Holidays

 I appreciate you for being a thoughtful gift giver. This time of year there are a lot of people we want to thank and show our appreciation. I appreciate you for your gift-giving abilities and talents! I love you.

143 Months, 622 Weeks, 4356 days and Counting

For your 40th birthday, all the people who came to your surprise party signed the picture that says "You have been loved for 40 years" and then it shows how many months, weeks, days, hours and minutes 40 years is. (21,037,968 minutes!).

Along those same lines, since our first date on December 18, 2012:

Here's how much time we have had together since then-

• 6,273,787 minutes
• 4,356 days
• 622 weeks
• 143 months

I am so grateful for this time together! I love you so much.

40

I just want to say how lucky I am to get to celebrate your 40th birthday (coming up) with you! I am grateful that we met. I appreciate the party you had for me on my 40th birthday - it was very memorable! I love you so much.

Edit to add: Adding a picture of your 40th surprise party later after I had already wrote this post:

Everything

"Wanting to be happy and feel loved and have a great job means nothing - we all want that. Knowing what you're willing to give up for those things means everything - it determines who you are."

This is a quote I saw today. 

It makes me think of me + you because I am willing to give up everything for you, and for the boys. Sometimes I don't live like that, and that is my daily struggle to love you well and serve you well like Christ served us.

I love you!

"Better" (Or, What I like About You)

From my view, you make everyone a better person that you are around.

You make me a better husband by how you are as a wife - selfless, full of love. Seeing you as a wife challenges me to serve you better as a spouse.

You make Gavin and Noah better by your discipline, loving care, humility. Seeing you as a mom inspires me. The boys see you and learn from you, making them better.

All the kids and parents you interact with at Children's Hospital/work see your compassion and are left better off because of it. Seeing you as a worker challenges my motivations for work.

I love you!

Dates Over the Last Year (2023-2024)

 Dates Over the Last Year (2023-2024)

(September 2023 - August 2024)

2024

August 2024

August 23 - Date Night Out: We went out to Lyle's Pizzeria near 45th and Leavenworth. Nice little cozy place! Then we drove downtown and walked around downtown riverfront area!

August 9-11 Las Vegas to see Jerry Seinfeld and go to a Cirque show

Dinner - Fogo de Chao - best dinner ever!

,

Jerry Seinfeld at Caesar's Palace Colosseum!

Cirque du soleil - "Mad Apple"

Dinner at Eataly

Early morning jog together

July 2024

July was a busy month for us. Gavin went to Camp CoHoLo for 4 days, then I went to Camp CoHoLo for 4 days.

We also flew to Phoenix for the NDSC (National Down Syndrome Congress) with the kids - 3 nights at the hotel

June 2024

June 29 - Comedian Derrick Stroup at the Funny Bone.

June 1 - Orpheum Theatre "Moulin Rouge"

May 2024

May 2 - "Release Inc" (Release Ministries) Gala with Dave and Suzanne Janovek,

May 4 - DSA Gala

April 2024

April 12 - Dinner at M's Pub. Walk around the new downtown outdoor area, park area, river front. Walked over to the "Fat Putter" for indoor mini golf!

April 17 - Breakfast date at Early Bird Regency Landing! Breakfast tacos. 

April 30 - morning jog in the rain together :-)

March 2024

March 6 - Breakfast date at Early Bird Regency Landing! Breakfast tacos. We talked about the trip to Greece this coming Sept/Oct for your 40th Birthday! (planning)

March 24 - Sunday afternoon date at Hardy Coffee in Benson (the kids went with my parents to the Durham Museum)

February 2024

February 7 - breakfast date after dropping the boys off at school at our favorite - Early Bird at Regency landing. Breakfast tacos & breakfast sandwich! We talked about our upcoming Greece trip for your 40th Birthday in November :-)

Feb 17 - date with Waecter's (Kris and Suze) - Dinner at Timber near our house (Countryside Village), then we went downtown the new mini-golf place called "The Fat Putter"

Feb 22 - Jordan Peterson

January 2024

January 26 - we went out to dinner at "Cebo Vino" Italian Restraurant downtown (11th and Jackson) and then went to the new venue "Steelhouse" to see a comedian Demetri Martin 

2023

December 2023

December 1 - Show at the Slowdown "Yesterday and Today."

November 2023

November 2 - Fun Thursday together. We went for coffee/pastries for the first time to "The Mill" coffee & tea on 40th and Leavenworth. You said it's your new favorite coffee shop! (homemade poptart - raspberry with creme cheese).

November 16 - The Illuminarium for DSA Parents Night Out

November 17 - Your birthday celebration! (39). We got our piano tuned (it's from 1914!). We drove out to Ashland and went to "Gracial Till Vineyard." We walked around downtown Ashland then headed over to the outlet mall for some shopping!

November 25 - After the soup Thanksgiving lunch at Uncle Mark/Aunt Stacey's, my mom took the boys for the night. We went to dinner at Mio Italiano on S 32 Ave (Formerly Lo Sole Mio). It was really good food!

November 26 - early morning run/jog together in the ice/snow to westside high school and around the track.

October 2023

October 21 - Husker football game! Our first game together since 2017. We saw Northwestern vs Nebraska. Go Huskers! (Nebraska won).

At "The Coffee House" in Lincoln before the game

October 20 - Murder Mystery dinner show at St. Robert Bellarmine church (with Suze and Kris)

October 17-18 - NBAA (Nat'l Business Aviation Association) conference in Las Vegas. We didn't get to do many things besides work related stuff, but we went for two early morning jogs together down Las Vegas Boulevard. 

Walking around

Early morning jog

October 5 - Four mile run together after dropping the kids off then breakfast at Early Bird restaurant.

September 2023

September 30 - Christine (Tina) Kawooya wedding at the Marriott in Regency.

September 22 - we played pickleball outside at the courts near 114th between Dodge/Pacific. It was raining so we got wet! It started to downpour but we still played a couple games. At night, we went to the restaurant JAMS with all my former interpreter co-workers from Children's for my "going away party" since my last day was a couple weeks ago.

September 14 - After dropping the kids off at school, we later went for a job along the trail (3 miles). Then after we went to "Early Bird" at Regency Landing - breakfast tacos and we tried something new - the peanut butter carmel french toast!

September 8 - this is the last one we had on last year so start with the first date after this... We dropped off a meal at the Julian's (Whitney had just had surgery) then we went to Benson to eat at "Mas Chingon."  They didn't have mixed chips like you like! We then went to Kohl's (haha) then to Aksarben to walk around together. They had another free band/concert on the green space we got to listen to.

Motherhood

I really appreciate what a great mother you are. You do inspire me to have more patience, although I am light years behind you in that regard. I love our kids so much and I have a lot to learn. Our kids are truly lucky to have you as their mom!

Seasons

I know we all go through seasons. As an individual, couple, family, and even as a culture we go up and down through seasons. Some are hard! Some are easier and seem like a breeze.

Parenting and relationships aren't easy. We had one really hard season with Gavin in the hospital as a baby in 2015. Another hard season is right now with some of our kids' emotions, anxiety, and fears. 

I do not have very many good answers or formulas or fixes. But I do know I am so grateful to have you by my side during this difficult season.

As today is Gavin's 10th birthday we celebrate having him in our lives. We love him so much. We are so grateful for Gavin - his health, humor and love. We love Noah so much and how Noah's playfulness, strength and character have been helping us all. At the same time, the kids are hard to help - to mold, shape and grow into young men. It's so hard to help the anxiety, and then the outbursts!

I am grateful you are such a loving and strong mother, and such a beautiful caring wife. We are lucky to be together through ALL the seasons in life.

-Esposo

Together

I just want to say how incredibly grateful I am for you. I'm not 100% sure why God brought us together but all I can do is thank Him. I love you!

Inspring

My love - 

To see you as a mother has been inspiring to me. 

The way you interact with Gavin & Noah impresses me. You are natural, kind, courageous, loving, and firm. I know you want the best for them. To see you fight through our health difficulties has given us strength together. 

I am so incredibly fortunate to be with you. My gratitude for knowing you, and having the privilege of being married to you, is tremendous.

Bible Study - Bible Recap Series

My love~

I really appreciate you finding this new Bible study for us to do together. (The Bible Recap - Tara-Leigh Cobble). 

Our time together every night is a blessing for me. I enjoy reading, answering the questions in the study guide, and then watching the youtube recap together.

I love you!

The 1st Time I came to your House (12-14-2012) // Engagement Proposal (4-28-2013)

My note for how to get to your house - When I picked you up for our first date!

Notes for planning my proposal asking you to marry me on April 28, 2013

 

Quick Love Note

 Hi mi amor!

Just a quick note to say that I love you so much. You're an amazing mother and wife and I am so incredibly lucky to have met you.

Love,

Nick

12 Days of Christmas

 This past Christmas you wrapped and gave me a present 12 days in a row for the 12 days of Christmas. You wrote a post-it sticky note on each one...

1. Socks (hot peppers on them)

2. oranges for old fashioned drink

3. bitters for old fashioned drink

4. new coffee cup with pictures of us from Mexico!

5. stocking cap (warm new winter stocking cap)

6. Socks (bacon and eggs socks)

7. Tie-Downs for the truck bed (Dodge Dakota)

8. Simple syrup for old fashioned

9. Cocktail muddler (old fashioned supplies)

10. Foot massage coupon to use within 24 hours

11. Cherries for old fashioned

12. Ice maker - big cubes for old fashioned

Happy New Year 2024!

 New Years Day 2024 at Early Bird Restaurant!