I love you, Matty

My husband's birthday was this last Thursday. I started the day out giving him a Nerf gun and 3 darts that read "Thank You." He proceeded throughout his day (he works for a family business) being shot by anyone and everyone with whom he came into contact. Each dart shot at Matt finished the sentence "I love you because..." My favorite two, which I believe were written by Kelsey Huff and my grandma, read "Mad Scientist," and, "You're a hunk." I saved 50 darts for myself to shoot at him. It had me thinking about the incredible person he is and what I love about him. I want to share just a few of the reasons I am SO proud to wake up every morning and call myself his wife.

I love him (in no particular order) because:

1. He's kind. 

Let me put this into perspective. Before I fell for Matt, I guess I was into the "bad guy." I dated guys who liked to fight, swear, break the rules, and all of that boring stuff. Let me tell you what that did for me: 1. It made me uncomfortable. 2. It got me stalked. So finding Matt (6'8" of snuggly teddy goodness) was truly the highlight of a positive note for my life. He is the kind of person who just kind of loves and accepts everyone. 

2. He's smart. 

Why, hello, Mr. Chemist. His memory is near photographic. He's not one of those debating, English, philosopher, I-know-everything-because-I'm-better-than-you kinds of smart. He's the kind of smart where he and I can sit down and have a conversation about the physiology of the body. He breaks down the chemistry, I break down the medical terminology, and together we actually have a good time doing this. (I know, I know, this is the part where 90% of everyone who is going to read this says, "THANK GOODNESS you two found each other. That sounds boring as hell). He's the kind of smart that remembers random (and totally useless) facts and busts them out when he sees fit. He's the kind of smart that remembers song lyrics and sings them years after the last time he heard the song because a situation reminds him of said lyrics. He's the kind of smart, that is intelligence and not pride. I love that about him. He doesn't need to make sure everyone knows just how well he is educated, but he does hold the capability to have a compelling conversation when the opportunity arises.

3. He is faithful. 

We are LDS. To learn more about our beliefs, click here. He is the boat that keeps us afloat in our crazy lives. Because of his eagerness to be faithful and hold the priesthood, in the middle of the night when I'm freaking out because our youngest has stopped breathing and I'm just sure this is the end (again), he may step in with a blessing for our child and for the comfort of our family. His faithfulness sparks my faithfulness and vice versa. We are a beacon of strength to one another. Without his faith, my faith wouldn't be what it is because my faith is partially based on my faith in him. 

4. He's handsome.

Alright. We knew this was coming. Look at those pictures (and excuse the long overdue haircut). The man is 6'8" for heavens sake. Not to mention he's tan, brunette, fearsomely strong, and with those bright blue and yellow color changing eyes... my, my. That is one handsome man. 

5. He is gentle.

You might think that this goes hand in hand with kind, but the two can be rather different. One can be kind without meaning. The gentleness of Matt's heart ensures that everyone with whom he will come in contact with feel the peacefulness of him. He is gentle with everyone from me, to our boys, to Prince (his family's dog). We went to see The Avenger's this weekend, and a couple brought a little girl (somewhere between the age of one and two) to the movie. She kept peeking between our seats and playing with Matt. She would stand behind him and play with his hair. While most people would be annoyed if not enraged by this, Matt had fun returning the playful fun. He didn't even passively speak loudly, as he sometimes does, about the inappropriateness of the movie for a baby. He just acted as though he felt blessed. 

6. He is the BEST father in the world.

Let's be honest, we all lose it a little bit as parents. With Matt, the losing it comes few and far between. He greets our children with kindness, soft, but firm discipline, and love. He consistently reminds our boys that they are loved, they are smart, and they are his. He goes above and beyond to make them laugh. He will take them out for Fro Yo the night after buying them a slushy because "they earned it." He's teaching them to work hard, to love, and live in his example. He is incredible. In the morning when he leaves, he always says, "Bye, boys. Love you." Every day they say in return, "I love you too, Daddy." (Our boys are pretty conservative with those "I love yous"). The beautiful part about it is that they really do love him, and it really does show. 

These are only 6 of the 51 things I wrote down. There is so much to love about Matt. I did include a couple of nonsense darts like, "you're my favorite Dragon lover," and "You're the best, I win," but what would a birthday game be without a couple of inside jokes? I'm proud that I am comfortable to say that I love him and that he will be my husband, my best friend, forever.

I love you, Matty.