Happy Birthday, Megan!

Hello, friends!

Today (Wednesday) is my lovely wife Megan's birthday! Hooray for birthdays!

Funny birthday story #1: My plan last night was to stay up until midnight so I could be the first person to wish her a happy birthday on Facebook. I figured it would be one small way for me to start of her birthday well. Midnight comes around, I log on to Facebook, and what do I see? East Coast folk and folk from other countries have already started wishing her a happy birthday... Alas, another plan foiled!

Funny birthday story #2: Ezra went down last night around 8:15 and went right to sleep without a fight. He stayed asleep and didn't get up until 7am this morning. Meg and I joked that it was birthday present to her (and me too). =0).

The past year was a big year for Meg and this year is looking to be even bigger. To celebrate Meg turning 29, here are 29 things (in no particular order) that I love about her:

1) She loves Jesus. When I was single, I said that there were 3 things I was looking for in a wife. The first was that I had to believe that she loves Jesus more than she loves me. I've never doubted that with Meg.
2) She loves being a mom. Ezra has been a joy in both of our lives but to see the way that Meg loves Ezra is amazing. She's so wonderful with him and a great mom. You can tell that they have a special connection.
3) She loves her family. It seems like everyday we're doing Facetime with one of her family members. Whenever she walks through the door I can be pretty sure that she'll be on the phone with her mom. He love for her family is really great.
4) She is super hospitable. Do you know what her idea of a great party is? Cooking dinner for her friends. Who does that?! My wife does that, that's who. =0).
5) She's way fun. Meg and I have a lot of fun together. Whether it's going out or staying in, it's just fun being around her.
6) She's super competitive. One of our favorite things to do is play cards while watching TV. She's hyper competitive which is great because I am too. It's more fun competing when both players are going all in.
7) She's an amazing singer. I keep asking her when she's going to try out for The Voice. She keeps saying no. I'm going to keep trying.
8) She loves college students. The second thing I was looking for in a wife was that we had to have compatible hearts. While it wasn't necessary for her to love college students, my wife had to be someone who could connect with the fact that I did. Meg definitely has that heart.
9) She takes care of me. Y'all know I'm a pretty sickly guy without a great immune system. I also have a history of migraines. It's so great to know that when I'm down and out, Meg will be there to take care of me.
10) She's a legit cook. Y'all have eaten her cooking right? Yeah, she's real good.
11) She a developer. I love the way that is never satisfied with where things are. She's always working to grow and develop things and people.
12) She's gorgeous. The third thing I was looking for in a wife was someone who I found physically attractive. You've seen her. You know she's a total hottie. =0).
13) She has great intuition. I'm someone who likes to take in a lot of information before making a decision. Meg goes with her gut and is usually right. Sometimes it bothers me that I don't get to go through my whole process but I definitely appreciate the time saved.
14) She has a great laugh. She doesn't think I'm very funny but when I can get her laughing (or we're watching Jimmy Fallon clips) it's pretty great. Sometimes she'll snort a little, which is pretty much the greatest thing ever.
15) She loves food. Eating with someone who loves food is so much more fun than eating with someone who eats to survive. It's not unusual to see her snacking on one thing or another and she's definitely expanded my taste buds with different cuisines.
16) She's made me healthier. That being said, if it wasn't for her, I'd probably be 200 pounds from eating pizza, burgers, and spicy beef noodle soup everyday. She says it's because she wants me to live a long time but I know it's also because she likes the healthy food better.
17) She sticks to her guns. Meg is not the kind of person who can be easily swayed by popular opinion. She has a way of articulating herself in a way that isn't abrasive (unlike me) but makes it really clear of her stance. I can definitely dig that.
18) She loves her friends. I joke with her that she's more popular than I am. It'd be funnier if it wasn't so true. =0). The truth is that she takes really good care of the people she loves. I'm so blessed to call her my best friend.
19) She likes to try new things. Whether it's a new restaurant, a new hobby, or what, Meg is willing to jump in and try a new adventure. Usually that means I'm trying something new too, which isn't a bad thing.
20) She'll play along with my craziness. Y'all know me. Sometimes I say crazy things. Sometimes I do crazy things. Sometimes I say crazy things while doing crazy things. She'll listen intently while I tell her about my crazy ideas or how much fun I had playing softball and at least pretend that I'm interesting. Not everyone has that patience.
21) She lets me fix things. I'm a fixer. I take great joy in fixing things, whether it be faucets, toilets, problems, or whatever. Meg shows great patience in letting me try to fix something before we call in a professional.
22) She's a crazy good baker. Some people are good cooks but don't bake. Some are excellent bakers but don't cook. Meg's a two-fer (and y'all know that I LOVE a two-fer!).
23) She's great at reaching international students. I've learned so much from Meg about reaching international students. It takes a special kind of person and a special kind of heart to reach the international students. She is that person and she has that heart.
24) She loves my family. I hear stories from folk about conflicts with the in-laws. It's its own sitcom narrative and I'm sure there are situations like that. I love how great Meg is with my family, whether it be my siblings, my parents, or my exented family. She fit right in from the jump.
25) We have different tastes in music. One thing you can pretty much count on is that if I jump in the car after she's used it, I'll be changing the radio station. The same can be said for our Pandora stations and Spotify playlists. We may not agree on music but it's fun to hear her tastes.
26) She has crazy high empathy. It could be just because I have very low empathy but I'm always amazed at how she connects with people and their stories.
27) She's willing to grow and learn. This has been especially true this past year as we've had a lot of conversations about race and ethnic identity. I'm so thankful that she has entered the conversation with grace and humility and that we've been able to learn from one another and from Jesus.
28) She's adaptable. Moving to Columbia wasn't easy but she's made the most of it. Living with me probably isn't easy either but she's made the most of that too. =0).
29) She's made me a better man. Looking back at who I was before we met and who I am now, I know that she's made me a better man. I have better people skills, am healthier physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and pretty much am in a totally different than before. I'm so thankful that God has blessed me with her in my life.

So, happy birthday to my wonderful wife. Here's to (at least) 29 more years together!

Have an excellent day!

~Adam