Getting to Know the Birthday Boy: 29 Things You May or May not Know about Grant

It's Grant's birthday on Saturday.  He'll be 29 this year.  That's one year away from a pretty big one -- turning 30 and graduating law school all in the same month!  That will be one big party that we are very much looking forward to. This year we're celebrating by taking a weekend trip to Park City, just the two of us.  It will be the first time we've left Eliot overnight; I'll let you know how that goes.  I'm sure Eliot will be in Grandma heaven, and we'll be paranoid parents.

In celebration of Grant turning 29, here are 29 tidbits of information you might or might not know about him:

1.  His favorite color is gray.

2.  His favorite band is Counting Crows.  

3.  His favorite TV shows are Boston Legal, Lost, The Office, and Jeopardy.

4.  Grant could live on ice cream.  One of the major adjustments Grant had to make when we were first married was that there was not always ice cream (at least three flavors) in the freezer, and we did not have a mounded bowl every night like he was used to at home (sorry, hon, not everyone was blessed with your metabolism).

5.  Grant runs circles around me in Spanish.  Not only does he talk super fast, but he's got a pretty thick accent (Guatemalan turned Mexican, thanks to his mission and then friends he's met since), and, unlike me, mastered it so well he can tell jokes and do plays on words.

6.  Grant and I met in high school working at a local grocery store.  I thought he was cute but a smart-alec right off the bat.  He liked another girl and supposedly thought I was out of his league.  Long story short, we "dated" a bit in high school, I went away to college (I'm a year older than him), we both dated other people, both served missions, but in the long run ended up together.  If you didn't see them already on my Valentine's post, you should check out our Sadie Hawkins and Prom pictures.  Priceless.  We both had some pretty killer hair.

7.  Grant holds his own in the kitchen.  When he was little, he wanted to be a professional chef until his grandma told him it was a "girl's job" and squelched his dreams.  Some of his specialties: marinated chicken quesadillas, sheet cake cream puffs, chicken parmesan, and roasted lemon-rosemary chicken.

8.  He's quite the handy man when it comes to electronics, computers, and sprinkler systems.  Oh, and he can fix a toilet with a paper clip like a pro.

9.  Though he loves to play basketball and actively supports "ward ball," Grant never played high school or college basketball, which may surprise you because of his 6'5" stature.

10.  Grant's favorite place in the world is Disneyland.  When I asked him where he'd like to vacation after he finished law school and the bar, without hesitation he chose Disneyland.  I was thinking something more relaxing like Hawaii or renting a place on the coast ...

11.  Grant's favorite places to eat:  Chef's Table in Orem, The Blue Iguana in Salt Lake (mostly for their mariachi), Cafe El Salvador in Provo because they sell "popusas" (sp?), a dish he loved when he was in Guatemala, Best Little Roadhouse in Salem, and Carl's Junior (anywhere!) is always a safe bet with him.

12.  Grant's a fussy dresser.  I stopped buying clothes for him after our first Christmas when I struck out with my choices (one shirt was too "cowboy," another was ribbed and a big "no no" with Grant).  Who knew my generally easy-to-please husband would be so picky about what he wears?

13.  A perfect day for Grant would probably involve golfing, waverunning and/or waterskiing at the lake, a barbecue and board games with family, and maybe a special night out with me?

14.  Grant didn't always want to be a lawyer.  Besides his childhood dreams of becoming a chef, Grant was pretty serious about pursuing a job in law enforcement or something related to Criminal Justice (his undergrad degree).  It wasn't until near the end of his mission that he felt very prompted to pursue the field of law.  And here we are ... almost done with his J.D.!

15.  Grant's eyes are hazel, and so are mine.  So how did we end up with a blue-eyed child?!

16.  Grant underwent major surgery when he was a Senior in high school to remove a non-malignant tumor in his left cheek.  It was a pretty intense surgery that involved removing a rib to use in rebuilding his cheekbone, as well as popping his eye out of his socket (sorry if that's gross).  If you look closely you can tell that his eyes are a little uneven, but otherwise, you might never know. We're just grateful that as of his most recent appointment last summer, Grant's still not suffering any major effects and hopefully won't need any follow-up surgeries anytime soon.

17.  Grant used to work as a landscaper and knows quite a bit about sprinkler installation, a skill we're hoping will save us some money someday.

18.  A few years back you might have seen Grant in a bright orange vest cleaning up trash on the side of the freeway.  No, he wasn't "serving time," but was supervising work crews of juvenile offenders who were!  He actually really enjoyed that job and gained valuable skills like how to most effectively remove graffiti.

19.  Grant is a certified Mediator.  One of the things Grant became very skilled at during his undergrad was mediation, and he used to help with parent-teen mediations held at the BYU law school.  He was also the student Ombudsman of UVSC, a job in which he mediated disputes between students and landlords, coaches, professors, etc.  He loved it, and it's a skill he'll definitely put to good use in his career.

20.  Grant is one proud daddy of his little boy.  The day we found out Eliot was going to be a boy, Grant had an ear-to-ear smile that lasted the rest of the evening.

21.  Grant loves playing board games, but watch out, he's an ogre when it comes to rules!  Some of his favorites are Cranium, Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, and Catch Phrase.

22.  Grant has 5 sisters, no brothers.  I also have 5 sisters, no brothers.  You should have seen the lineup of bridesmaids at our wedding!

23.  Grant's dream car is a Corvette, though we've both agreed we could never bring ourselves to buy an extravagant car.  He says he'll settle for an Audi.

24.  Grant's a Discovery Channel junkie.  Cash Cab, Deadliest Catch, you name it, he loves it.

25.  Grant is a perfect gentleman.  When we were first dating in high school, I used to have to get etiquette tips from him because he seriously knew everything.  I love that he still opens doors for me and is always an example of courtesy.

26.  Grant's favorite treats are peanut butter M&Ms, Dr. Pepper, and anything pastry-related.

27.  Grant's first name is Dennis, after his dad, and Eliot's first name is also Dennis.  It's a wonderful tradition, except when it comes to mail, movie rental accounts, etc. More than once Grant and his dad have pawned off their late fees on the other person -- the stinkers!

28.  Grant is easy to please when it comes to gift-giving (except for clothes, of course!). He is genuinely excited about most anything he receives, which makes him not only easy to shop for, but I really admire his sincere gratitude.

29.  Grant is my favorite person in the world.  He has been my best friend for 12 years, and I can't imagine my life without him.  I love his sense of humor, his easy-going personality, his friendliness and optimism, his work ethic, his determination and perseverance, his loyalty to family ... I could go on and on!  Obviously I think he's wonderful, and I hope he has a wonderful 29th birthday.

Happy Birthday, Grant!