33 (!!!) YEARS

On this day, 33rd years ago my favorite accident ever was born. (Jackson was an unintentional result of a concussion. Susie had to keep Charlie awake all night somehow and 9 months later the love of my life arrived. Surprise!)

When I asked Jackson what he wanted for his big day he said this: new shoes (check), money (check, thanks Susie), gift cards for new clothes (check, thanks Kathi), the Mike & Mike book (check, thanks Mom & Guy), some fancy work shirts (check, thanks again Susie) and a write-up on the blog similar to my odes to Madison (my parent's dog) on her birthday every year (check!).

I have more fun with Jackson than I ever knew was possible. I have spent the majority of my time with him since Thanksgiving 2005 and only get sick of him about 4% of the time. That's pretty strong. Since Jackson and I met at work, he will always be "JXP" to me- so much so that when I have to know his real initials I have to stop and think. (Only people from American Funds will get the JXP thing. Move on.) Jackson is a great provider. He is always willing to do whatever it takes to keep our little family afloat. He has had jobs that he HATED, but he continued to show up everyday just to keep money in the bank. (He just recently lost his job as our family travel agent, though. The hotel in Monterey was unacceptable, Jack. Unacceptable.)

He puts up with my temper tantrums (they're fewer and more far between than they used to be, but they're still not pretty), my obsessive cleaning disorder (poor kid never gets to leave him dirty socks on the floor) and is the best grocery shopper to ever live. He taught me the 51/50 rule that I now live by: if it costs $51 and you only have $50 then you cannot afford it. (This is not always my favorite rule.) Together, we have built a tremendously fun life.

Jackson can go 4 months without picking up a golf club and still hit the ball like a professional. (I love golfers.) I enjoy going to the driving range with him and tweaking his swing- just call me Hank Haney. He is always down for a hike, a game of tennis or an attempt at Rollerblading. (Jackson has the worst balance in the world and turns skating into a comedy pretty quickly.)

He takes such good care of MacKenzie and will almost always play ball with her until she finally tires out. He takes her with him on all of his errands because "she wants to go." Sure. ;) He drives me to work on snowy days. He cooks food at night just so I'll have a lunch to take the next day. Sometimes he even remembers to take out the trash! He is always down for a getaway. He treats my friends with respect. He refers to all of my parents (I have 4 so it is kind of a lot) as my "folks" and that makes me laugh. He loves Ivanhoe's and Upland almost as much as I do.

Through Jackson I got to become a Petefish! (And constantly tell people how to pronounce it, "Pete like the boy, fish like the swimming animal.") I loved teaching Mary (Jackson's late grandma) the secret "fish handshake." I have loved watching Gracie grow up, though I wish she'd slow down. I picked up my two favorite clients from this marriage. :) The most important quality of all is that Jackson is my very best friend.

Happy 33rd birthday, Jackson Edward. Here is to many, many more! I love you. :)