Lindsay’s 31!!!

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I knew Lindsay Mauldin was a special kind of person the moment I spent time with her. She completely redirected my entire life over the course of a couple conversations — for the better :) I remember meeting her dad, Ben, now my 2nd dad, 12 years ago today. Lindsay and I were merely friendly acquaintances at the time — met just weeks prior — and I was already trying to game plan how best I could advance that “acquaintances” label a little farther.

At this point, I knew she didn’t really have any strong feelings about me either way — we were practically strangers, after all. But I knew (literally) the first time we hung out together that there was something incredible about this girl. She was different. And not in the way that every 18 year old thinks that the person they’re infatuated with is incredible. I knew it was beyond my opinion — she was objectively different and I simply couldn’t keep away from her. I found out she was a coffee drinker and a breakfast person. I hated coffee and breakfast was at 6am. 6 A M. But she was there. So I was there. She got her coffee at the coffee station. So I got my coffee in hopes of a faking surprise that we were once again at the coffee station together. It was really that simple.

So 12 years ago… I walked past Lindsay who was surprised with a birthday visit from her dad. I don’t remember exactly, but I believe she stopped me and introduced us. I knew she didn’t really know me that well and that she didn’t share my feelings (we’d only known each other a few weeks), so I wasn’t nervous about meeting her dad. But I knew that one day, if I was the guy she started talking about at the dinner table, I’d be nervous :) So I shook her dad’s hand, thought to myself “I’m not nervous now, but I bet I’ll be nervous to re-meet him one day.” I was a fairly confident kid, I suppose — but by dumb luck, divine intervention, or both, Lindsay Mauldin’s dad is now my second dad and Lindsay has remained the focus of my life. I’ll never forget that handshake :)

Lindsay, you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. Apart from being kind and gorgeous, you’ve given me the most beautiful moments in my life, 10 incredible years of marriage, and a son who has brought both of us a new kind of joy we never even knew existed. We’ve slept on marble floors in abandoned Italian train stations, been nearly arrested in Slovenia, watched the sunset on the Great Wall too many times, found private beaches all over Southeast Asia, meandered through ancient Cambodian temples at dusk, found wild kangaroos when all our aussie friends said we wouldn’t find them ;), walked the creaking floors at Mozart’s home in Austria, played with tigers in Thailand, and so much more. None of it would have meant half as much if you weren’t there. It’s almost silly for me to attempt to sum up what you mean to me… I could be here all day.

Happy birthday, girl ;)

And if you’re wondering how Lindsay turned into a sexy light haired model, Tish at East of Eden! She’s incredible!!!

Bobby

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