Happy Birthday How!

Today is How's birthday. It was quite appropriate that I got to wish him a "Happy Birthday" this morning while he was sitting in the Durango airport returning from a two week vacation in Colorado. Colorado is his true love and I'm glad he got to spend at least a part of his birthday in the place that makes him happiest.

To celebrate this special day, I've come up with a short list of things I love about How. Kev made me edit it down for the sake of keeping my audience... you know... all two of you.

1. I love how he taught me the value of peanut butter.

2. I love how he always looks at the big picture.

3. I love how he reminds me most things in life are "a minor" and that I should focus on the "majors". Seems I get stuck on those "minors" a lot.

4. I love our Monday lunches. He probably has no idea how much I miss them when we don't get to go.

5. I love how he loves me. Kev and I went through a really sad time a few years ago. During that time, Dad called and left a voicemail one day and it simply said, "Becco, it's going to be ok. I love you." He probably never knew that I saved that message for months and would replay it daily. As weird as it sounds, just hearing those words from dad convinced me it really was going to be ok.

6. I love our vacations. Thanks to Gogi & How, our families have enjoyed bunches of family vacations that the kids will never forget. This was our first summer to miss a trip to Colorado and just today Grace told me how much she missed the "smell of the mountains."

7. I love how he raised us on good music. Dolly Parton... Eddie Arnold... Johnny Cash... Marty Robbins... need I say more? I've passed on the good tunes to Grace via my iPod. She has come to love "Dolly Partner" as much as I do. She's convinced she'll have "Hard Candy Christmas" played at her wedding. We're even planning a trip to Dollywood next summer...

8. I love how he taught me to love God.

9. I love how he loves Kevin. I know dad anxiously awaited the day he would have sons. What a treat it's been to watch him genuinely love them like they are his own.

10. I love how he loves my kids. I love to see them spend the night, go on mule rides, snuggle in the brown chair and play games together.

So, to one of my best friends in the world... Happy Birthday. I love you.

Grace was sitting next to me while I was typing. She wanted to make her own list for How...

WHY I LOVE HOW:

1. he's sweet
2. he smells good
3. i like when he calls me angel
4. i like to sit in his brown chair with him
5. i like going on vacation with him
6. i like that he buys me great gifts
7. he's so sweet

8. i love to come spend the night with him
9. i like to play at his office
10. i like shooting bb guns with him

love,

grace