Happy Birthday to Him

It was a carefree night in May 2004 that changed my life forever. That was the night that I first exchanged flirtatious smiles and phone numbers with the love of my life.  As small town kids generally do, we were hanging around the city park late one night doing absolutely nothing. We had a mutual group of friends so it wasn't uncommon for us both to end up in the same place. As the night went on and the flirting continued, we realized it was finally time to head home. We exchanged phone numbers, and I asked him to "text me later, if you want." He then admitted that he didn't have a clue how to text. Oh, but he learned.

We were such awkward little kids {barely 5 feet tall and me with my braces}, but we were so into each other. The texts started that night and haven't stopped since. I would never go as far to say that our relationship has been anything resembling perfection, but it has all turned out better than I could have hoped.

Today, that sweet guy turned 25. Here are some fun facts about him:

1. H. R. Giger is the inspiration for {nearly} all of his tattoos

2. His favorite type of food is Chinese

3. But seafood is a very close second

4. He has been stuck with this crazy for nearly a decade

5. He is one of the most stubborn men I have ever met

6. And also one of the most forgiving

7. He became a business owner at age 23

8. He has learned many techniques from his family, but much of his artistic ability has been self-taught

9. He loves to watch any show that teaches him how to survive in the wilderness

10. He would love to enroll in culinary school

11. He has been tobacco free for over 17 weeks

12. He has a pet snake named Marilyn

13. Once upon a time- he had his mom dye his hair purple

14. In high school, he had a poster of Gwen Stefani hanging in his bedroom

15. He only weighed 103 pounds at age 16

16. He loves to research everything- he will never make a spontaneous purchase without first researching all pros/cons/competitors

17. His sister Matye will always be his role model

18. He has had the same pet pug for 17 years

19. His dedication is unmatched- once he puts his mind to something he always follows through

20. He loves spending time outdoors {fishing, hiking and camping are a must}

21. His decorating style is completely modern {but he lets me keep our house just the opposite}

22. He loves to garden and spend time in the yard

23. He is baby hungry! {seriously- he talks about it more than I do}

24. He has the world’s best laugh- I can’t get enough of it

25. He has loved, he has lost and he always lives life to the fullest

Happy Birthday Mr. Ingram :]