RO

I realized I haven't blogged a lot about Rusty. So here it is:

• I've known Rusty for 22 years and only didn't know him for 16 (yes, that makes us 38 years old). We've been married for almost 15 (April 29, 2003). It's comforting that he knows me better than anyone else, and that I know him better than anyone else.
• He took me to both my Jr. and Senior Proms, and I have the pictures to prove it (can you say mullet? Just a little bit).


• I can never touch him without him flexing and if I continue to hold on to his arm he continues to flex. It's a competition to see who can stop first, me to let go, or him to quit flexing.


• He hates to talk on the phone, I mean HATES it, and will let the phone ring off the hook at home. But he will always take my calls if I tell his secretary I really need to talk to him--even during court sometimes (I've had to learn to not abuse this privilege).


• I love how he wants to continue to be close to his sisters and mom and wants to always develop stronger bonds with them.


• Every night he comes home and always helps me finish dinner, or cleans up. Then he takes over on kid duty, whether it be homework, showers/baths, or folding laundry (I often watch him iron Molly's dresses and wonder what his clients would think if they saw him). He always does this without me having to "nag."


• Rusty let's me handle ALL the money in the family. We discuss how to spend it, but NEVER fight over where the money should go. He trusts me with it, and as long as he has lunch money and can sign-up for his triathlons he never complains (well, sometimes at Christmas, but he's getting better).


• He let's me "talk him into" re-painting rooms, buying new furniture, and redecorating rooms that I'm just bored with.


• He calls me "Jerry Rice" when I sleep with a "Breath Right" nose strip on, but still kisses me.


• He will watch "American Idol" with me even though he does not like reality television (I know, crazy huh?).


• He let's me drive on EVERY vacation because 1) I get car sick and 2) I get sick of being the "flight attendant" to four kids.


• He let's me choose the resturant and the movie almost 90% of the time, and rarely complains if he didn't like it.


• He works out all the time, and motivates me (in a positive way) to do the same. He runs with me quite frequently even though he runs a sub 7 minute mile and I run a 9:30 minute mile. Some of my favorite memories are of us running. One memory was right after Molly was born, July of 2005, and I wanted to take the "baby" weight off. I was trying to work out double, and he wanted to help. So this one evening he suggested the whole family go for a run. He pushed Molly in our single running stroller while I pushed Ben and Sam in our double and Meg rode her bike. Molly SCREAMED the entire time, and he would stop, sooth her, and then run and catch up with us. Then when I couldn't stand her screaming any longer, he turned and ran the other way home. When I got home he had grilled chicken, watermelon and vegetables waiting for me.


• He makes sure we get away once a year as a couple. He has a immigration law convention in a different city every year. He arranges for his mom to come, gets the flight and hotel, and plans things for us to do in the city we're visiting. We really do re-fall in love (as cheesy as this sounds) every year. By the way, this year's conference is in Vancouver!!! Thank you Gramma for helping us do this.


• Making up nick names for everyone in the family. Queen Victoria for me (he even had this engraved in my wedding ring). Meg--Princess, Ben--BRO (his initials) or the Buster (from when he was a chubby little buster at 2 years old), Sam--Sam-A-Lam-A-Ding-Dong, Molly-Molly Apples. Plus the O'Brien signature for all of us ROVOMOBROSOMO.


• He LOVES to be a dad. He isn't really into team sports, but because years ago we had one bad soccer coach for Meg, he's complied with my insistence of coaching t-ball, baseball and soccer for our younger kids. But he says after the age of 8 years old he can't "fake it" anymore. I also "encouraged" him to be the Louisville Swim Association (LSA) rep. for our swim team. He reads with and to all of the kids out of the scripture readers when they are young and the scriptures when they are older. He plays outside with them for HOURS. I mean, I can last a half an hour, maybe an hour, but he's out there until THEY ask to come in. He builds Legos, dresses barbies, wrestles (usually until somebody cries), plays all types of games, watches "Cinderella," and listens about "drama" with friends just to name a few things that he excels at as a dad.


• His favorite calling in the church is being a primary teacher.


• Most important, he helps me to be a better wife, mother and daughter of God. He often encourages us to pray as a couple and go to the temple. He's the best example, and I find him in the morning reading the Priesthood lesson or his scriptures while he's eating breakfast. He makes me want to be better. I'm really blessed to have him as my husband.