Saturday, May 10, 2008

Happy Birthday to Greg!



My cute husband is getting old! {Guess I am too, but he'll always be older. :) }
He's a multifaceted man. Here's some of the many sides of Greg.

My birthday tribute to the guy who makes my heart all a-flutter...


1. He is very hard to shop for. He usually buys whatever he wants whenever he wants it, so he never really needs anything.

2. He's super spontaneous.

3. He is a fan of instant gratification.

4. He is afraid of heights. He gets very nervous if the kids or I stand too close to the edge of a balcony.

5. He enjoys reality TV like American Idol, Big Brother, and Survivor but not The Bachelor.

6. Never was there a bigger Lakers fan... or a bigger BYU football fan.

7. He loves playing basketball with guys who can challenge him... which according to him is few. He and his brothers have always bonded over basketball. He finds making friends much easier while playing ball.

8. He still speaks Spanish well that he learned while serving his mission for The Church in Mexico.


9. He lets me correct him. He often comments that no one else can talk to him the way I can.

10. Greg's has a bigger wardrobe than I do.

11. He used to want a hallway covered in mirrors so he could walk through it and admire himself... he probably still would want one.

12. He is the family fashion consultant. He LOVES to shop for clothes- especially at Banana Republic.

13. He gets absolutely giddy about 80's music.


{Isn't that funny? I just found this in google images.}

14. As a teenager he worked at The Wherehouse (music store)- and knows a lot about all 80's music.

15. Apparently he dated a pretty "goth" girl back then and it made his parents nervous.

16. He made a lot of money in that job and spent it all- sometimes on his sister Shannon which I think is sweet.

17. He dated A LOT of girls- hopping from stake dance to stake dance - leading on a lot of ladies.

18. He used to refer to himself as "Dodge", now it's "G Money Love".

19. He likes to use nicknames... I think he gets that from his mom. He calls me "Bok".

20. His first time in the snow was 19 years old at the Missionary Training Center. He gets excited for the first snow fall of the winter each year- and enjoys sledding with the kids.

21. He didn't get his drivers license until he was 19. He was afraid to drive and let his friends take him around.

22. He did drive a scooter though.



23. He wiped out on the scooter and got major road rash.

24. He lost a nipple once when he wiped out on his bike.

25. It grew back, but has a scar.

26. On his mission he had typhoid and the mumps. He had no idea because he didn't have a mirror and he was always hot. It wasn't until he saw his mission president that he found out. A doctor told him that he should lie very still until he got better so he would become sterile. He laid VERY still!

27. The kids love the story he tells about being sick while on his mission and how he accidentally threw up into a fan.

28. His companion cleaned it all up for him.

29. That Mexican companion found Greg at the end of Greg's mission to say that he was going home to the US with him. His name was Herman, but his new American name is "Gerry". Gerry has lived in the US ever since and they still call each other "Compa" when they talk to each other. Gerry named his first son after Greg's dad.

30. Tragically he lost his dad 13 years ago to cancer... and his youngest brother Danny 11 years ago to a car accident. I know he misses them terribly.

31. Greg knows and loves the gospel. He really enjoys General Conference especially the Priesthood session.


32. He has served in the Church in callings which include Branch President (on his mission), Elders Quorum President, Spanish group (almost a branch) leader, Ward Executive Secretary, Stake Public Relations... but his favorite calling is teaching the youth. He often says he would make a great Young Women's president. (He'd just take them all to the mall & tease them about boys they like.)

33. Disneyland is the most magical place in the world for him. He says you can feel the Spirit there. He likes Disney World just fine, but it's a bit of a disappointment since the magic is in California.

34. He loves the Carnation Cafe at Disneyland (and it's famous chef who has been there for over 50 years!) and the Nestle chocolate chip cookies and cake at the Blue Ribbon Bakery.




35. He is excellent at his job and has been very successful. He knows so much about the phone book industry. He knows so much about PR and Marketing. Getting his degree in Public Relations (Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa) was kind of a formality because most of what he was taught, he already naturally knew to do.

36. He is a very good dad. The kids love to be with him so much- especially when he is 'playful dad' or is telling them funny stories about his childhood or mission. He makes us laugh! (It goes without saying that he's a terrific husband as well.)


37. He's a sucker for the kids- and for me. He would do anything for us. He worries about us. (He is a worrier!!!) He prays for us. He tells us and shows us that he loves us.


38. He loves his parents and his siblings. He worries about them often too. He also loves my family and that means a lot to me.

39. Today he begins his last year of his 30's!

I love you Greg!! Thank you for choosing me for eternity.

6 comments:

Greg Garrick said...

Thanks Bok. I love you very much.

Shannon said...

GREAT post Nik! Made me laugh, made me cry :) Brought back a lot of memories and I learned something new. I never knew he got sick on his mission. Never heard that story strangely. And yes he did spend a lot of money on me back then- to this day I wouldn't have the CD's I do without him :)

Leanne said...

I didn't know nipples could grow back!!!

Sunny said...

We love Greg! With all of his little quirks, we're glad he's a part of OUR family!!! Great post, Nik! I have the BEST brother in laws.

Holly said...

Oh my gosh! FUNNY post! :) All 39 of these soo true and so great! Greg introduced US to some really great music too. (Lions & Ghosts, Baby!) Happy happy birthday Greg. Great Post Nik!

Holly said...

Oh my gosh! FUNNY post! :) All 39 of these soo true and so great! Greg introduced US to some really great music too. (Lions & Ghosts, Baby!) Happy happy birthday Greg. Great Post Nik!