Happy Birthday Freddie, now here's your present...

My first crush was Johnny Depp's character from 21 Jumpstreet, Tom Hanson. Tom was dark, he was brooding, and best of all; he was complicated. I quickly realized that the type of guy I was attracted to had those qualities and more. I loved the artistic type; a musician or painter, who often got lost in his own thoughts, only to emerge days later with an epic new poem. He could serenade me on his lute and loved to philosophize over tea about life, the universe and everything.

If you know my husband, the type of guy I just described is the complete antitheses of Fred. So why is Fred my husband and not Officer Tom Hanson?

Well, number one, Tom Hanson is a fictional character. And while reality and I sometimes appear as though we are just mere acquaintances, I am not crazy. And number two, if I had married a guy like the one I described above, he'd be dead and buried in my backyard by now.

It's not them, it's me. As much as I love creative people, I just don't want to spend the rest of my life with one. The more I got to know "creative-type" guys, the more I realized that they sort of lived in their own world, by their own rules, and by their own watch. And they pretty much drove me crazy with all their meanderings and what-not.

So I married Fred. And got everything I needed in a husband and more. So what kind of husband is Fred? I'm glad you asked...

He's the type of husband that takes our daughter out every Saturday and Sunday morning; not only to give me a break, but because he loves spending that one-on-one time with Elise. He's the type of husband that cleans up the kitchen every night after dinner. He knows how to make me laugh, how to put a smile on my lips, and after 12 years together can still make my pulse race. He loves to surprise me, and spends most of his fun money bringing me little gifts. I don't think I've ever met anyone as generous as Fred.

He can wrap a present like nobody's business, which really has no real-world application unless you're working at a booth in the mall during Christmas. I'm just sayin' that my presents always look really purty-like.

He doesn't always get me, but he loves me anyway; despite my long list of quirks. Actually, I think he loves me because of them. He's honest, hard-working, funny, an AMAZING father, an INCREDIBLE husband, and let's not deny it; handsome and sexy as the day is long.

You know that episode of Seinfeld where George does the complete opposite of what he normally would do, and his whole life turns around for the better? Well, I guess in this case, by marrying Fred, I "pulled a George". Wow, that kinda sounds dirty...

This post was supposed to be so much more; I wanted to wax poetic (and perhaps write my own epic poem to be accompanied by a lute player) about how great a man, husband and father Fred is. Unfortunately, life once again, has reared its frantic head; making it impossible to devote the time and effort to this that I had wanted to. This post sounded so much better in my head. Everything sounds so much better in my head.

Maybe I'll start writing next years birthday post tomorrow.

Anyway, happy birthday Freddie! Thanks for being who you are and exactly who I was meant to be with.