finally, a birthday post for bryan

amidst all our fun and games last week, this guy got older:

bryan lives his life like a love letter to his wife and children. 

he drives an hour each way to work every day so that we can live in the house and in the community that we love. he comes home to bathe his sons and read them their favorite books and then quietly and patiently absorbs all the emotional drama in the lives of his girls (mama included). he cooks dinner on the weekends to ease the relentlessness of household duties. he does, and this is not an exaggeration, whatever i ask him to do. 

there is no one i've ever met in the history of ever who loves to work as much as bryan does. and his work ethic permeates our family with peace and constancy. he's like a giant galapagos tortoise who carries us surely and steadily on his back: giving his children confidence to take risks and courage when they're afraid and a safe place to which they can always return. never giving us a reason to doubt that something strong and steadfast and solid is underneath our feet.

so here's to you, my giant galapagos! thirty-seven years down, one-hundred-thirty-three to go!