Today Jesse turns 28! He gets to celebrate by going to church meetings all day! Actually in our house Jesse gets a birthweek so he'll have lots of partying to do. We're having some friends over for dinner to celebrate and help us eat the ice cream cake he requested. To keep in line with my new birthday tradition I am going to list 28 things about Jess that I love. Here's Jesse 101:
1. He has the prettiest shade of green eyes.
2. He doesn't eat sandwiches on bread... has to be toast.
3. He likes to play jokes on people. (Is this really something I love or tolerate?)
4. As my sister Casey said yesterday, he treats everybody like a friend.
5. He loves to play with the kids and does play with them A LOT.
6. One of his favorite things to do is hold our children when they are sleeping.
7. He doesn't take life so seriously.
8. He is devoted to his testimony of the gospel. He decided to go on a mission after he'd only been going to church for a couple months.
9. He works hard.
10. He is always very strict with his time card. If he gets a half hour lunch, he takes a half hour lunch.
11. He simplifies his computer language to something I can understand.
12. He eats his cereal in a cup... never with milk.
13. He cannot stand cottage cheese, sour cream or any type of condiment on his hamburger, taco. It will go in the garbage if it is "contaminated". You can't just wipe it off. There are no second chances.
14. He cannot swim... but I love to watch him try!
15. He is very concerned over our children's safety. If any of you know him, enough said.
16. He loves Johnny Cash.
17. He can spin plates and books in his finger. And cookie sheets too we found out recently.
18. He reads his scriptures EVERYDAY.
19. I rarely hear him complain about anything.
20. He can have a THIN stripe of ketchup on his hot dog but it cannot touch the bun. This has taken me 6 years to perfect. Ya, it's that important.
21.He puts crushed up Nacho cheese Doritos on everything. Sandwiches, spaghetti, chicken and rice.
22. He doesn't have much extra time but he always makes sure he spends time with the kids.
23. He loves UFC. Do I really love this about him? I am usually his target for half-nelsons after he watches it.
24. He is patient with me and all of my quirks like my lack of desire to cook dinner.
25. When he laughs really hard, he crinkles his nose.
26. He's never afraid to try something new. (Unless it has sour cream in it.)
27. He treated me like an angel on our wedding day... that still stands out vividly in my mind.
28. Last but not least I am going to post something his friend Zivana posted the other day. She's a Croatian friend he met on his mission. It pretty much explains it all when it come to Jesse.
"I know Jesse is your husband so you know all of his good as well as the bad sides. But I remember him as the most generous elder ever. He had less then most of the missionaries, but it was he who bought a microwave oven to a single mother of three for Christmas. With no one to help out with her kids, spending less time preparing each meal meant the world to her.
He was also the only elder ever to pay for me every time I'd eat out with the missionaries. I worked from 5:30 am till 2:00 pm, every day (weekends included) for 250 $ a month and each time we'd eat out together none of the elders would offer to pay my share, but I'd end up paying for all of us. Only elder Wakley never let me pay. And it's not even about the money, I'm not a stingy person. it's a matter of principle. And respect. And it is exactly what makes one a gentleman."
I love you Jesse! Happy Birthweek!
Lights at Temple Square a couple days before Christmas.
Reading the Christmas story on Christmas Eve.
Kaden with his most coveted weed-whacker and goggles.
Ellie watching her favorite Christmas present Beauty and the Beast.
Some of Kaden's favorite foods are pancakes and waffles so we met dad at IHOP for breakfast. 
Kaden was dying to open presents all day. Grandma Wakley came to the rescue and came up to visit with his presents!
Kaden lit up when we started singing "Happy Birthday". He kept telling me all day to sing Happy Bday to him and when I would start he would say "NO, with the cake!" (Which was Ninja turtles by the way.)
His friend Brayden got him a light saber and a helmet. He looked awesome!
Kaden has been asking for this chainsaw for two months. It must have been the display at the store because it didn't work. Bummer. Should have tested that before I bought it!
When Kaden was distracted with other toys, Ellie pounced on what she wanted. She tried to ride his scooter three times...crashed three times. At least she had a helmet on!
Ellie in her snow outfit...it took us longer to bundle up than we were out there! Does her hat look funny? That's because mom put it on backwards! 
