Happy Birthday, Dave!

2001: This was the first photo I had ever seen of Dave.

My first impression of Dave was that he was too "Rock Star" for me... and out of my league. Luckily for me, he was persistent in his efforts and managed to woo me in a matter of weeks!

Today is Dave's birthday, and as he's been saying, now he's "officially old." I'm just two months behind him and have already noticed the signs warning "Caution: Approaching Old."

I would have hoped for Dave to have a nice, relaxing day on his birthday... but no such luck. After a family cuddle in our bed with lots of "Happy Birthdays" from the girls and I, Dave got up to meet with the electrician. Then it was off to Charlestown for a day in the office.

Today, just like every other day, I feel lucky to have such a wonderful husband. Never before have I met such a generous person, usually putting everyone else's needs before his own.

He's also one of the hardest working people I've ever known, next to my parents. I don't think he even knows the meaning of "downtime", unless it's a rare night of sitting on the couch watching Nova or Frontline. Somehow he survives on about 5-6 hours of sleep each night, and never complains about it. He just keeps right on going, plowing through all of the tasks at hand on his never-ending "to-do list."

I would have loved to give Dave a birthday vacation or a weekend get-away, but I know he wouldn't take it. He'd miss the girls and want to come home. (In all honesty, I probably would too.) There are a few big ticket items I thought about getting but the renovation expenses take precedent right now. Hopefully he'll still like what we got him.

Personally, I think the best gift he could get right now is appreciation for all that he does and the positive support to keep on pushing through until all of this STUFF is done! And that's what I intend to give him.

I can't say anymore, just on the off chance he might be reading this... but I'm hoping it will be a special day for him.

Happy Birthday, honey! Thanks for all you do for us!

Update: The surprise birthday dinner I had planned was a success! Dave loved it! I made a blue cheese garden salad, scallops with a citrus/thyme syrup, and Haagen Das Mint Chip ice cream (Dave's favorite) for dessert. Put together with a nice bottle of Cabernet, Dave said it was just perfect.

Tonight is cake with friends/family, but since Dave doesn't care for baked goods, I am going to try making a fruit tart. (Wish me luck with that! Luckily my brother-in-law gave me a free pass to use his oven anytime I want so we'll be trekking over there to bake it.) We'll also be coloring Easter eggs with the kids tonight and the eggs are already boiled and waiting.

Busy weekend, but lots of fun!