Today is my partner's birthday. I have had the amazing fortune of spending 13 of Ruanita's last 46 birthdays with her. In honor of her 46th year, I am making a list of the top 46 reasons I love and celebrate her every day.
1. She made me a mom by giving me Lucas...my first-born and the child who changed my entire world.
2. She mows the grass.
3. She looks damn adorable in a baseball cap.
4. She is the Sophie-whisperer. She has a way of "handling" our daughter that is totally beyond me.
5. She empties the cat litter.
6. She plays Yu-Gi-Oh cards with Lucas....so I don't have to.
7. She has a tendency to incessantly quote stupid movies. She is never again in my lifetime allowed to watch The 40-Year-Old Virgin, The Hangover, or Napoleon Dynamite.
8. She is a t-shirt and jeans sort of girl, but she cleans up really nice when need be.
9. She is the only person on this entire planet who loves my kids as much as I do.
10. She was so adorably nervous on our first date that she was already through half a bottle of Jagermeister when I got to her door.
11. She didn't look at me like I was a dork when I gave her a mix tape.
12. She doesn't drink at all anymore except for the occasional little fruity drinks...which amuses me to no end because it completely seems to go against the tough persona she likes to project.
13. She told me this morning that she loves sleeping with me (and by "sleeping" I mean actually snoozing and snoring).
14. She is an extremely talented therapist. She has a way of calming people while at the same time bluntly getting to the root of their issues. She amazes me with her skill.
15. She has an infectious laugh.
16. She stays on top of the laundry, washing all of it. And she doesn't complain when the clothes sit in baskets for days before I get around to folding them and putting them away.
17. She knows where everything is in our house....as opposed to me, who knows where nothing is. I would be be a blubbering idiot, wandering lost throughout the rooms of our house without her.
18. She is a horrible driver. She will tell you that she is a great driver, but don't believe her. She is an aggressive last-minute braker with a propensity toward tail-gating people. She does not believe in braking before a 90-degree turn. She also has been known to flip off the occasional gang-banger-looking thug....a habit that will no doubt get her shot one day. As a result, I drive everywhere we go, which is perfectly fine with me.
19. She allows me to assemble anything and everything we buy that requires assembly. She is smart enough to step back and not try to "help" when I get frustrated and random parts start flying around the room. I love that about her!
20. She was a beautiful pregnant woman. It was the one and only time in her life that she wanted to wear "girly" clothes. I am sure it was hormone-driven delirium, but she looked great. And she absolutely glowed! I have never seen her as happy as she was when she was pregnant.
21. She changes the sheets on all of our beds.
22. She is a wonderful mom. She didn't have the best mother role model growing up. As a result, she doubts herself too much, but she is utterly amazing with the kids.
23. She likes to dress up and go out to really nice restaurants.
24. She is a hotel snob....a trait that has allowed us to stay in some pretty swanky places.
25. She will eat anything and everything that I cook...no matter how bad it is.
26. She is frugal, which is a good counter-balance to my free-spending tendencies. We make a great money-managing team. I make her appreciate the finer things in life...and she reins me in when those "finer things" are a little TOO fine for our bank account.
27. She has supported me 100% in everything I have ever wanted to do in my life...even when she thinks my ideas are insane.
28. She is fiercely loyal and protective of the people she loves.
29. Her loyalty extends not only to me and our kids, but to my entire family as well.
30. She started listening to country music because I liked it.
31. She gives off so much heat at night that I barely need blankets even on the coldest Minnesota winter night.
32. She left everything and moved to Minnesota to start a life with me. I know she was terrified, but she made the leap anyway.
33. I love the way she cusses every time she has to put on reading glasses to read the paper. And she is WAY cute in those reading glasses.
34. I love buying her gifts because it never ever occurs to her to buy something for herself. She is completely selfless in that way.
35. I love that she FINALLY threw out the mom-jeans with the tapered ankles after months and months of hearing my comments about them.
36. She has the softest skin I have ever felt on another human being. She has slathered herself with lotion every day since birth. It has definitely paid off. Seriously...the next time you see her, rub her arm. You will be amazed.
37. I think it's incredibly endearing that she is incapable of tanning. She turns pink....then white again. So cute.
38. I love that Lucas inherited her SUPER-THICK hair.
39. She is willing to hang out with my family, attend all family functions (weddings/graduations/birthday parties, etc), and even drive 14 hours in a car with three kids to Kentucky to go to my family reunion this summer. All without complaint.
40. She worries about me. If I am ever even five minutes late, I will find her impatiently pacing the floor, phone in hand, in a panic.
41. She stands at the front door and kisses me goodbye every morning when I head out to work. It doesn't matter if she is tired, or sick, or the kids are screaming. She always stands at the door and kisses me goodbye.
42. After almost 13 years, she still wants to go on date nights out with me.
43. Her closet is impeccable. Like clothes grouped together. Shoes neatly lined up. If I didn't know any better, I would think she had been in the military.
44. She empties the dishwater. (In case you haven't noticed, there is a trend here. Ruanita is definitely the better housekeeper of the two of us. And I love her for it!)
45. She tells me I am beautiful...even when I know quite well that I look like crap.
46. She is the only person I ever met who I knew instantly would be a part of my life forever.
Happy birthday, Ruanita! I am honored beyond belief to be a part of your special day and I hope to be around to celebrate at least 50 more birthdays with you!
1. She made me a mom by giving me Lucas...my first-born and the child who changed my entire world.
2. She mows the grass.
3. She looks damn adorable in a baseball cap.
4. She is the Sophie-whisperer. She has a way of "handling" our daughter that is totally beyond me.
5. She empties the cat litter.
6. She plays Yu-Gi-Oh cards with Lucas....so I don't have to.
7. She has a tendency to incessantly quote stupid movies. She is never again in my lifetime allowed to watch The 40-Year-Old Virgin, The Hangover, or Napoleon Dynamite.
8. She is a t-shirt and jeans sort of girl, but she cleans up really nice when need be.
9. She is the only person on this entire planet who loves my kids as much as I do.
10. She was so adorably nervous on our first date that she was already through half a bottle of Jagermeister when I got to her door.
11. She didn't look at me like I was a dork when I gave her a mix tape.
12. She doesn't drink at all anymore except for the occasional little fruity drinks...which amuses me to no end because it completely seems to go against the tough persona she likes to project.
13. She told me this morning that she loves sleeping with me (and by "sleeping" I mean actually snoozing and snoring).
14. She is an extremely talented therapist. She has a way of calming people while at the same time bluntly getting to the root of their issues. She amazes me with her skill.
15. She has an infectious laugh.
16. She stays on top of the laundry, washing all of it. And she doesn't complain when the clothes sit in baskets for days before I get around to folding them and putting them away.
17. She knows where everything is in our house....as opposed to me, who knows where nothing is. I would be be a blubbering idiot, wandering lost throughout the rooms of our house without her.
18. She is a horrible driver. She will tell you that she is a great driver, but don't believe her. She is an aggressive last-minute braker with a propensity toward tail-gating people. She does not believe in braking before a 90-degree turn. She also has been known to flip off the occasional gang-banger-looking thug....a habit that will no doubt get her shot one day. As a result, I drive everywhere we go, which is perfectly fine with me.
19. She allows me to assemble anything and everything we buy that requires assembly. She is smart enough to step back and not try to "help" when I get frustrated and random parts start flying around the room. I love that about her!
20. She was a beautiful pregnant woman. It was the one and only time in her life that she wanted to wear "girly" clothes. I am sure it was hormone-driven delirium, but she looked great. And she absolutely glowed! I have never seen her as happy as she was when she was pregnant.
21. She changes the sheets on all of our beds.
22. She is a wonderful mom. She didn't have the best mother role model growing up. As a result, she doubts herself too much, but she is utterly amazing with the kids.
23. She likes to dress up and go out to really nice restaurants.
24. She is a hotel snob....a trait that has allowed us to stay in some pretty swanky places.
25. She will eat anything and everything that I cook...no matter how bad it is.
26. She is frugal, which is a good counter-balance to my free-spending tendencies. We make a great money-managing team. I make her appreciate the finer things in life...and she reins me in when those "finer things" are a little TOO fine for our bank account.
27. She has supported me 100% in everything I have ever wanted to do in my life...even when she thinks my ideas are insane.
28. She is fiercely loyal and protective of the people she loves.
29. Her loyalty extends not only to me and our kids, but to my entire family as well.
30. She started listening to country music because I liked it.
31. She gives off so much heat at night that I barely need blankets even on the coldest Minnesota winter night.
32. She left everything and moved to Minnesota to start a life with me. I know she was terrified, but she made the leap anyway.
33. I love the way she cusses every time she has to put on reading glasses to read the paper. And she is WAY cute in those reading glasses.
34. I love buying her gifts because it never ever occurs to her to buy something for herself. She is completely selfless in that way.
35. I love that she FINALLY threw out the mom-jeans with the tapered ankles after months and months of hearing my comments about them.
36. She has the softest skin I have ever felt on another human being. She has slathered herself with lotion every day since birth. It has definitely paid off. Seriously...the next time you see her, rub her arm. You will be amazed.
37. I think it's incredibly endearing that she is incapable of tanning. She turns pink....then white again. So cute.
38. I love that Lucas inherited her SUPER-THICK hair.
39. She is willing to hang out with my family, attend all family functions (weddings/graduations/birthday parties, etc), and even drive 14 hours in a car with three kids to Kentucky to go to my family reunion this summer. All without complaint.
40. She worries about me. If I am ever even five minutes late, I will find her impatiently pacing the floor, phone in hand, in a panic.
41. She stands at the front door and kisses me goodbye every morning when I head out to work. It doesn't matter if she is tired, or sick, or the kids are screaming. She always stands at the door and kisses me goodbye.
42. After almost 13 years, she still wants to go on date nights out with me.
43. Her closet is impeccable. Like clothes grouped together. Shoes neatly lined up. If I didn't know any better, I would think she had been in the military.
44. She empties the dishwater. (In case you haven't noticed, there is a trend here. Ruanita is definitely the better housekeeper of the two of us. And I love her for it!)
45. She tells me I am beautiful...even when I know quite well that I look like crap.
46. She is the only person I ever met who I knew instantly would be a part of my life forever.
Happy birthday, Ruanita! I am honored beyond belief to be a part of your special day and I hope to be around to celebrate at least 50 more birthdays with you!
5 comments:
That is beautiful Shannon. You are both very blessed to have each other
Happy Birthday Ruanita!!
Aww how awesome!
I'm with her on number 37. I'm either white, pink or downright red. I've finally embraced my fair complexion!! :)
have a great night out tonight!
What a beautiful post!!!
That is a GREAT post and it made me laugh out loud. Brooks found it very amusing that I shared quite a few of those traits with Ruanita (knowing where everything is, terrible driver,date night, etc).
Glad you guys had a good swank night out!
And HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUANITA - hwibbs
Shannon I love this post... Very Sweet!
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