Today the man that I call Hubstopher celebrates a birthday. To him it’s just another day. To me, it’s a reason to celebrate his life and all that he means to us. You see, the thing is this, he often disregards all the wonderful attributes that make him unique and wonderful to me… things like being able to forgive someone who wronged him 5 minutes ago or offering to give someone a ride home, even when he is utterly exhausted or can’t afford it. Stuff like that. Being able to put another persons needs before yours may seem like the trait of a meek personality, but in my opinion it is one of the bravest, boldest characteristics to have.

He has a lot of friends… so many that we almost had 10 groomsmen in our wedding party. People enjoy being around him. He’s the guy who would stop to chat, in the middle of a shopping mall. (When I’m trying to bob and weave past people, because I have things to do!) He loves people! And he’s good at making them feel loved.

He is super, duper creative and an excellent musician. This guy can play more instruments than I have grey hair (so that’s like, a lot) and he is a top notch producer. He is extremely smart and most times would play his brilliance down, because he always feels like there is so much more to still learn and do.

My Hubstopher is the guy who would say “Okay, how can I fix it” if a complication arises. And if someone walks all over him he shrugs his shoulders and defends “ag, it’s okay.” Not because he is to weak to fight back. But rather because he is to smart to fight back. And hey, real talk, I sometimes don’t understand it and try to force him to stand his ground. But to him it’s just a whole lot of work doing something that is not going to give the right results. He always chooses peace, over ‘being right’. That’s wisdom right there.

My Hubstopher is the guy who would give up his last because he is that confident that God will provide his next. He’s the guy who laughs at the dumbest things (seriously, sometimes I’m just over here like “whaaa?”) but he’s also the guy that would shed a tear, quietly, when a friend loses a parent.

And hey, don’t get me wrong… the guy’s not perfect. He has his flaws – we all do. He’s made mistakes. But his finer qualities far outweigh his weaknesses, in my opinion. And in times of struggle, I’ve seen him choose life, over and over again.

My Hubstopher is a wonderful father to our kids. He loves our daughter so fiercely that she’ll probably still believe that she is a beautiful princess, way into her 20s. And it would be true. Our sons adore the living daylights out of him. Sometimes, I’m just over here like… “you guys know I’m one of your parents too, right?” He sees them all as unique and gives them exactly what they need, emotionally.

One of my favorite things about him is that he gives so much of himself to my son, even when Kyle has an attitude. Instead of being an angry step father, he’ll look Kyle straight in the eye and say “Kyle, I love you and I only want what’s best for you.” He also has an undeniable bond with his own son. The boys adore him. He is more than okay that Seth has a step dad… another dad… in his life. He sees it as a bonus that there are 2 strong, Godly men in Seth’s life, shaping and influencing him. That says so much about his character.

He is gentle and passive but also extremely passionate about the things that are important to him. I probably don’t say this enough but I am so thankful for him. My man allows me to shine my light, without getting jealous or insecure about it. In fact, he’s the one who pushes me to shine brighter!

Happy Birthday to my Christopher – he’s the best of the best, he’s the greatest! 🙂 #mushymoment *andscene*