My Guy...talking about my guy!

This is MY GUY. I don't know if he remembers or not, but 25 years ago today we met. We met in one of the most traditional ways that a guy and a girl would meet in my hometown...riding around the courthouse square. It's such a hometown thing. If you are from Oak Grove, Louisiana, (or anywhere in that area) this needs no explaining...but for those of you who normally read this probably do not have a clue as to what I am talking about it. BRIEFLY: It was just the local hangout for the teens. We rode around the square...that is the courthouse square to the Sonic and back again....just to see who was there and to hangout! Yeah...I know it sounds lame, but we were teens!

So today being 25 years since I met MY GUY, I wanted to do something special...something out of the ordinary. I admit that I am not that original and I am robbing my friend Nicki's idea. Okay, I am changing it a bit. I loved, loved what Nicki did for her husband's recent 35th birthday... they happen to be our Pastor and his wife...two of some of the most awesome people I have ever met. I respect them tremendously and think they are such great leaders. For those of you who happen to read this, but don't read theirs (which I am sure are only a very few) click HERE to read 35 reasons that Nicki loves her husband.

Okay, back to my story...I was so impressed with what Nicki did that I had considered doing this for My Guy for Valentine's day...our birthdays are so close to Natalie's that we tend to overlook them...so I didn't want to save it for that. But I often share these sweet things that I happen to I see, read on facebook, blogs or emails with my husband. He laughed and said that he didn't think that I could come up with 42 reasons (42 because he is 42) that I loved him. I quickly retorted with this, "I bet I can think of 142". I am sure I could and I could also think of 42 reason he makes me want to scream and about 5 that usually prompts me to do so out loud! But I do love him so and I hate being predictable. So since he said all of that and since Valentine's Day snuck up on me like so many holidays and b'days do, I decided to save it for a few days later.

I started a post on this late last night when I couldn't sleep because he was snoring (#1 on the list that makes me want to scream), so after I drug my pillow, blankets, and dog to the couch, I realized that I was still wide awake. So I came over here to start the post, but I realized that I did not have pics ready to load and before I could get them finished the Benadyl kicked in. I really wanted it ready to post first thing this a.m., but since he doesn't know that I am doing this, I don't guess it really matters.

And for the record...we really did used to talk about our Meet-Aversary day each year [except we didn't call it that....I really think Nicki made that term up!], but I guess the last 5 0r 6 years or so we have been so wrapped up in our children's lives that we have let it slip our minds...not a good thing. So I am glad that (also reading Nicki's blog reminded me of this special day too) I remembered this year!

[Nicki, if you are reading this, remember: Imitation is the greatest form of flattery.]

I really could list 100 or more reasons, but since it has been 25 years ago...February 18, 1984 since I met the first love of my life, I am going to list 25 reasons why I love him soooooo.

1. He is a great Poppa. When we knew would become grandparents before we turned 40, we knew we would love this child with all our heart...we just did not know how much bigger our heart would grow.

Randy is helping Natalie make a plaster hand print/ornament for her mommy and daddy for Christmas. The package that included this kit came in at the last minute (Christmas Eve) so we did at my mom's on the patio to surprize her parents that night when we opened gifts! [They were getting there later because Natalie's first-first cousin was being born on this day.]

He plays with her just like another child...well, we both do. I am sure one of the many reasons she loves us so much.

2. He's a great dad. Since I am sure my dad won't ever read this, I will go ahead and say he is so much closer to his children than I was to my dad. For that, I am very thankful and very proud...he knows that I would have loved to have even half the closeness that he has had with his children. He jokes with them, plays with and tries to share his world with them. He, like me, wants to show the world to them. We took Cari on a cruise this summer too. It was probably more than we could afford last summer, but we tend to get a little carried away when it comes to our children.

He's one of Cameron's best friends and was his best man in his wedding.

[This photo is from Cameron's 1st prom in the 9th grade. Yes, to those who don't live in our area...our kids around here have prom all four years fo high school...yes, that's way too much!]

And he is there to catch them (and me too) if we fall.

[Cameron making some big (baby) steps! He was so little learning to walk. Both of my kids walked early! ]

3. He loves his family and does everything he does (work, play, etc.) because he loves us so much...to give us the best he can offer.

4. He is truly an encourager...usually even more optimistic than me. He always has faith in those he loves.

We are truly blessed for having him as our husband/dad/father-in-law/grandfather. He often has more faith in me (in all of us) than I/we do myself/ourselves. I would have never taken the leap to become a photographer if he had not believed in me so.

He truly desires to share the world with us...
DISNEY WORLD
THE CRUISE

5. My family truly loves him. I often think they love him more than me, but that's okay because I am family and they have to love me.

6. He is a great Handy Man...okay, that may be putting it lightly. He probably could have chosen many different professions...he can built, paint, do electrical work...the list goes on. When Cari was little, she always brought her broken toy or whatever to Randy to fix it when it was broken...she quickly learned "if Daddy can't fix it...it can't be fixed!"

7. He actually loves watching lifetime movies with me. I love that he cries too [but never as much me...I am really a big sap!]. I am sure he didn't want me to share that fact, but it I can't resist...it just makes him all the more special.

8. He never minds running errands for me. He rarely seems bothered to deal with my little lists for town while he is already doing a million other things for a half a dozen other people.

9. I love that he loves yard work, because I don't. Now I want the lawn and all extras to look pretty and make a great portrait background at all, but I want my outside time to be for fun or photography!

on the beach in Mexico with my niece and daughter having lunch in the formal dining room...first full day of cruise

Cameron's Graduation...
10. He is very smart. He has self-educated himself in his industry! He was honored almost a year ago as Ginner of the Year in Memphis. This is one of the highest honors that can be awarded in his business.

He is very ingenious and continues to create new products in his business and create new ways to make extra money for us...something that is much needed since the hurricanes took away the bulk of our income this past fall. I am very proud of him for that.

10. He is even a great speaker. Little did we (his family, his employer or friends), know this until he gave such an awesome acceptance speech after receiving his plaque for the award.

11. He has a great sense of humor, often to the point of getting on my last nerve, it could probably make my list of all the things he does to make me scream especially when I am in a bad mood. This photo is because he thought the wedding tuxes looked like gangster suits for the Bonnie and Clyde days/era. Don't you agree?
12. He is a great provider. He works so hard to provide nice "material" things for his children and me. He found this nice "new" used car for Cari and surprised her with it on Christmas Eve. [We both love surprizing our children when they expect it the least.] And last spring, he purchased me a new SUV...much nicer that I really deserve.

13. He never minds dressing alike for the Christmas photos in front of the tree, for a family portrait or just about anything we do that we have to dress up...he knows that I love to color coordinate our wardrobe...I know it's probably dorky, but I love that now he asks what I am wearing to church as he is picking clothes out of his closest. What can I say I can guess I have rubbed off on him.

14. He loves to eat at nice restaurants. We discovered this one years ago in Mobile after coming back from a trip from Gulf Shores. We had already discovered the same one in Gulf Shores then we discovered Mobile had one too.

We drove in circles around the Mobile Bay area before our cruise trying to find it. Little did we know, it had moved due to one of the Hurricanes since we had went their last in 2004 on our way to Disney World. Yes, we deliberately take certain routes to go to some of our favorites restaurants. Can you tell we love to eat, but not only do we love to eat, we love to eat NICE! This could possibly be one of our weaknesses too!

15. I also love the fact that he has a much tougher stomach than I do. [I could never be a nurse.] When we have the really yucky accidents in our home...for example: like someone including Precious has stomach virus, he doesn't mind cleaning...okay, maybe he does really mind, but he does clean it! He knows if I cleaned; we would have another accident.

16. I love that he loves to drink Diet Coke too. He used to drink COKE (the real thing), but years ago I talked him into trying it for a while and now he's as hooked as I am...okay, maybe more. But he does make sure we have cold ones in the refrigerator for me (and him too)!

17. I love that he and I can often finish each others sentences...I don't know if that is because we are that much alike or if it is because of so many years together that we do actually think alike. Our personality are often blended. We are different in many ways, but sooooo many ways we have become just like the other!

before dinner the first night of our cruise... 18. I think he truly loves spending time with me...not matter what it is! [That's a great feeling.]

I look goofy in this one...I know, but it's a cute one of him (even if he did have that funky haircut just weeks before the wedding) and occassionally I should pick photos that he looks the best in...you know how a family chooses which photo to buy...yes, the one that the mom looks the best in! Understandable, huh? [By the way, we were dancing at Cameron's wedding. What a special day that was for our family. We love our B!]
19. He bought me my first pro digital camera. I had been contemplating it for a few years. I was little depressed while I away for a weeklong school with my best-photographer friend--she had just bought her first. I called home crying depressed over this because I thought I was so ready for the move to digital and many other things(but I knew I couldn't afford it it yet). I was so over it before I got home. While I was gone, he and Cameron re-did the floors in my studio and surprized me with the camera...an early Mother's Day gift. He doesn't do gifts all the time for every occasion, but when he does something like this WOW! And, YES I CRIED! [Actully, I just realized he bought my last one too...well he gave me the money Christmas 2007 and I ordered it. See what I mean! He is pretty awesome!]

20. He even cooks. Sometime we cook together. Some meals are his (like his Potato Soup, Corn Chowder or Brisket). But he is so easy to cook for. He is often happy with whatever if I don't feel up to cooking when he doesn't.

21. He is always willing to drive in to town to get food if neither one of wants to cook or eat "whatever" we happen to have on hand.

22. He is willing to stop whatever we are doing to pose for photographs. He knows how much I love to document everything...okay maybe he doesn't love doing this, but most of the time he's willing even if he isn't happy about it, but isn't that what love is...sacrificing yourself for others? He has certainly done that the last 25 years, more times than either of us can count.

23. He is such an-outgoing-people-kind-of-person! I am not as much! I have to find my comfort zone in whatever situation we are in...he can talk to just about any body on almost any subject. Sometimes I wished I had more of that personality.

24. I still love the wink that he can give me across a room that sparks that that same feeling that I had when we were still dating and he did this. He is such a loving guy! It is such a nice feeling to know you have someone who loves you as much as I know he loves me! What an awesome feeling!

25. But above all, I love that he desires to be a Godly man and always tries to do the right thing. He doesn't always succeed, but he is quick to admit his mistakes and tries to get it right the next time...after all, that's all we can do.

So there you have it! Twenty-five of the many reasons (for the 25 years that I have known him) why MY GUY is so special to me and so many others. He makes me feel like he is lucky to have me as his girl...and Randy, if you are reading this...I just want you to know that I am the lucky one!

~~ja~~

p.s. I am sure I have plenty of typos and such, I will try to correct them as I discover them...I tend to re-read some of my favorite posts like this one several times, but I am going to go ahead and post this so that I can get it posted on the 18th. Proof reading is one of my biggest weaknesses and it's Randy's too [I know this because I have had him proof read my work and miss the same thing that I missed...Oh well..no one's perfect!] So hopefully if you read this before I have a chance to catch all of them and correct them, I hope that you can read between the lines.