26 for your 26th my love

On this day 26 years ago my husband Daniel J. Bailey was born. I am honored to celebrate 26 years of his LiFe with him today!

To honor you today My LoVe, I thought I would share 26 ways you make/have made my world a BriGhTeR place and challenge/d me to live life to the FuLLeSt. These are not in any particular order, (just the order they happen to pop in my mind at this moment) and there is no way a list of 26 could hold the amount of JoY, LoVe, and LaUgHtEr you have brought to me and others throughout your life thus far. Here's 26 to you, my love...

1. I respect your ability and PrIorItY to maintain true friendships that share deeply, build up, and ChAlleNgE all involved...even at 6 a.m.

2. Your HuMaN CaLcUlaToR abilities are mind BogGliNg! I'll never forget you keeping a tally on our $20/week grocery budget when we were first married!

3. I love that you're the guy who can make EvErYoNe in the room erUPT with LaUGhteR.

4. GOD gave you the most aMaZiNg EyEs ever! You know, like the ocean: blues, greens, and specks of golden sand...something like that ;)

5. You are MaN enough to wear PiNk...

6. ... and watch EvErY episode of GiLmOrE GirLs with your adoring wife! BTW you look HoT in PiNk ;)

7. You bring ExoTiC beverages into our home and convince me and our friends to drink them (ie. Fruit of the World, Poetry of Taste, weird forms of milk, etc.).

8. EvErY time we go home, you make my mom and me a mean BisCuiTs and GrAvY ! I love that you cook for us...you love my mom, and I love it!

9. You are TaLL and you play SaXopHoNE just like my GrANdpA. I love that.

10. You embrace WeIRdnEss.

11. Even though you HaTe ArAchNiDs, your BrAvE and ChiValRouS nature sends you flying with shoe in hand to rid our homes and huts of various Spiders like HaNk in AcEh.

12. If there is a camera lying around, you will grab it when no one else is looking and proceed to take a RidiCulouS amount of HySteRicaL pictures of yourself! I love finding unexpected pictures of YoU on our camera!

13. You are the MaGiC MaN who inspires children to say things like this to me. "Wow Mrs. Bailey, You're so lucky! Your husband can ThRoW-Up a card!"...as if that's the sole reason my choice to marry you was the BEST thing that ever happened to me!;)

14. You AppReCiaTe a good MeaL and you show it! I thoroughly EnJoY going on and on about someone's cooking with you!

15. You're so StiNkiN' SmArT!! I've been in many a class with you from high school to college to Sunday school, and you continue to AsTouND me with the AnSweRs you come up with! Where do you get this StuFf?!

16. VoIcEs. Seriously, the hardest I ever laugh is when you immitate real life situations and people from our past and current life. My all time favorites are the KHS impersonations...they get me EvERy time!

17. I love when an incredible SoNg is StUcK in my HeaD and I realize it's one of YoUr SoNgS.

18. On that NoTe, your MuSicAL gifts MeSmeRiZe me, and I am in AwE of your EaGeRneSs to use them WeLL.

19. When we watch ScArY StuFF like LOST, you HoLd Me TIGHT.

20. You're not afraid to ChALleNgE me when I'm being RiDicuLouS or DisFuNcTioNaL. I love that living life with you makes me BeTTeR.

21. You're not afraid to let me ChALleNgE you when you're being RiDicuLouS or DisFuNcTioNaL.

22. You have an EyE for making things LooK BeTTeR. From the Children's Church sTaGe, to the FooD on your plate, to our house after it has been SpRucEd up by you, and the lovely way you always present any GiFt you've ever given me...things just look better when you've had your hands on them!

23. Your EyES are on the KiNGdOM. I love that you would drop EvErYthInG and GO if God was leading us...even if it didn't make SeNsE according to the values of this world. You LiVe for ChRiSt and HiS KinGdoM.

24. You have an incredible gift of FaItH. It StReNgThEnS mine.

25. You LoVe ME more than I have ever been LoVeD before...and you have seen me at my WoRsT.

26. You are YOU.

* Please forgive the belated nature of this gift. I started working on this over Spring Break but couldn't get it together for March 30th....My husband has been holding the computer hostage lately for school! I didn't feel right demanding the computer and kicking him out of the house during this busy time...even if it was for the sake of honoring him!