Andy Reale: 30 ways to love you

Today is my love's 30th birthday!  What better way to celebrate than to recall thirty (equaling his ripe old age) fond memories together or something I simply love about him ;) I know he'll be embarrassed that I wrote this post, but this is too big of a birthday to let it pass without saying a few words...


The past month or so, in conversation about this milestone birthday, Andy has said on more than one occassion to me: "40 is the new 30, so that makes 30 the new 20."  I say you're only as old as you allow yourself to be.  Fortunately Andy Reale is a vibrant, young soul (and I'm pretty sure it's going to stay that way well past his seventies).


So, without further delay...30 ways to love you, Andy Reale:


1.  Our first meeting; being introduced to you by Karac at CD101.  He said, "You both like Switchfoot, so you'll probably get along"
2.  When I found out we would be driving the vans at the 2005 Muirfield Golf Tournament together I was stoked because I knew I would get to know you better
3.  Feeling sorry for you and slipping extra cash in your tips jar at the previously mentioned golf tournament because I was making about triple the amount of tips you were
4.  Driving to Cornerstone '05 with you and laughing the whole way there
5.  Getting the free gift cards from the Riverview restaurant and asking you to go there with me.
6.  Driving in NYC looking for an apartment together.  Ended up in that weird broker/baber shop/tattoo parlor.  Later we thought we were in Brooklyn but we were really in Flushing
7.  Walking around NYC after work with you and getting lost almost all the time just trying to find a place to eat
8.  Saturdays doing laundry in Queens and getting yelled at about over stuffing the dryer.
9.  Bobby Rico and "Whachucall...whachucall a screw"
10.  Your proposal in front of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and the fact that you somehow managed to get that moment on video.
11.  I love the fact that you actually laugh at me when I am trying to be funny...(i.e., a baby in a ladel holding a cell phone)
12.  I love that we pray together
13.  I love your crazy amazing support during all the family illness and deaths we've experienced.
14.  Picking out Ralf with you and driving home with him from Athens
15.  Long evening talks/dog walks to Mirror Lake
16.  I love your rediculous creativity and talent
17.  Cooking dinner together and your amazing ability to use every clean spoon in the house in one night
18.  I love your sense of adventure
19.  Dancing to no music in the kitchen on Saturday mornings with you
20.  The face you always make in almost every single picture I have with you (as seen above)
21.  Your amazing and energetic karaoke performances
22.  The fact that we both like cheesy music that we sing and dance to in the car
23.  Going to Antique malls and flea markets with you
24.  I love and appreciate your encouragement and support with all my crazy ideas and dreams
25.  Wasting time at Target nearly every single time we go there
26.  I love and am thankful for your heart for the Lord
27.  Our super fun NYC visit in September 2010
28.  Your love animatronic robots and The Muppets
29.  I love that you set goals and find ways to achieve them
30.  I'm proud of how hard you work and how you always give your all in everything you do