thirty on april first.

30 facts about my husband

01. He loves a good adventure.
02. He is good at planning them too.
03. He makes me feel safe + secure. whether that's in our house on lyndale with our puppy between us or in a strange hostel in london.
04. He is reassuring and soothing which helps his worrisome spastic wife.
05. He assures me that he can grill just about anything. and will stop at nothing to prove it.
06. He has a good singing voice that can be heard on our way to the store with him in the driver's seat, in our pew at church, or into a microphone at karaoke.
07. He works so hard at what he sets his mind to.
08. He is the stabilizing force in the Hestekin house -- especially with both of us currently job hunting.
09. He doesn't complain. ever. even when we eat chicken four times a week because that's what I like.
10. He doesn't mind being called 'papa' which just started with the addition of Leo.
11. He is so good to Leo -- truly man's best friend.
12. He is patient enough to sit through Dancing With the Stars, even when the Clippers/Lakers game is on.
13. He has the biggest heart which is full of gold. and love for his entire family.
14. He is a little kid -- laughing at his text message notification sound and Wipeout and funny YouTube videos of people falling.
15. He loves discovering new restaurants and avoids chain restaurants if he can help it.
16. He can max out the leg press machine at our gym.
17. He is passionate about his hobbies and not just because other people think they are cool.
18. He has dreams about his careers and acts on them in little ways (so far...).
19. He sees me in the best light and encourages me daily.
20. He has the best taste in music. and alcohol. connoisseur in both.
21. He doesn't play games with people -- he's always himself 100% of the time.
22. He is good at drawing, even little doodles of dogs on scratch pieces of paper for our nephew are better than anything I whip up.
23. He doesn't complain when I ask him to 'make the smoothies tonight' or 'put the clothes in the dryer'.
24. He understands the importance I place on photographing our food before we eat it. and then instagramming it. :)
25. He doesn't require fancy things to make him happy. example -- tonight we are having beef stroganoff at his parents' house for his birthday dinner.
26. He doesn't need a calendar to remember the important things.
27. He looks so cute with his hair spiked with gel. and with his new frames.
28. He is always up for new. "As long as it makes you happy" he says.
29. He completes our family. Home doesn't feel right unless I know he's there.
30. He loves me with all my quirks + annoyances. And I him.

So, happy birthday to the best man, friend, and husband I could have. Thank you for blessing me with him, God.

credits + links:
photo -- taken by me during our day trip to Bruges.
inspiration for the husband fact list -- marta's lists for dan. so sweet.
read other birthday posts written by me: 26. 27. and 28.