Happy 30th birthday, Chris!

This week, Chris turned 30! We celebrated after he got off work and before we headed out to our Bible study with dinner and cake.

Chris doesn't like to make a big deal out of his birthday, but as you can probably tell from the picture above, Eleanor loves birthdays. She woke up from her nap asking if we were having "daddy's birthday party now?" The girl loves her candles and cake! She actually stuck her fingers into the icing while we were taking the above picture.

In the spirit of not making a "big deal" out of his birthday, I will only say a few things. Chris is an incredible man, the best husband I could ever ask for, and a very devoted dad to two lucky girls. Having spent the last decade of our lives together, I feel so wonderfully blessed to have been able to witness his continued growth and maturity as he became a husband and then eventually a father. I am still in awe as I observe his ever increasing patience, which in our house, with a two year old, is unfortunately and woefully in short supply. I admire his commitment to expanding both his knowledge in the pursuit of a graduate degree and wisdom as he deals with challenges we face as a family and those that he encounters individually or as a team in his work environment, I also love witnessing the increased depth and development of relationships with friends and with family members as we all grow and enter new stages with different needs. He knows how to communicate well, with me, with Eleanor, with his colleagues and employees at work, and when not to communicate (aka when to just sit and listen). Chris is awesome, and I know I don't even have to say it because people who spend any time around him can just tell, but you know, because it's his birthday, it never hurts to say it anyway :)

We love our man and are excited to see what the next decade holds...

Happy birthday, Chris!