Happy 29th Birthday, Matt!!!

I have not updated our blog in almost nine months now, and while I should use this time to update each of you on the happenings in our life, that is not the intention of this post. I hope to find time (ha!) soon to chronicle the last several months, but as always, that probably will not happen as soon as I would like.

The purpose of today's post is strictly to celebrate my husband. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, today is the 29th anniversary of the day that God placed Matthew Patrick Coy Staggs on this Earth. I, personally, am beyond thankful for this day. I am a better person for knowing Matt, and I am so blessed and encouraged by his daily influence. Is he perfect? No, not even close. Is our marriage perfect? Hardly. Still, I can't imagine walking through this life with anyone else.

In honor of Matt's twenty-ninth birthday, I decided to compile a list of twenty-nine reasons that I love my husband. Some of these reasons are silly, and some are sickeningly sappy. If you are one of those people who find yourself disgusted by public announcements of affection, then this is probably not the post for you. If you, however, wish to join me in my affirmation of my husband, then read away!

 Happy birthday, sweet husband. Here is to hoping for many more!!!

Twenty-nine reasons that I love/am thankful for my husband:

1) He irons my clothes for school every week. Not only does he take care of this annoying chore, he does it without being asked. That, for me, is HUGE.

2) He cooks! Any of you who know me know that I am terrible in the kitchen. I do not enjoy cooking, nor am I very good at it. My husband, on the other hand, loves to cook, and he handles meals every night of the week. He truly enjoys trying different recipes, throwing meat on the grill, and modifying food to suit my picky tastes. I am so thankful that his talents are different from my own.

3) I have NEVER once doubted his commitment to me. I know many women who worry about potential infidelity, but I can honestly say that the thought has never crossed my mind. Matt does not have a wandering eye. I have never once caught him glancing at other women, and I am certain that I never will. I find comfort in knowing that I never need to question his whereabouts, intentions, or behaviors.

4) Matt affirms me daily. All women are self-conscious to some degree, and embarrassingly enough, I am no different. Matt never misses an opportunity to compliment my outfit, hair change, or make-up. Not only does he compliment me when it comes to physical elements, he also takes time to affirm my attitude, work ethic, and accomplishments. The fact that he notices all of the aforementioned things means the world to me.

5) He makes sacrifices for my happiness. Matt never lets me bring in the groceries. While I put them away, he makes multiple trips to the car (up and down the stairs, no less) to bring in the bags. When it is raining, he always runs to the car so he can pick me up at the door. He may get soaked, but I usually enter the car completely dry. He wakes up over an hour before he needs to, just so that I can have hot water when I shower. I could continue to go on, but I think that you get the idea. I am humbled by his selflessness.

6) He gives me foot and back rubs daily. Once again, these are things that I rarely ask for. He knows that I am on my feet all day, and he only wants to make me feel better.

7) He is a wonderful nurse when I am sick. Over the course of our first two years of marriage, Matt has held my hair as I threw up, cleaned up my vomit when I couldn't make it to bathroom, and held wet washcloths to my forehead when I have had terrible headaches. He has sat up with me on nights when I couldn't sleep from coughing, and napped with me when medication has made me drowsy. I love him for doing these things willingly and without complaint.

8) He surprises me with gifts on random occasions. I have come home on many occasions to clothes, jewelry, brownies, flowers, and handwritten notes. I love having a husband who takes the time to show me that I am valuable to him everyday of the year, not just on commercialized holidays.

9) He supports my passions. Matt has sacrificed a lot of time in order to participate in activities that are important to me. He has sat at the gym for hours during volleyball season to watch me coach. He has sat through dozens of concerts and movies that did not interest him in the least, but that he knew would make me happy. He has read books that I wanted him to read, taken me to Disneyland when I wanted to go, and camped out all night on the sidewalk when I wanted to see the Rose Parade. He may roll his eyes at my sometimes crazy wishes and ambitions, but he supports them wholeheartedly.

10) He says "I love you" dozens of times each day. In our marriage, I never worry about things going unsaid. My husband says "I love you" when we wake up, sends those words through emails and text messages during the day, and reminds me multiple times when I get home from work. If we are in a loud/crowded place, he will squeeze my hand three times; once for each word. An hour rarely passes where I don't hear, see, or feel those three little words from him.

11) He is a snazzy dresser. The fact that I just used the word "snazzy" in a sentence shows that I am about as cool as a sweater sewn by your grandmother, but Matt often helps me to look a bit more hip than I actually am. I rarely shop at places that won't allow him to stand outside of the dressing room door, since matching and fashion are not my strong suits. Matt has a way of finding clothes and jewelry that flatter my body type and that are appropriate for any given function. He also takes pride in his own clothing, often dressing nicely even when the event does not require it. Having seen the husbands of many other women, I am thankful that my husband takes pride in his appearance (and mine!!).

12) He is my calming influence. I have a tendency to get myself worked into a frenzy when things do not go according to my plans. Matt, on the other hand, always keeps a cool head. His easy-going personality helps to keep me from completely losing it in stressful situations.

13) He loves the Lord. It melts my heart to watch my husband spend time in his Bible, minister to other people, and pray for hurting friends and loved ones. My faith is stronger because of the influence of my husband, and I am thankful for the times that he has held me accountable in my own faith. Words cannot describe the comfort that comes with knowing that he prays for me daily. His faith is enviable, and I am so proud of the man of God that he is and is becoming.

14) He is always warm. I am basically cold-blooded, so it is not uncommon to find me in thick socks, sweatshirts, or wrapped in a blanket. Matt, on the other hand, is always warm. I love to cuddle up next to him in the wintertime. Body heat is so underrated.

15) He never holds a grudge. Whether he is mistreated by friends, family members, bosses, coworkers, or random strangers, I have never known Matt to hold onto anger. Matt has faced many tough situations over the course of the last year, and he has handled them with poise and grace. I can't always say the same about myself. When he is mistreated, he prays about his offender, and he simply moves on. Given some of the situations that he has faced in the past few months, this is utterly remarkable to me. I pray daily to have the attitude of my husband when it comes to those who hurt me.

16) He opens car doors. Opening car doors may seem like such a small thing, but to me, it is a small thing that makes a huge difference. I have heard many women complain that their husbands stopped such behaviors once the ring was on their finger, but the same is not true about my husband. The simple action of opening a car door shows me that I am loved, cherished, and respected.

17) He is a source of strength during difficult times. Over the course of our marriage, we have faced frequent job changes, financial woes, the loss of loved ones, and a lot of upheaval and uncertainty. Through it all, Matt has always been a source of strength. He lets me vent when I am angry, he holds me when I am broken, and  he stands by my side through every problem, regardless of how small. His strength helps to empower me, and I am grateful for his presence always.

18) He helps me grade papers. I don't even need to explain why that makes me happy.

19) He allows me to be goofy. I am the queen of hair brained schemes, and Matt is typically content to be along for the ride. He was a good sport when I threw him a cowboy themed birthday party, and he even played pin the tail on the donkey! He is always down for spontaneous weekend road trips, karaoke and other adventures that I rarely think through. I love him for it.

20) He introduces me to new things. I am such a creature of habit, but throughout our marriage, Matt has tried to help me step out of my comfort zone. Since we have been married I have tried new foods, taken a nine hour plane ride (I am TERRIFIED of flying), shook up my wardrobe, listened to new music, and spent time with different types of people. I have learned that change is not ALWAYS a bad thing :).

21) He allows me to spend time with my friends. I came into our marriage with very strong friendships from college, and Matt always encourages me to make time with them a priority. I am grateful for the times that he cleared his schedule when I was homesick for my college family.

22) He befriends the least and the lost. My husband is so kind. Seriously, I am sometimes convicted by his sweet spirit. He has such a heart for hurting people, and I am humbled by the love that he often shows to the unlovable. Many days I pray that God will give me his heart.

23) He loves my family, despite our eccentricities. I grew up very differently than Matt, but he has embraced my family from the beginning. He often does not understand why we talk to each other across the house, why we must always be so loud, or why we eat the same five meals over and over, but he loves us anyway. We have a good time at his expense sometimes too :).

24) He makes lemonade out of lemons. Sometimes I get very frustrated at Matt when I want to whine and vent, but he truly sees the positive in every situation. He could easily pout about his hearing loss, for example, when people are rude or unaccommodating, but he usually laughs at himself and moves on. I am thankful for his optimistic outlook.

25) He has a pair of the bluest eyes that I have ever seen. I hope our future children inherit them. They are beautiful.

26) He is a phenomenal teacher and coach. I am always impressed when I watch him with teenagers, whether on the field or in the classroom. Matt expects a lot out of his students and athletes, and they are better people because of his drive, passion, and push.

27) He hates many of the same things as me, such as frequent stops on car trips, being late (we are always early), bad grammar on Facebook, all things Auburn etc. We get a lot of laughs at the expense of other people. Don't judge us.

28) He drives me to school on mornings when he does not have to work, simply to spend a little extra time with me. When you think about what time I leave every morning (6 AM), then you can truly understand the depth of his sacrifice.

29) He is literally the best man that I have ever known--- in every aspect. I am honored that he chose me.

HAPPY 29TH BIRTHDAY, MATT!!!!!! I KNOW THAT EACH DAY WITH YOU WILL BE BETTER THAN THE LAST!


Until next time, folks.