Happy Birthday, Ivan!

My great husband turned a whopping 35 today. For 2 months of every year, we get to be the same age. The other 10 months, he has to mind his elders! :-)

Here is my top 10 list of why my husband is so amazing:

1. He is a great father. Our kids are a top priority in his life, and he constantly worries about their spiritual well being.

2. He is a great spouse. He loves me and is constantly concerned with how I am doing in all the crucial areas of my life. Sometimes it drives me crazy, but I know he truly cares about me and wants me to be happy.

3. He is constantly serving others. Whether it be at home, helping with a move, or pitching in to clean up after an activity, Ivan is constantly looking for ways to lighten someone's load.

4. Ivan is so humble. He speaks to the Doctor or the Professor the same way he speaks to the Farmer or Normal Person. Many of the people that we know have no idea that he has a PhD and that's the way he likes it.

5. Ivan is one of the smartest men that I know. Most of his PhD was funded by the National Science Foundation Fellowship that he received while he was working on his bachelors. They had him skip the masters program and go straight into the PhD program. I tease that the smartest thing he has ever done was to marry me! :-)

6. He is a great provider. He worked so hard to get through his PhD with no student loans and 3 kids. He is one of the hardest workers that I have ever known.

7. Ivan loves to run. It's not uncommon for him to run 12 miles before the kids and I have even gotten up on a Saturday morning. He is currently training to run the St. George Marathon in October. I don't even like to drive 26.2 miles. I can't imagine running it!

8. Ivan is very selfless. Everyone else's needs come before his own. It's Ivan's Birthday today and yet he wants to spend it helping someone move into our neighborhood tonight. He loves helping others. It's his birthday, but look what he's letting me get:

A Food Rotation System!

9. Ivan loves the temple. He takes the covenants that he made there seriously and strives to live worthy to always be able to enter the Lord's house. We met in the temple when we were both volunteering as temple workers in the Provo temple after our missions. Whenever we go on vacation or on a trip, we find all the temples along the way. He takes us to temple open houses so that our children can experience the temple with us. We are heading to our 5th Temple Open House with our kids in July.

10. Ivan loves the Savior. He loves His gospel. He knows and loves the scriptures. He brings the scriptures alive for our kids during family scripture study. He taught Gospel Doctrine when we lived in Utah, and I loved participating in his wonderful lessons. The Holy Ghost was always present when he taught, and I learned so much from him as he taught from the scriptures that he loves so much.

Happy Birthday, Ivan!