35 on 35

Matt turned 35 today!

Here are 35 things I appreciate about him.

1. He is the smartest person I know.
2. But he's not show off-y about it.
3. He knows how to explain complex things in simple, non-condescending ways.
4. He loves plants and is really good at taking care of them.
5. He is teaching me how to take care of them too.
6. He loves animals.
7. But he is okay with us not having animals because I don't want to deal with them.
8. He recognizes and loves good music.
9. He regularly introduces me to this or that indie band,...which makes me feel a little cooler.
10. He patiently tolerates me listening to pop music now and then.
11. But we both agree on Adele.  She's amazing.
12. He plays guitar.  Really well.
13. He is honest.
14. He sees me.
15. He is silly.
16. He listens well....most of the time.
17. While I said I wanted to learn the moonwalk years ago, he actually learned it and practiced it and got decent at it.
18. Sometimes when I'm brushing my teeth, I'll see him moonwalking past the bathroom door then hear a crash because he ran into the vacuum cleaner in the hallway.
19. But he keeps right on going.
20. He's a voracious reader.
21. He had been quietly studying Greek (ya know, on the side during med school) for over a month before I realized it.  (see numbers 1 and 2)
22. He decided to learn Greek to read the New Testament with fuller understanding.
23. He is kind to outsiders.
24. He's an unapologetic introvert.
25. Who relates to people really well one-on-one and in small groups.
26. I love his thick, wavy hair.
27. He crushed his Boards in the midst of a season of personal pain and stress.
28. He recognizes that it was only Jesus who could have helped him do that.
29. He, like me, is a content homebody who enjoys an occasional outing.
30. He is committed to talking through junk.
31. He fights for our marriage.
32. He appreciates other cultures and loves getting to bust out a little Hindi when he meets an Indian person.  Which is usually met with a delighted smile.
33. He brought me flowers at work once...because I had been sad earlier that week.
34. If I brag to him about something, he will make a very realistic sounding "trumpet tooting its horn" sound with his mouth.  It's hilarious.
35. He will probably make that sound when he reads this list.

 Happy Birthday, Matt!!  You're the best!