Belated Birthday Tribute

Ryan turned 27 last month, and amidst the craziness of moving and military, his birthday sort of got lost. So here's the post that he should have gotten several weeks ago.

The other day I was listening to a song, and it struck me for the first time just how much it reminded me of my wonderful husband. Those of you who know Cooley, picture him singing this with gusto:

(I highly recommend you listen to the song as you read the lyrics.)

Big Time

by Sam Payne

Hey kid, wanna hit the big time? I pushed my glasses up

And I put down my comic book, surprised that they were approaching me.

Jumped in, they took me to her papa; told me every detail

Seems they'd taken his fair daughter, needed one outside the family

To take the briefcase full of cash to the Italian with the limp

And wait inside the car for them to slip her in.

Someone to drive her home and be presented with a check,

About the size that he might never have to work again.

Sounded like the Big Time to me.

You know what everybody says about the plans of mice and men

Well I wound up in a freezer, with the oxygen a'goin fast.

She lay beside me on the concrete

Goose egg about the size of the lump within my throat

And my life began to pass.

So I tripped the frozen tumblers with the earpiece of my glasses,

Surprised the man outside before he made a sound.

Then I went and threw my body between her and flying bullets,

Hotwired us a car and left that part of town

Headed for the Big Time.

Big check, big congratulations;

An extra zero for the freezer time, and for the inconvenience of the bullet holes.

I swear you could have heard a pin drop as I watched myself push it back across his desk

And heard myself say, "That's not how it goes.

'Cause every hour of the last few, I've spent them every one

With my body and my soul upon the line for her.

I was in it for the money, but I'll trade it if she'll have me

For a chance at fifty years with her, or fifty more."

"And I'll take more than bullets for her.

Give me a lawn to mow, give me some kids to grow.

More than bullets for her.

I'll stay on through gray mornings when we're both confused and slow."

I guess we rode into the sunset; at least it seems we did

But a million years have come and gone, and details have begun to go.

Big check torn up long ago; or I assume it was;

Perhaps there never was one in the first place.

Well, it's tough to know.

Could it be I met her back in college?

Maybe I just asked her out to Dairy Queen.

Would my life be any less upon the line for her, if that were true?

Would you still believe me if I said

I've been feeling like the Big Time?

Ever since I met her, like the Big Time.

Ryan and I have had some crazy adventures. This blog, on which we post so infrequently, tells only a tiny portion of our adventures in China, Rexburg, Utah, Pennsylvania, and now California.

But while I love knowing that my husband would "throw his body between [me] and flying bullets," the little daily things mean so much more. Things like a couple days ago when he was on his hands and knees scrubbing the kitchen floor with paper towels because it was really dirty and we didn't have a mop yet; watching him dance with Cimorene in the living room; hearing him come in from the garage singing.

While we plan to keep having adventures and singing bouncy tunes, I'm grateful for a husband who is also willing to "stay on through gray mornings when we're both confused and slow" (we seem to have had enough of these lately).

These are just some of the things that I love about him; every day I'm more grateful to be married to such a wonderful man.

Happy birthday, Ryan. You're my hero.