Today (Sunday, August 2) is John’s birthday and Miles half birthday. Kind of funny that all three of us are first couple day of the month babies, huh? (That also makes our birthdays easy to forget. So PLEASE help me wish him a happy birthday!!!)

This photo really sums up to me how much of an amazing husband and father John is.

I met John as a friend before I was married to my first husband. We had been good friends for a long time and then I lost my Andy to cancer. After he passed John didn’t know what to do, but something deep inside him told him to reach out to me and make sure I was ok. I was deep in grief and just needed to talk about Andy. John was able to listen to story after story about Andy and even if he already heard one of them he would say, “Thats ok, tell me again. It’s a good story.” He did not shy away from the ugliness of those days (and weeks, and months) where I wasn’t eating, sleeping or doing much of anything but focusing on my loss. He took my hand and walked along side me in my grief and bit by bit helped me to see in color in again. Let me just say, that it is NOT easy being around a widow, let alone falling in love with one when you think you really shouldn’t be and you also think the whole world thinks you shouldn’t be dating. He knew he had to wait for me to make the first move and tell him I loved him first. So until then, he would drop me off after “hanging out” together and once I was inside my house he would sit in his car and yell at the top of his lungs “I LOVE YOU BETSY ZABEL!!!!” (How precious is that!? I love that story!)

He had the patience of a saint to wait for me and walk along side me as I encountered the painful stepping stones of the grief process, but fell in love with him at the same time.

Then you fast forward through our love story and we have our precious Miles. Just as I felt like I was seeing the world through new eyes as I stepped out of my grief, he is guiding our son to show him how beautiful the world is. I can’t wait to see how much Miles learns from him.

So to John, a husband and father who brings so much tenderness, kindness, joy and life into our little house, I wish you a very happy birthday and give thanks that you are in our life.

If you want to wish him a happy birthday, leave a comment on HIS BLOG! Thanks!!!