Friday Fun: Happy Birthday, RYAN!!!

 

Today is a major holiday in the Shaffer household! Today is my dreamy husband’s birthday, and I always love a great excuse to celebrate him to the fullest. However, this brings me to my annual conundrum: how do I possibly put into one post how much he means to me? I can’t.

                So this year I decided to return to the scrapbook and find a favorite memory from each month, starting with his birthday last year.

                At the end of April last year, I was licensed for ministry, and this photo is one of my favorites from that day. The congregation came forward to pray over me (which was so beautiful) but I chose two people to pray out loud for me, and Ryan was one of them. I cherish his words in prayer for my life and ministry, and when prayer time ended, he was right there to hug and congratulate me. This year of licensed ministry has been full and beautiful, and I mean it completely: none of this could happen without him beside me. He walks every step with me, prays over me, and carries me through the hard parts. 

                In May, our church moved into its new building – fully – after several months of construction. Ryan was such a huge part of all of that project, and to share that day together was so meaningful to both of us. I am so proud of him for who he is to our church. He is on the worship team rotation, is picking up the skills to work in our tech booth, helps out at the Boutique each month, is a GriefShare leader, and fills in absolutely anywhere else he’s needed. He loves our people, and I am just so proud of him!

                June was our vacation month last year, when we finally were able to explore Hocking Hills State Park! We had the best time and made so many memories, but I think his favorite part was our UTV ride. He was so kind to NOT drive as fast and furious as I know he wanted to so I could stand a chance at having some fun! 

                Ryan has such a huge heart, and I love the way he always makes sure the kids in our lives have as much fun as they can whenever they come over. July was a big host-fun-days-at-the-lake month for us, and with every group of visitors, he made sure the kids sat with him to drive the boat if they wanted to, he gave paddleboarding and kayaking lessons and encouraged everyone into doing a super job!

                And for as much as he invests in everyone around him, I also love how much he invests in us. August was full of dates he planned, he took me on sunset boat rides, went for walks and bike rides with me, and was always the best conversationalist – talking and listening! I know those things are rare traits in husbands, so I am thankful for them!

                He’s always up for an adventure, and one of our favorite ones from September was walking the Mackinac Bridge and exploring Mackinac Island together. Those were SO MUCH FUN, and they also marked one of the first times that Michigan has ever been kind to us in the weather department.

                Part of marriage is dealing with the hard as well as the good, and last October, we said our earthly goodbye to Ryan’s Grandpa Cox. We drove to see him a couple of weeks before he passed away, and both of us knew it would be the last time we saw him alive. To hear Ryan’s prayer over him in that room before we walked out was heartbreakingly beautiful. And then to honor his life a short time later was a privilege.

                We can’t talk about Ryan without talking about what a great dad he is to Lexi. That girl loves him with her whole heart and then some. He loves her, he takes care of her when she’s sick, he takes her on adventures, he snuggles with her on the couch, and she can’t jump for joy fast enough every day when he gets home from work. I love their bond! 

                Ryan spends so much time giving to others that he rarely takes time to do anything fun for himself. When he was invited to announce for the local wrestling matches this year, I was excited to see him do something that brought him joy! I learned about wrestling and he had fun returning to something he loved so much in high school! 

                One of the things I love about him is how seriously he takes his responsibility to steward what God has entrusted to him. He cares for EVERYTHING so intentionally: our cars, our home, and everything in them. When the bad weather hit this winter, he was outside in the worst of it, clearing the driveway, filling the gas tanks, and making sure everything was in good working order. 

                When Dad got sick in February, Ryan was right there for everything. Every ER trip, every doctor appointment, every decision and transition. He did literal heavy lifting, he treated my Dad with dignity, and he cleaned up a whole lot of my tears. He is absolutely the person you want when your parents are sick and it’s hard.

                March was HARD. It was really, really hard. We both had different strains of the flu at different times. We moved both of my parents at different times. We tried to start cleaning out their apartment. We were preparing for Holy Week at church. It was exhausting, but he never missed a beat. He showed up, he worked hard, he advocated, and he was his constant, steady self.

                Whether we are having the most fun ever, working on an adventure, or slogging through something hard, he is absolutely the one I want by my side. He’s the best. He just really IS the best.

                Ryan, I love you, I love the way you live your life, and I love getting to share your days.