my husband, the wild man.

It doesn't take a genius to observe that Cori and I are different.  Very different.  That's been obvious from the night we met- I loudly sang JMU's fight song at the bar I was gathered at with friends, while Cori, new to the city, kept his volume to a reasonable decibel as he got to know the different people in our group.

But one of the funniest differences between us becomes apparent at Christmas and birthdays.  When someone asks me what I'd like for my birthday, my requests stem from things I'd like, but wouldn't necessarily buy for myself.  Jewelery.  Fun shoes.  A book that I could wait to get at the library, but would love to own and read now. Cori's brain, however, runs on a completely different track.  When his parents asked what to get me for Christmas, he told them I wanted a microwave cover (like, to keep things from splattering inside).  A MICROWAVE COVER.  For CHRISTMAS.  I mean, that's definitely one of Santa's top sellers, right?  (To their credit, my in-laws got me an AMAZING blender and a gift card to Kohls, among other things.)  

But for Cori, that was right on track.  Two of his favorite Christmas gifts this year were a snow shovel from my parents and long underwear from me (because after 2.5 years of marriage, I've finally learned to love him for who he is).  I endlessly tease him about this sense of uber-practicality, because in my book, it's okay to put a microwave cover or socks on the 'things we need' list and pick it up next time you're at the store- you don't have to put it on your wish list.

Cori's birthday is in a week and a half, and I've been pestering him about what he wants.  He's mentioned a few things, and tonight, he added something new to the list. I knew it was going to be good when he started out by saying, "You're going to hate me for this."

Would you like to know what my husband would like for his 29th birthday, his very last birthday of his 20s?

BATTERIES.  All kinds of batteries.  Specifically double A and triple A, but just in general, he wants a good stash of batteries.  Because really, what else says "It's my special day, let's celebrate ME!" like batteries?

But you know, I guess that's one of the reasons I fell in love with this guy 4 years ago, and why I continue to fall in love with him more and more every day.  Because Cori (unlike his wife), doesn't think the world revolves around him.  He enjoys being celebrated and receiving gifts, but he doesn't need it or expect it.  He's selfless.  And practical.  And generous.  And I love him for those things (as does our budget!).

Mark my words, you won't ever find me putting batteries on my gift list.  But the more I live life with Cori, the more I cherish our differences and the ways we refine and soften each other.  I've learned to love the challenge of embracing our differences.  With that said, I guess I'd better go grab a cart at Costco- because I've got batteries to buy in bulk!