…and I'm officially hijacking your blog. My turn to rave about YOU, baby.
My intent is to praise you up and down; to lift and build YOU and totally tell the world how unbelievably awesome you are.The problem is – I know public praise is what you detest the most. But let's be honest, you're a pro at deflecting any praise – public or private.
So here goes, baby…
Here are the top 100 reasons when my heart grew;
when my heart BURST for you;
when I fell deeper and deeper in love, and happier & happier in life;
and why I'm eternally in love with you.
When…
100. You gave me your number at Amy Smedley's house (while wearing a stunning dark sweater with a grey horizontal stripe. Man you took my breath away!)
99. I caught you doing a drive-by by the Pad in Provo.
98. You bought me Bites.
97. You spilled your guts at Hickory Kist
96. You loved listening to Sarah.
95. Your face lit up when you talked about your mission.
94. You totally knew what I was quoting when I said, "Open. Open. Open."
93. We got picked up in a sweet bus on the corner of 4th North and 4th East.
92. We danced in a broken down green shack.
91. We bowled in a broken down green shack.
90. You told me you loved "If You Leave."
89. I asked you your favorite temple at the table in the Cougar Eat in between Subway and the trash cans. (We need to sit at that table in July. I'll take you right to it.)
88. You about peed your pants walking on the tree above the river at Zion's.
87. You about peed your pants when I about peed my pants from claustrophobia in the squeeze.
86. You weren't bugged when all of my plans on our first date were foiled.
85. Your reaction when I told you I wanted to dance with you in an open field.
84. Your eyes during Winter Formal.
83. Your stunning smile when you saw me waiting for you at the foot of the stairs of the JKHB. (Que boca mas hermosa!)
82. Sharing pizza and a root beer at the Brick Oven.
81. Letting you go to allow you to decide what you wanted.
80. Your face at my door with flower in hand.
79. Our drive up to Jared's baptism.
78. You spilled OJ por todos lados and still remained calm.
77. Your reaction when we found out we couldn't be married in Spain.
76. Your reaction to dad's counsel to honeymoon in Spain.
75. Your desire to be faithful to your temple covenants. (I'll probably use this one a couple more times – too important to mention just once.)
74. Our hearts beat faster and harder than any other time in our lives while watching Legacy, of all movies. "Do you feel that?" (You were wearing your purplish skirt with white flowers and a white top.)
73. Going to buy your ring in CRAZY HEAVING poring, thinking all the time, "I love her so much I'd drive to New York in this kind of weather."
72. We cuddled on the couch in Ali's grandparent's cabin.
71. Dancing on the bridge at Sundance in the moonlight.
70. Kissing you on the bridge.
69. Talking forever in my black Civic.
68. Our interview … "And the best part – it just keeps getting better and better."
67. The first time I saw you in your wedding dress, walking South across North Temple, and how quickly I bolted from Clatie's car to join you.
66. In the Celestial Room of temple, the morning of April 29, before our ceremony.
65. Third floor, room eleven. MAN, I thought I knew FOR SURE what love was then.
64. The carriage ride.
63. You laughing at me when we couldn't find the blasted water tower.
62. Little America.
61. Our first night in the poop shack.
60. Flying to Spain – MARRIED!
59. Poppies
58. "Esposi?"
57. Gelato
56. Zara
55. Gaudi
54. Taking a million, fun, heart-burning pictures with you by my side
53. Pictures when you're behind me.
52. Teaching the gospel to Vicente and his wife.
51. Meeting Rupert & Eva and seeing how much they and their kids loved you.
50. Tossa de Mar
49. Peñiscola
48. Your out-of-this-world surprise trip to Buenos Aires
47. Your ability to communicate with Jorge y Sandra, Mirtha, Mabel and of course, Mario
46. Your safe keeping of credit cards in Baradero.
45. Your ability to not criticize when things get stressful.
44. Your natural gift to stay level-headed.
43. The fact that you're still reading this long list and your smile is widening more, even though you feel a bit uncomfortable that all this information about how amazing you are is in public domain. The NERVE of me!
42. Your nervousness when you play the piano in public.
41. Your shyness in public.
40. We ate pounds of sour grapefruits all semester in – Food Science Nutrition, of all places.
39. International Cinema — 'Lo-wah" "Lo-wah"
38. Not laughing at me too hard when our hours and hours of preparation for my internship were wasted with "Cooperate America."
37. You make sure we stay on top of our oil changes.
36. Watching the pain you endured at home and in the American Fork ER. (And crying for you when you weren't lookin'.)
35. Almost losing your life to bring Dallin here.
34. Watching your indescribable boughts of pain for the good of another's life.
33. Helping you walk.
32. Helping your breathe.
31. Changing Dallin's dooky droors.
30. Watching you recover, and become an unbelievably talented Mommy.
29. You agreed to support me and move to CA – WITHOUT ME BY YOUR SIDE!
28. The tears we shed on the pool deck. The faith we tried to show. Then the miracle of Ribera the VERY next day.
27. The missionary in you in Oxnard.
26. Your ability to serve, and serve, and serve, and serve
25. And love, and love, and love, and love.
24. The first Friday of every month.
23. Your faith enabling the miracle of Ella to come.
22. Watching you become an even more unbelievably talented Mommy.
21. And all the while, (as the 4 years have passed, up 'til this point) you become more and more beautiful. And I'm talking beauty. Real, natural, deep, breathtaking beauty. The kind of beauty that stops a room. The kind of beauty that make other men glance up at you, to then find me glancing at them with a, "Dude. Don't even think about it" look. You are seriously gorgeous.(Quit rolling your eyes, babe.)
20. You find a house you like and I see you designing it in your mind before we even move in.
19. You develop your talents – especially your gift of creation.
18. (Totally out of sequence, but) You run a marathon. Babe – the kind of deep respect you command from doing that several times is heart-bursting.
17. You sense someone's need in the room, then help them.
16. You perceive signs and information 99% of the world doesn't get.
15. You choose to be a Mom, instead of the 99 million other things you could do–and do well; which things, by the way, are 99 million times easier, and more glamorous to most. But you still choose Motherhood.
14. You continue to choose to be a mom. Especially after the days when all you hear is screaming. All you see are messes. All you feel is sadness. All you smell is poop. All you connect with is a hand to a bottom for severe disobedience, then you feel even more sad. All your efforts to feel the Spirit are in vain.
13. You choose to hear the laughter. You choose to see the cute eyes. You choose to feel the joy. You choose to smell the flowers. You choose to connect with your lovey. You choose to strive to feel the Spirit.
12. You share your testimony.
11. You sing.
10. You teach our kids the Gospel.
9. You dance with me.
8. You dance with the kids – and me.
7. You stand at the door to say goodbye, making my heart burn 400 degrees hotter.
6. We play at Disneyland together.
5. You pray.
4. We attend the temple together.
3. You ask for a fwendy.
2. We share the Gospel together.
1. When you kiss me. When you really, really KISS me.
Happy Birthday, nena.
I am FOREVER in love with you!
-Jeff
