November, Day 30: Happy Birthday, Barry! #NaBloPoMo

Congratulations. You’re one year closer to 30 LOL! :)

I hate that you had to spend your 29th birthday out in the middle of the ocean, but I know you really wouldn’t have had it any other way. If there is one thing I certainly appreciate about you, it’s that providing for your family comes above all else… for a man do live the way you do, 2/3 of your time spent on a rig with 199 other men off the coast of South Africa, that drive to provide for family is what keeps you going and makes you love what you do despite how hard it may be.

I remember sitting with you over ham and cheese omelets and waffles on a Saturday night as the clock struck midnight on your 16th birthday. Staring at you way back then, I never dreamed we would be where we are today. Back then, love was fleeting and life was so unsure… I barely knew who you were, but there was something special in your eyes that made me want to.

A year later, snapped this photo on your 17th birthday before we got ready to go to Waffle House again :)

I remember handing you an onyx ring on your 18th birthday and a few days later, having Veronica White snap a photo of you showing it off at school as we spent break together… I was 6 months along in my pregnancy with Briyana.

Two years later, we celebrated your birthday at home again when you turned 20 because Tre was just 2 months old and we didn’t have a babysitter. Being November, it was just too cold to take the kids out at night lol I’m pretty sure YOU ended up going to the club that night, however…

Oh how could I ever forget your 21st birthday?? haha We both had just started college and Talia was due to be born about a month later. We were so broke that year, I couldn’t even get you a regular sized cake LOL!! We all sat around the table and celebrated another year of your life with this tiny one (note the icing on Briyana’s nose):

Fast forward a couple of years… 2004: A little more than three years into our marriage, I remember throwing you a huge surprise birthday party when you turned 23. You didn’t have a clue, thanks to James Atkins and a few of your friends who helped. We had so much fun that night! I got you some brand new speakers for your car, 15′s I think.

The following year, I could tell you were expecting me to throw another party like the year before but I had to keep you on your toes so instead, I contacted your coach and arranged to have your party set up in the field house after practice one day since you guys had a huge game against Fresno that week. LOL Oh, man I’m glad I got a photo of the look on your face when you figured out what was going on :) You never could get one step ahead of me on surprises… I had everyone confused because I put your football number in the candles on the cake rather than your age haha Coach Bicknell acted like he was calling a mandatory team meeting and this is what you walked into:

Your 25th birthday had horrible timing. LOL Whew, what a year. Adjusting to life with four kids while running back and forth from here to there, one state to the next dealing with sports agents and your last season of college football left very little consideration for parties but I did manage to pop up on you with this:

Unfortunately the last couple of years have gone by in a blur; we’ve seen our fair share of frustrations and you’ve insisted that we not do anything for your birthday… this year I was SO looking forward to making sure that didn’t happen again, but lo and behold, you’re gone. :( All of this is to say I love the life we’ve built together, I hope you had as good of a birthday as one possibly can on an oil rig, and I can’t wait until you get home. I love you… and happy 29th birthday!!!