Alex's 32nd

A (belated) ode to Alex, for his 32nd birthday.

32 things I love about him ...

1. His obsession with the homemade sugar body scrub Katie made (for me) as a bridesmaid thank you gift.
2. That he is sincerely happiest when he sees his baby girl lovin' on her mama.
3. His simultaneous disdain/intrigue for all things Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat, etc.
4. The way be hugs me, as though I need the hug, when it's really for him.
5. His hair. He has a really nice head full of hair.
6. The smell when he makes scrambled eggs. They're better than mine.
7. His propensity for wearing shorts or pants two to three sizes too large.
8. His eyelashes. Seriously, why is it guys always seem to have the best eyelashes?!
9. How excited he gets to get the Bean from her crib when she wakes in the morning or from a nap.
10. His telling and re-telling of his favorite stories (the college river house, Argentina, etc).
11. That he will wear both UO and OSU tees. But his loyalty remains with those Beavers.
12. His compliance with my "always check- in" rule. He only "disobeys" when he's had too much to drink :)
13. That he commutes by bike - even though he works in WL now.
14. His love for golden retrievers.
15. He has an inability to get rid of old, busted-ass shoes.
16. How he asks my opinion on things that matter (and often things that don't).
17. When he says "Aggie nice" or "Aggie sorry" in a baby voice when he's afraid he might be in the doghouse.
18. His open heart for compassion and forgiveness.
19. That he ripped a hole in our sheets with his long toenails.
20. Spying on him loving on our little Bean (on the nursery spy cam).
21. That he's my BFF and makes me laugh more than anyone else in the world (besides Stac).
22. How he gushes over how perfect the Bean is; he asks her, "How'd you get so cute?!?" and then tells her she's supposed to say, "My mama made me that way."
23. That he is always, always up to get down with his wife.
24. His shoulders. He has great shoulders.
25. His love for all things bacon.
26. His random, somewhat extensive knowledge of certain Jeopardy categories (eg, rasta culture, Mexican history, etc).
27. That a perfect night, to him, is to stay home with his family, have dinner together, go for a walk in the sunshine, put the Bean down, watch Jeopardy with his wife, drink a few beers, and stay up late puttering solo in the man cave or watching man-TV.
28. That his coping mechanism is hugging or cuddling.
29. His open communication and willingness to always talk things through and solve problems.
30. How often he texts me to say he loves me.
31. His loyalty to his students.
32. That he really believes "All you need is love."

Happy 32nd birthday, my love. Here's to (at least) another 32 healthy and happy years filed with laughter and adventures. xoxo