Today is my sweetheart's 27th birthday. So often I wish I could shout from the rooftops how incredible my husband is...but I would end up blubbering and no one would be able to understand me. So here is my ode to Derek for all who wish to read. There are hundreds of thousands of things I love about you, but I'll cut it down to my top 10 favorite.
1.
I love your innate goodness and desire to do what's right. If there is ever a question of whether or not something is appropriate or might be offensive, you choose not to participate. You don’t even ponder on the pros and cons or that it might not be that bad. You are the most honest and true person I have ever met. You are not only honest to others but also to yourself. You are faithful to your word. You don’t litter, you don’t use ugly language, you are nice to people, you care, you follow the commandments, you are a good citizen, you don’t talk bad about others, and you tell the truth. Some of those things might seem trivial and unimportant but every little one of those details makes you the amazing person that you are. I honestly think that the only reason you haven’t been translated is because Heavenly Father needs you to help perfect me. I probably shouldn’t tell this story because it reflects so negatively on me, but it is a perfect example of how good Derek is. I used to work at an old folks home and I had to run out a lot to buy stuff for our activities. One day I stopped at Ross to pick out some curtains for our apartment while I was on my way to the store for work. When Derek found out that I took care of personal business while clocked in at work, he very sweetly talked to me about the importance of doing honest work. He suggested that while I was at work it would be best to do things that relate only to my job because that was what I was getting paid for. At first I felt embarrassed and reprimanded, but I soon realized that Derek was right and that I needed to be true to myself and to my job. Thank you for making me want to be a better person by being an example of someone who always chooses the right.
2.
I love your sense of humor. You always crack me up, and sometimes I don’t think you are even trying to be funny. You tell these corny, often absurd, jokes that are so silly, but always seem to make me laugh. My favorite is when you - out of nowhere - bust out your ghetto girl voice and “uh-uh” me while snapping your fingers in my face. I love that your jokes are never at the expense of someone else’s reputation or personality. Every time I look at you I want to smile because I know there is something goofy up your sleeve or you’ve got a good comeback rolling around in your mind. You are also good at understanding different senses of humor, like dry ones. One thing I think is cute is when we’re with a group of people and you’ll say a sarcastic remark or a little one-liner and no one picks up on it, or people get confused by it; you just get this little smirk on your face and I know you are laughing in your head because you thought it was really good. Here’s my favorite joke from you: When I asked the pirate why he had the boat’s steering wheel around his pants he said…ARRRR it drives me nuts!
3.
I love how your knowledge about random things never fails to amaze me. I honestly can’t believe how much you know about everything. It seems like you know all there is to know about airplanes: how they’re made, what their specific purposes are, the years they were most often flown, and how the technology is progressing today. You know how to play the guitar, read music, tune your guitar, and replace the strings. You know about photography, and the different kinds of cameras, and how to use programs to edit your pictures. The obvious is how you know absolutely everything about motocross/supercross, and pretty much all of the extreme sports. You know people, places, dates, names, details…it’s insane. You can tell me about physical and chemical laws and properties. You keep up with the latest electronic gadgets. You know about politics, government, and history. You can fix pretty much anything using common sense, the internet, and trial and error. Sometimes I feel like I’m married to a human Encyclopedia, and I love it!
4.
I love your love for life! You live life to its fullest. You take part in the outdoors by hiking, camping, swimming, surfing, snowboarding, dirt biking, mountain biking, and on and on. I remember when we went to the beach in Laguna you didn’t want to waste any time laying on the beach with the rest of us. You wanted to be out in the water snorkeling or boogie boarding or surfing. You’re not afraid to try new things, like weird food. You pretty much have the attitude, “If it doesn’t go against my beliefs and if it’s not gonna kill me, I’ll try it.” You love to learn and share your knowledge with others. You get involved with community, family, church, service, sports etc. because you want to take advantage of our mortal experience here on earth. Since I’ve known you I’ve seen President George Bush, Condalisa Rice, all of the astronauts who have walked on the moon, you’ve taken me to the new Cowboys stadium, we’ve been shark fishing, we’ve been to Carlsbad Caverns, The Grand Canyon, we’ve driven along the gorgeous 17-mile drive in Carmel, and the list goes on. I would have never done or seen all the neat things I have in the past couple years without you. You don’t spend time on useless projects that bring no satisfaction to you or that have no benefit for others. Everything you are involved in has a purpose and enriches your life.
5.
I love the way you love me. You are too good to me, honey. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would find a man as loving, patient, compassionate, and caring as you are to me. I think you wake up each morning and always ask yourself the same question, “What can I do to make Christie happy today?” And then you do it. You make me so happy. Thank you for listening to all of my petty complaints and venting. You always know what to say to make me feel better and to cheer me up. You have the best advice and life always turns out better when I follow it. I can feel of your sincere concern for me and my “woes”. You never brush me off or shush my concerns, even if you know that they are insignificant and I’ll be over them the next day. You do the sweetest things for me, too. On my birthday you thought long and hard about what we could do that was special and that I would really enjoy. So you took me bird watching in Galveston, something I’d been wanting to do for a long time that we hadn’t had time for. You take me to chick flicks, you cook for me, you write me the sweetest notes, you pray for me, you make me laugh, you wrote me a song, you play with my hair, you listen…I could go on and on. You are perfect for me and the way you love me is precious.
6.
I love how cool-headed and easy-going you are. Seriously, I have NEVER seen this man mad. Kind of going along with how you love life, you don’t let things bother you because you know it’s not worth it. Yes, you get frustrated and upset sometimes, but you never let those feelings linger and ruin your day. You are not easily offended and you give people the benefit of the doubt. It still amazes me how you can just laugh along when your brothers poke fun at your large cranial structure. You never take out your frustrations on me or anyone else. You’re not high maintenance or high strung. You are very easy and pleasant and enjoyable to be around. You make everybody feel at ease and comfortable. You also go with the flow and are very flexible. If plans don’t work out or if someone doesn’t follow through on something they’ve promised to do, you just pick things up where they are and move on. Also, in emergency or scary situations, you can stay calm and help resolve situations with a rational mind. You use common sense.
7.
I love how much you care for others. You are so sweet to everyone and really take a vested interest in their well-being. I’ve heard you express concern for friends and family members who were in need as you thought about what you could do to help. Just a couple months ago when Rod got really sick you drove all the way to Clear Lake and spent the day with him at the hospital. You’ve researched proven methods that can help in certain situations, like even calling the suicide hotline to get advice on how to help a depressed friend. When your brother was in the hospital with his broken leg you made sure he was supplied with dirt bike magazines, games, movies, and music to keep him entertained. Our primary kids love you because you are so sweet to them and love them. I love listening to your sincere pleas to Heavenly Father asking Him to bless those in need. You go out of your way, and comfort zone sometimes, to offer assistance to others.
8.
I love your innocence. Usually people associate innocence with naiveness, which you are totally not. The only way I can explain it is that you are simple and pure. You have no malicious bone in your body and you could never intentionally hurt someone. You are very childlike in the fact that you are trusting of other people, you don’t judge, you automatically like people, and you just want to do things that bring you and others happiness. You are smart and no doubt have a lot of brain activity going on, but you don’t bother trying to unravel the mysteries of the universe. I guess what I’m trying to say is that you are not caught up in meaningless research and entertainment, but you apply your time to real, meaningful activities.
9.
I love your testimony. The most attractive thing about you is your testimony of Jesus Christ. Your faith in Him and the restored gospel is like a rock. I’ve never heard you question, bad mouth, or disrespect any of the commandments or church leaders. Because you are pretty much perfect at obeying Heavenly Father, you have an abundance of the Spirit in your life and that’s why you are able to touch the lives of everyone around you. You do exactly what we were sent here to do and that is to be instruments in the Lord’s hands to bless His children and bring about His work. You are truly an example of someone who lives their testimony.
10.
I love YOU! All of these things I’ve mentioned and many more incredible attributes make up the person you are today. You are one of the most well-rounded people I know which I think is a quality that many people lack. Just a couple of months after we started dating, Claudia told me that you were truly unique and one of a kind. I couldn’t agree more. Your soul is beautiful because it is good, pure, simple, loving, fun, sincere, and full of life.
I feel so blessed to be your eternal companion. I so look forward to growing old with you so that I can continue to learn from you. Thank you for being my inspiration and my everything. I’m so sad that I can’t be with you on your birthday, but I know you’ll have a good time with your brothers and we can celebrate when you come home. Have a wonderful birthday. I love you!
