The big "36"

On March 24th, Chad turned 36.  Wow, are we really that old?  Well, NOT ME...I'm only 34, a spring chicken compared to the old man, (Honestly, though, I just can't believe we're not in our 20's anymore, it's a little sad to think about).  Anyway, in honor of his birthday, I'm going to list my 36 favorite things about him.

1. Have you seen how handsome he is?  (HOTTIE)
2. His funny, sarcastic sense of humor (well, except when he's teased me to the point that I've had enough)
3. He is extremely loyal to others, his family, friends, work, etc.
4. I have never, ever heard him swear (quite an accomplishment since he's around 16-18 year old POTTY MOUTHS 5 days a week) I wish he could say the same about me...
5. His Testimony..It's clear when he bears his testimony that he's not just saying the words, and doesn't just believe but that he KNOWS the things that he testifies of.
6. He is an extremely hard worker, born of his MANY MANY Saturday mornings as a teenager with big pancake breakfasts, followed by farm work, post hole digging, NUMEROUS trips to True Value to buy tools for the big projects his dad has thought up, and finally finishing the all day project to have some time with his friends.
7. I LOVE the way he looks in a suit all spiffed up, can we say butterflies and weak knees?
8. I love that he's clean cut, keeping his hair nice and short (I don't necessarily love the cost of a haircut every 2 weeks however)
9. I love that his cell phone ring was set to "Hail to the Chief" and he used to answer the phone saying, "Yes, Mr. President"....goofball (It was especially funny when he accidently left his phone on and it rang in his classroom)
10. I LOVE his Hawaiian shirt(ok, not really, but he's worn it so many times, it kind of reminds me of him)
11. He calls our wedding video JULIE'S wedding video because I chose all the music for it and didn't give him any input.
12. Chad was a team-roper in high school....I married my very own cowboy and didn't even know of his hidden talents until after we were engaged.
13. He is a FANTASTIC Daddy and loves his boys SO MUCH and they love him just as much.
14. He has an AMAZING memory when it comes to Conference talks by General Authorities, if I have a subject I'm wondering about he almost always knows of a talk that would answer all of my questions.
15. It only took me 2 weeks to convince him I was the girl for him, which worked perfectly since I'm an extremely impatient person.  14 days in a row of amazing dates and a proposal at the end....He had me from HELLO...(alright a bit cheesy but true)
16. He magnifies his Church callings
17. I often think he's an old soul, and really enjoys his associations with people in the older generations.
18. He loves to read and if you know me at all, you know that's extremely important because I usually have my nose in a book.
19. He loves Quirky old country songs and sings them to me all the time.
20. He drives his 21 year old car with little complaint, and in our 8 years married I've driven at least 4 different newer cars.
21. He was my all time FAVORITE Gospel Doctrine teacher, simply amazing!!
22. Because of him, I got to be a mother, something I've been dreaming about since I was a little girl.
23. He makes such BEAUTIFUL children.
24. He's been known to grab my hands and dance with me around the kitchen
25. Did I mention how cute he is...oh yeah, I guess I did but it's worth repeating.
26. He excels in school, an evidenced by his Associates, Bachelors and 2 Masters Degrees.
27. He loves the Prophet and the 12 Apostles, they are his heros.
28. There are no gray areas or questions when it comes to Choosing the Right, He just does what he should because he knows its right.
29. He is always striving to be better, and holds himself to high standards.
30. He loves me no matter what, even on my worst days.
31. He loves to listen to old records, and has made me love it too, nothing like listening to that scratchy soulful music.
32. He's a great example to our boys, I couldn't have asked for a better man to be the father of our children.
33. He honors his priesthood and is always prepared and worthy to use it on a moments notice.
34. He works hard to provide for his family so I can stay home with the boys.
35. He married me for Time and all Eternity, because he loves me that much.
36. He is my perfect match and I'm eternally grateful each day for the opportunity to spend my life with him.

So there you have it, and all I can say is What's not to love?  Happy Birthday Chad!  I'm honored to know you and can't wait to spend eternity with you.