Happy Birthday to Jaren!

It was on the 19th - almost a week ago, I'm a horrible busy wife.

I haven't told enough of "Our Story" yet for you to understand exactly why I will love Jaren for the rest of my existence.

He is the most patient person I know. He loves me, ALL of me. It doesn't seem to matter what I do, he finds it endearing and I just wait for him to notice someday that I'm by no means perfect or always cute. Sometimes I even think he is just saying "your so cute" to convince himself that what I am doing really is cute. But he says that isn't so - and I love him dearly for it.

Jaren is the type of person that will sit and listen to you whine and cry all day long and help you out. He will drop whatever it is he's doing if it means making your load a little lighter.

For example. When we were dating but not boyfriend/girlfriend (my doing), I took a trip to Utah. I forgot my scriptures at my Aunt and Uncles house. They were my only set and I read them every day (something I need to pick up again).

On a Friday or Thursday... I'm not sure which, he came to me and asked if I wanted to run to Salt Lake that Saturday. I couldn't believe he wanted to run down and back in a day! (SL is 3 hours from Rexburg)

And he did. He drove me all the way down there, we had dinner at the Macaroni Grill and I doodled on the tablecloth and we got my scriptures. We also received frozen cookies from my aunt - sooo good. Then he drove me back and we got in around midnight - I had to work at 6:00 a.m. the next morning.

It took no time for me to realize what a genuinely good guy he was when we met. Unfortunately, it took me a lot longer to realize that he was supposed to be my genuinely good guy.

Here are a few of the things I love about him.

• he never complains about the house being a mess
• he doesn't complain about all my time blogging
• When I say, "I'm thirsty" he get's up and brings me a glass of water (that took NO training, he learned that one all by himself :)
• he tucks me in every single night - even when I'm going to bed before him
• he can't go to bed without me
• he misses me when I'm gone
• he switches laundry over for me (when I ask)
• he laughs at my jokes (which are pretty lame)
• he pretty much gives me whatever I want (pretty much)
• he is so understanding
• he took me to the Chiropractor and doesn't ever complain about the bill (someday I'll tell that story)
• he doesn't tell me I look nice every day, he does however, tell me I am cute and beautiful and pretty most every day, but those days when he tells me I look nice - it means I really do
• If my tank is empty he will leave early in the morning and fill it up for me (we have tanks on the farm(my front yard))
• he changes my oil and washes my car without me asking
• he mows the lawn (even though I was supposed to "learn" and do it this year (didn't happen) and now I am supposed to "learn" and start doing it next year-ya, we'll see)
• he wants to build me my dream home
• he lets me talk about babies
  
• he listens when I ramble and ramble and cry and whine
  
• he understands my need for friends and social contact even though he doesn't feel the same way

I know this list was a little longer than I intended. I could go on and on. But I wont. You will get to know him through our stories.

I will tell you this conversation I had with him the day before his birthday. Oh, and one I had with him the morning of.

November 18th:
me: Jaren, your turning TWENTY SEVEN tomorrow!
jaren: I know... I'm old
me: I know! I married a 25 year old and now your turning twenty seven. It's so weird. I'm married to a 27 year old
jaren: I even feel old
me: does it make you want kids? Your going to be 27 with no kids!
jaren: not really.... just makes me want to get everything done.

hahaha, maybe you have to know him and how adamant he is about wanting to wait a little longer for kids.... wait a little longer.... that he still says no even though. And what does "get everything done" mean anyway? My guess is finish the home we are living in (it is still under renovation) so we can put babies in it. At least.. that's what I choose to think.

Morning of November 19th:
me: okay, today you are boss. take advantage because after today, for the next 364 days I'm boss
jaren: okay.... i'm tired
me: what are you going to do next year when we have a baby (because hopefully by this time next year we will have a newborn) and he is crying and i can't pay attention to you?
jaren: (patting the pillow next to him) i will just lay him here and we can both sleep in together

probably one of my favorite things to come out of his mouth about our future children (because it's a rarity)

anyway.... enough. Here are some pictures!

He said no presents. I got him some anyway. I don't think I've ever mentioned how much I love birthdays.

I tell him to smile and this is what I get. This is how taking pictures usually goes, Me: Jaren.. Jaren smile! WITH TEETH! Jaren: (face you see above). I'm sure in his head he's thinking: probably should have never got her that camera

I frosted cupcakes and decided to write on them. These were the cupcakes set aside for us to eat right away.

The hearts are what came out when I was first trying to squeeze the tube. Then I tried to write "Happy Birthday" on two cupcakes.

Nothing says "Happy Birthday, Love!" like, YOUR OLD! If you can't read the last cupcake (I mean, you should be able to read it if you have 20/5 vision) it says, "YOU NEED TO HAVE BABIES" subtle?

There is green frosting on his mouth. I made him stop eating so I could take a picture... I'm so mean. He wasn't too happy about it. Can you see the camera despair again in his eyes?