articulate anything ever without processing it through writing. “Hang on. I know we’re fighting, but let me go home and write it all out and figure out what I need to say based on what I assume you’re going to say and then I’ll put it in a box and pretend nothing ever happened and never need to talk to you about it again because I already processed and wrote all my feelings.” Yeah… whoops. That’s what you get when you date at 15.
18. That time you broke up with me… again. *That’s 3 times if anyone is keeping count*
19. How you proposed while we were “on a break”.
20. That I said “YES”! You’re welcome…
21. That we got married whilst I was a teenager. (I was 19, he was 21. I’m sure his maturity had something to do with our success)
22. How, in the beginning, I didn’t know how to cook anything that didn’t come in a box with flavoring packets.
23. That we had a baby right away. “Happy 1st Anniversary, Honey. Let’s take our brand new baby home from the hospital!”
24. Because, after 5 kids, I look nothing like that cute little teenage floozy version of me that you fell in love with.
25. Because we really had no clue what we were doing.
26. You eat black licorice.
27. The fact that I never learned how to keep a tidy house.
28. That season of life when we had to live off of “Just Add Water” pancakes for 2 weeks.
29. You don’t like “Somewhere In Time”. What? I still can’t believe it.
30. We’ve been married almost 14 years. That right there is tramples a lot of statistics. Proud of you!
31. Every time you say “Westren/Northren”. C’mon dude.
32. My default sassiness… I try to keep it in check, I promise.
33. You were raised an upright Baptist boy. I was raised in the dance circles of the 90’s Vineyard movement.
34. How I am the only girl you’ve ever been in a relationship with.
35. Because a love like ours is the stuff of movies and tear-jerking country songs.

I don’t know why you, my sweet husband, have chosen to love me so devotedly for so many years, but I am so grateful that you have. You are my best friend and dance partner for life and there is absolutely no one else I want to tackle the rest of our years with. Thank you for standing by my side all of this time (not counting the previously mentioned 3 times you didn’t, of course… Kidding! I’m kidding…) and for giving us the most wonderful life together. Happy Birthday, Superman. I seriously can’t wait to celebrate the next 35 one glorious year at a time. “Turn down for what?!”