Monday, August 16, 2010

Thir... Thirrrr.... Thir-r-r-r.... Thirty, Buddy!


Tomorrow the Double B turns thirty years old!!!

This is sort of weird to me, since it means I have known him for... let's figure this out... fourteen years (woah!)... and I've been in love with him for almost nine. For the record, I have thought he was extremely cute for the entire fourteen year length of time.
In celebration of his three decades of life well lived, I would like to point out that The Double B is going gray. As in, watch out George Clooney, because you are going to have nothing on my husband in the gray hair hottness area in a few years.

Note: I just like to throw in the gray hair thing sometimes. I don't know why. Probably because I have given him every gray hair on his head except the three he had when we got married. And I am proud of the stress I have brought into his life. I guess.

Here are some things I think you should know about the birthday boy:
* When he was but a wee little tyke (third grade, I believe), he had the top of his index finger cut off by a bike chain. It was extremely painful and horrible. His big brother Tony found it (still in the bike chain) and the doctors sewed it back on. The reattached portion started to turn black and die. The Double B and his dear Mother said a prayer, and darned if the thing didn't recover. He now has almost all of his index finger -- it's only missing like a quarter of an inch -- maybe half of an inch. It is most interesting looking, and of great interest to his children. I always cry when I read that story in his journal/scrapbook, 'cause I feel so bad for little Benny. So I don't read it that often. But still, it's very interesting.

* The Double B served an LDS mission in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He had many strange and fun experiences while there, including crazy people, nasty apartments, defending the grapes in a fruit basket, and working in the mission office for 11 months. He still dreams about being a missionary. It was a totally radical experience for him. And, in what we can all call fate, I drove through the great state of Pennsylvania while he was on his mission. I thought to myself "Hey, this is where Ben B is." I think we can all agree that that was destiny in a bottle, right there.

* We both remember the exact same moment in Lin's Market Place before he went on his mission. He worked there. I shopped there. He was stocking the shelves. I was shopping in the candy aisle with my Mom and little (okay, younger) brother Nick. We stopped to chat. Well, the Double B, my Mom, and Nick chatted. I was much too awkward for that. But we BOTH remember it. Amazing.

* My husband is very logical, calm, and unemotional. Let's say one of the least dramatic people on planet earth. In fact, I would go so far as to say I don't understand his thinking at all. I never, never know what he is thinking. And if I ask him and he tells me, I'm mystified. We are two very different creatures. We think in complete opposites. He is a total enigma to me. And I'm super attracted to that.

* The Double B loves to make fun of me. It's like his favorite past time.

* When we were dating, my family totally loved him more then me. I believe I've earned back some of their loyalty now, though, don't worry. He makes a very positive impression on people. He just can't help it. People meet him, and they like him. Especially old people. He is the King of the Old People.

* There's this L on the hill in the town where he grew up. He was instrumental on getting that L painted on there. Because he was on the sixth grade student council. Beat that, President Obama! Is there a D.C. painted on the hill where you live? I think not.

* The Double B's best friend Kyle has scared the poop out of him on at least two different occasions by convincing him there was a bear nearby (and he had the smell of lunch meat on his hands!). Once in Alaska, once here. Kyle has also pepper-sprayed Ben. And hooked him in the eyelid with a fishing hook. These are just a few of the reasons we named our son after Kyle. The Double B has a deep and abiding appreciation for friendship, which I find admirable. Once you are his friend, you are his friend for life. He'll do anything for you.

* My husband has no irrational fears. And he just doesn't understand irrational fears in others. In fact, he pretty much won't put up with it. So don't let him know you have an irrational fear. He'll roll his eyes at you, and it will hurt your feelings. He doesn't mean it viciously, though. He just thinks you are insane.

* He is getting rather tender-hearted in his old age. Those are my favorite Benward moments: when his heart of gold is on display. He is also a total pushover for his daughters. It is really, really cute. I love that.

* The Double B is my best buddy. He is so darn much fun to be around. He makes me laugh. He is the only person that I have both wanted to make out with and also punch in the nose. He is wise in his old age. He is the perfect match for me, and I try real hard to be the perfect match for him. I love him more then anything on this planet. He makes me better. And I make him better, too. I'm glad he was born. In fact, I am more glad about it then you could possibly imagine.


I love you, Double B!!! Thanks for being born!!!

8 comments:

Kyle, Alicia, and Jaxson said...

Ben is a pretty awesome guy!! Yay, 30! Happy Birthday!! Poor Ben, all he's ever been is an awesome friend to Kyle and what does he get for it? A fish hook in his eye, and the crap scared out of him while Kyle cries bear (instead of wolf)TWICE. Ben's friendship seriously means the world to Kyle, and for that, their friendship means the world to me. You guys are all so great, what would we do without you?

Jen said...

Well then don't tell him I am irrationally afraid of fish. Nightmares. Seriously.

Paulette said...

Happy Birthday, Ben!

Ducksoup said...

sweetest post ever. i loved it and learned many new things about the double b i didn't know. what a good catch he was. and what a lucky boy he is. hope the celebrating was fabulous!

Cory Reese said...

With all the girly emotional stuff always floating around my house, it is refreshing to be around people as un-dramatic as Ben. Happy B-day old man!

Simmons Family said...

happy birthday Ben. And I got to say that spoorks are pretty freaking awesome!!

Tink said...

The Double B may be as old as me now, but that is no measure of his maturity!!! ha ha ha! Plus he has way more gray hair than I do! :-)

Anonymous said...

great post thanks