Walk by Hello: Happy Birthday Soldier

14 July 2008

Happy Birthday Soldier

" I cast my lot in with a soldier and where he is is home to me."

There's just something about a man in uniform. Not just any man. The soldier who lives at my house. The man who stays up late folding mountains of laundry and putting the towels in the linen closet rolled instead of folded,just the way I like them. The man who puts deadlines and pressing tasks on hold to take our little girl on a "date". The man who stays up late soothing our distraught son to sleep or reads him stories complete with songs and voices. The man who is all too willing to sacrifice his down time for his family.

What a man I have married. How little we know of our husbands when we first slip on that wedding band and head off down the road to bliss. By God's grace as the years have unfolded I have seen more true and beautiful things in him than I ever realized that day I first met him in graduate school.

What storms we have weathered together. He is patient and compassionate but with enough adventure and thrill seeking to remain ever interesting and keep me guessing. How many injured and bruised legs and hips and arms he has pushed through to play with the kids or to complete his tasks at work.

How blessed I am to have found someone that gets me. How rare that the one person who truly gets you, I mean your special brand of jokes, your gut wrenching emotional moments, the same songs, ideas about God, love of family...is the one you are meant to spend the rest of your days with.

I have watched this man at the lowest of low points, both his and mine and he has always stayed the course. We have sat together in a daze wondering how we would make it through the next days, let alone the next hour. We have had nothing, we have had something, we have always had everything because we have stuck it out together.

Tim, I am more than grateful that God put us together for this journey. I couldn't love anyone more. Happy Birthday My Love!!!

1 comment:

Deanna @ oneagleswings said...: Amazing post, Sarah! Happy birthday, Tim and may God bless you this year!

The quote at the beginning got me quite choked up. It's so true, Sarah, how little we truly know about our husbands when we first get married. And like you, I have come to see such strength of character as the years unfold. What a gift.; July 15, 2008 at 5:14 AM

Pecan Cream Cheese Icing:

8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter 3 (9-inch) cake pans with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the sugar, and beat. In a medium bowl or on a piece of parchment, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the eggs, beating well after the addition of each. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Add the carrots and beat on medium speed until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. Fold in the nuts. Divide between the 3 cake pans and bake until set and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest in the cake pans for 10 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, remove from the pans, and let cool.

For the Frosting: In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly. Add the vanilla and pecans.

When the cake is cool, place 1 cake layer on a cake plate or stand. Spread the top with cream cheese frosting and top with a second and third cake layer, spreading the icing between each layer. Spread the icing around the sides of the cake and let harden slightly before serving. To serve, cut into wedges.