Happy Birthday to Mike

My favorite person has a birthday today. For weeks, I have been trying to figure out how to make this a special day for him. I am not a shopper and I don't have a knack for buying gifts. I wanted to plan a party but without his help in the kitchen it is very difficult. A few of his closest friends are out of town and we decided that we would wait and have a get together at the bowling alley when they get back. Mike has everything he wants and more. What do you get a guy with access to everything who is a pretty simple guy. He doesn't like jewelry or clothes. He doesn't like fancy new cell phones or ipods. He does love music and movies but I don't keep up with the new stuff and he will buy the ones that he is most interested in owning.

He is building his outdoor kitchen on our back porch. He has been buying some expensive materials to finish the kitchen. So he asked me not to buy him anything expensive. I guess the seaplane or ipad is out of the question at this time. He loves to cook and is kind of obsessed with seasonings so when I was in New Orleans earlier this month I bought him a "Slap Ya Mama" cajun seasoning. He acted as though I had bought him something really special. Yesterday, I baked him some Star Wars sugar cookies. They have Yoda, Darth Vader, Storm Troopers and Boba Fet. Williams Sonoma sold the molds at Christmas time and my sister bought the pack for him. He was thrilled when he walked out of his office and was able to eat a Yoda ear for a snack. It might not seem a big deal for someone to make cookies but for me to get into the kitchen without his help is quite unusual.

This morning when we woke up he wanted to go work on the outdoor kitchen. I went out and helped him frame up the sink area. It really made him happy for me to help with something that He is so excited about. One of the reasons I love him so much is he is a simple guy who feels like he is blessed even when he receives cookies, seasoning, and being with me.