The Hutchinson Family: Kevin

I just saw that this is my 100th post and I can't think of any subject more fitting! Happy Father's Day Kev!

I’ve realized as I’ve gotten older that I’m not a big tangible gift person. Kevin and I exchange almost no gifts. For birthdays and anniversaries we usually do a nice dinner out and Christmas – no gift exchange, it’s too busy and money is tight with other buying…so that really only leaves Mother’s Day and Father’s Day for gift giving. Again, we don’t really do gifts. Last year on our first celebrations as parents, if I remember correctly, Kevin gave me a gift certificate to the Ritz for me to use on my upcoming girls trip (very practical) and I gave Kevin an iPod docking station with speakers that was later returned – unopened (he wasn’t as “in” to it as I thought he might be). Did I mention that men are really hard to buy for? I’m more into quality time together and experiencing things together rather than stuff. Don’t get me wrong…stuff is good, but experiences and memories are priceless…to me.

When we were first dating, I remember Kevin being so creative with gifts and surprises! He truly did some very thoughtful things. One of my favorite memories is our first Valentine’s Day in 2000… We had the incredible opportunity to be in Paris together over Christmas 1999. My family had a trip already planned before we started dating that April, so when the time came, Kevin bought a ticket and joined us for the Paris portion of the trip. It was so cool to be there together…just 8 months into our relationship. So – fast forward to Valentine’s Day the following year. Kevin planned the whole night and went with a French theme – all a surprise. I can remember it all so vividly. He took me to a French restaurant (Dailey’s) for dinner and then surprised me with a piece of artwork that showed the Eifel Tower and a bottle of French wine he had purchased while we were in Paris and had saved for that occasion. He didn’t just give me the art – he took the time to hang it over my bed so when I saw it was already hung where he intended it to be. What a romantic! It’s funny that we hardly even acknowledge Valentine’s Day now. I told him that giving flowers that day is overpriced and sometimes “expected”, so I prefer for him to surprise me another day with flowers (from the grocery store) totally 100% unexpected. Over the years we have veered from this path of gift giving. I slowly let him know that surprises were great and thoughtful, but I prefer to know ahead of time so I can look up the menu online, try to figure out exactly what I want to order, ask others if they’ve been there and what they recommend. The “looking forward to” part is almost as fun to me as the actual event. Luckily, Kevin is on board with that, so no feelings hurt…and a lot less work on the creative front for him. In a way I miss the excitement of knowing that he took the time to shop and pick something out for just for me, but that feeling quickly goes away as we are trying to watch our expenses or trying to carve out time for “us”. Quality time together alone is a much better gift these days. Much better than any gift certificate or speakers! So – with that said… Kevin will get a little something from Riley & Ryan on Sunday, but there won’t be anything wrapped up with a bow from me (other than a card). Thoughtful words mean a whole lot more now than ever. Instead I’m going to steal an idea from a friend of mine and give you the top 10 things I love about Kevin! Please forgive the cheesiness, but I’m hoping this will be meaningful to him. I had a lot of fun writing these and it took almost no time to come up with 10 things. I could probably come up with 10 more just as easily as I did these.

10. Kevin is great father and husband.
He loves his kids unconditionally. He loves to get down on the floor and play with them. He loves spending time with them and is so proud that they call him daddy! He is also a great husband. He gives 100% and is always supportive of me. He has taught me much about life and relationships. I’ve said it before, so I’ll say it again - I am so thankful to have him by my side on this journey!

9. Kevin is patient.
Rarely have I seen Kevin truly get rattled. I have been able to bring that side of him out a time or two, but we’ve been together almost 10 year and I can count on 1 (or maybe 2) hands how many times he’s lost his temper. I bet you have never seen it…because it so rarely happens.

8. Kevin works hard.
He never stops until the task is done. We’ve witnessed this recently with his job, but he works hard at everything he does. This attribute came out in full force when I was pregnant. I had a list a mile long and usually didn’t have the energy to take care of things. Kevin took pride in marking things off our (my) list…even when I continued to add more! He totally worked like a crazy man trying to make everything perfect for me and the two precious little ones that were on the way.

7. Kevin is kind.
Kevin doesn’t say bad things about people. I never hear him complaining about others and he is always quick to lend a helping hand. He would never think twice about dropping what he’s doing to help someone else. It’s just what he does. It’s how he’s wired.

6. Kevin is simple.
Some might not say this is a compliment, but I think it totally is! It doesn’t take much to keep Kevin happy. He’s always been happy with whatever car he drives – old, new, good shape, bad shape…doesn’t matter. He was next in line to get a new car and then we needed a minivan, so I got the new car (again) and he got my hand me down (again). I look forward to the day he gets to drive a brand new car, not because he really cares, but because he so deserves it! When we first met he had 4 pair of shoes – sneakers, black, brown and sandals/flip flops. I think he might have 6 now, but he would say ‘why do you need a lot of extra shoes’? He doesn’t need a lot of “stuff” to keep him happy and I think that is great! I, on the other hand, well that’s another story.

5. Kevin loves music.
He loves all kinds…even some country on occasion. He is passionate about it and loves to listen to the deep tracks that are off the beaten path. Now, if only I could get him to love Kenny Chesney as much as I do, it would be perfect!

4. Kevin loves his dogs.
Sable and Sam were our first babies. We had them for 4 ½ years before Riley and Ryan arrived on the scene. We both love them, but there are moments (days) that I could do without them. Not Kevin. Even when they are an added challenge to our chaotic lives, Kevin finds the time to love on them and make them feel good.

3. Kevin has a great smile.
Rarely do you see him without it. He’s such a happy person and has the outward smile to show his inner joy. His smile is contagious. It’s kinda hard to be stressed out around him!

2. Kevin is successful in his career.
When we first met, Kevin was a teacher and taught the first 3 years we were together. When he decided to find a new profession he was 27 years old starting at the bottom. Most people had had a few years to get their careers started and in full gear, but he was starting from ground zero. He never hesitated to do what he had to do to get his foot in the door. He never had too much pride to work at Home Depot (the store – not headquarters) almost our whole first year of marriage because he was looking for the right job. He started with AT&T 6 ½ years ago at an entry level job and is now a manager and one of the key people working on the iPhone project – how cool is that?? He has come so far and I could not be more proud of all he’s accomplished!

1. Kevin loves Jesus.
Kevin had not really attended church very regularly before he met me, but I will never forget the first time I invited him to 7:22 (singles Bible study) and he replied – “sure – I could use a little churchin”. I wasn’t so “sure” about his response, but it’s all history from there. He fell in love with Northpoint Community Church as well as Jesus like I did and it has been a vital part of our lives ever since. It’s been awesome to see him grow in his faith. I look forward to growing together in the years to come as we are raising these 2 incredible children to love Jesus and others just as He loves us.