Happy to You!

Derrick is an old man!  His birthday was 2 days ago.  I sure love him.  We all had a pretty good day.  The morning started with a hot breakfast.  That's how he knows I love him, because I hate waking up early.  We actually had quite a feast and it was fun to start our day together because usually at least half of us are still asleep when he leaves for school.  Then Derrick got his first gift - snow.  Yes, it snowed (even though it was just a tiny bit) for the first time on his birthday.  He loves snow, so it was good.

I tried to get Hayden to understand that it was Derrick's birthday all day.  It was exciting when Derrick walked in the door and Hayden ran to him and shouted, "Happy to you, Dad!"

Hayden and Halle helped Daddy blow out the candles.

Derrick opened presents.

And of course, the kids had to help.

Halle can climb now. (And excuse Hayden - he got cake all over his clothes so we just took them off since we were giving him a bath soon.)

I was so glad to be able to celebrate with my sweetheart.  I'm lucky to have him.  And our kids are most definitely lucky to have a dad who will play with them so much.  His whole nights are reserved for them until they go to bed.

I thought I would just try to describe the kind of person Derrick is.  I know a lot of people who read this are just my friends and don't know him as well as me.  They are missing out!

Derrick is so good hearted.  He always thinks the best about people and whenever I complain about someone he tries to make me see their point of view.  I think this is what makes him such a good friend.  He just always gives you the benefit of the doubt.

He can talk up a storm!  And he can talk to anyone. I really like to take him with me when I meet new people because he can get a conversation going when I can't think of anything else to say. He also takes time out for people and gives them undivided attention.  I tend to try to multi task when I call someone, but he sets aside time to call people so he won't be distracted. He has the gift of being able to make the people around him feel comfortable.  My mom noticed this when we started dating.  She told me that I was just so comfortable around him, more than I had been with anyone else. And they all just loved him from the beginning.  My parents think really highly of him, and I know deep down they love him more than they love me. :)

He loves outdoorsy things like ice climbing, rock climbing, snowboarding, hiking, hunting.  He doesn't like fishing because it's boring.  He is good at all sports. A friend out here introduced him to a Sunday School class by saying that he played basketball like Robbie Hummel (I think) who is a Purdue player. I knew he was good at basketball and football, but I had no idea he was good at everything.  Once our Stake was playing softball.  He got up to bat and I was a little nervous for him because I had never seen him play and didn't think he could be any good - because he never played it once in four years of marriage.  Well he got up there and showed me, much to the excitement of the rest of the team.

He is very clean.  His stuff has a certain spot and he doesn't leave things laying around (including dirty clothes!)  I got lucky there.  The only thing is that you have to be really careful when you're using his stuff and always put his pens back where you found them. :) And make sure to shut the cupboard doors because he will hit his head.  And don't leave your shoes lying around, because he will trip on them. (Can you tell who the slob in the relationship is?)

He thinks a lot about decisions he has to make.  He's thorough when he researches them and gets opinions from others.  He gets nervous when he has to make big purchases, but he always seems to find the best deal.

He loves good home cooked food.  He would much rather me make something than go to a nice restaurant.  He loves meat in everything.  He was a really picky eater until his mission when he had to eat what he was served.  And I found it really funny as I was reading his mission journals, that every single day he wrote about what he ate at his dinner appointments.  He doesn't like avocados, mushrooms, or corn tortillas. (I know, sad! I love all of those things.)

He is a hard worker.  If there is a job that needs to be done, he just does it without complaint.  He's dedicated.  I have never seen someone who can study for so long.  He really always wants to do his best.  I think sometimes he's too hard on himself when it comes to school work, but I know that he's just wanting to do the best that he can.  His hard work usually pays off though.

He has a strong testimony of the gospel, and still talks about his mission all the time.  He doesn't make a half-hearted effort.  He really lives it.  He's honest and faithful.  He's a good example of enduring and having a good attitude all the time.  His motivation for everything is our family.

These are just a few things I love about him.  I could go on forever but I know it's getting really long.

We love you Derrick!  If you know him feel free to leave a comment about why you think he's awesome or your favorite memory of him.