This morning I woke up next to a 40-year-old man. Fortunately, it was Scotty. Otherwise this would be a very interesting pronouncement.
Today is his birthday - the big four, oh! He wouldn’t let me plan any type of gathering, but with this being a milestone birthday, I wanted to do something special to celebrate, so I asked some of our family and friends what they love about Scotty and compiled a list to share with him. I didn’t do it with the intent to post it on my blog, but the answers were so heart-warming and so true to who Scotty is, that I decided to share them here so that his family and friends can read them and nod in agreement with each other’s answers.
Without further ado… here are the things we love about Scotty!
Lil Scotty
"Because Scotty is so kind, my kids are drawn to him and will let him help with 'scary' things like going down giant inflatable slides and floating in lazy rivers. He also always addresses my children by name and says hello and how are you whenever we see him. He genuinely cares about and is interested in how you are doing." -Darcy, sister-in-law
“I think Scotty is one of the nicest, patient, and non-judgmental people I know.” -Jared, step-brother
“No one yells Banjo Kazooie in the shower on vacation louder than Scotty.” -Chelsea, step-sister
"He's a great life-long friend. Non-judgmental. Never judged me for some of my stupid decisions. Great gamer (or pretends to innocently cheat to win). Always helpful. There for you when you need him. My go to 'Alone' survivalist if the world goes to pot. He will get me through. Good golfer. Tries to make me feel like I'm a decent golfer when I'm not. Really the best kind of friend I could ever ask for." -Chad, friend
Chad and Scotty with their birthday brats
"Just love him like a brother. I agree with what Chad said completely. He's just the best. He’s always so attentive when you're talking to him, and he always acts like everything you're saying is so exciting and important." -Carlie, friend
Mark, Scotty, Kyle
Michelle, me, Brianne
"The way he greets people when he is excited to see them. 'DUDE!!!’ He has a way to approach things with enthusiasm, and it's awesome. Also his passion for DLR and good musicals." -Mark, friend and ward member
Kyle, Mark, and Scotty (i.e. "the band")
“He is fun to be around and always up for an adventure.” -Michelle, friend and ward member
“First thing that comes to mind when I think of Scotty is his Permanent Positive Attitude (PPA). He’s always in a good mood and only talks about positive things. I’m always in a good mood around Scotty.” -Robb, friend and former ward member
Scotty with the bros - three of whom are named Robert
“What I love about Scotty is his great sense of humor and the fact that he makes games and activities so much fun.” -Shirley, friend and ward member
"The way he threatens his kids to 'Have fun or you're going to bed!'" -Tim, brother-in-law
“Scotty always makes everyone feel welcome. Every time there’s a friend that comes over or a new boyfriend of mine, he’s always the first to treat them like they’ve been in the family forever.” -Kaedyn, niece
Scotty and Kaedyn
“Scotty is a great father and husband, adventurous and open, kind and patient, a Godly man but humble, inclusive and non-judgmental. He’s a great example to me. Happy birthday, old man!” -Scott, step-brother
Disneyland Dad
"He is always positive and kind! And always willing to go on a new adventure." -Mindy, sister-in-law
"He is the best teeth checker to make sure teeth have been brushed." -Riley, step-brother
Stevenson, Riley, and Scotty before a Spartan race
"I love how he is always so adventurous. He's a really, really good dad. I consider him to be one of the smartest people I know because of how he can fix or create just about anything. I love how much he loves vacation and Disneyland. I love how he's always willing to help whenever I ask. He will literally drop everything sometimes and do it right away. I love how he doesn't care what people think of him, and he's still just a big kid." -Anonymous, step-sister
Scotty being a kid
"I love that he loves Disneyland so much that he invented a boys' trip to Disneyland. He's very patient, friendly, and laughs easily. I also appreciate that he liked the Chili's corn chips when I accidentally burned them in the microwave. He thought they tasted good." -Melissa, step-sister
“I love how he gets excited over the little things.” -Kyle, step-brother
"What can I say, I'm his mom. He has always been a joy and comfort to me. He has made me laugh when I wanted to cry. He can handle any situation. Ideas just come natural to him. He is a fabulous provider. He's so giving with his time, and he knows how to fix our electronic problems. Heaven blessed me the day Scotty was born!! He makes me proud to call him my son." -Jackie, mom
Scotty and his mom with the kids
(at Disneyland, of course)
“I ask him for advice or why what I’m doing isn’t working, and he always has the right thing to say, and he has the knowledge to tell me how to do it. He’s always willing to help with anything. He’s super fun on vacations or just short getaways. I love all the adventures he does throughout the year. I love him, and I’m so proud of who he has become.” -Craig, dad
Zoe, Scotty, Craig (Scotty's dad), and Kyle (Scotty's brother)
"I love how accepting and loving Scotty is to everyone. He makes everyone feel comfortable." -LuAnn, step-mom
"He buyed me Minecraft, and he loves us." -Zoe, daughter
Scotty introducing Baby Zoe to Mickey Mouse
"He always takes me to McDonald's." -Eva, daughter
Scotty with two-week-old Eva at the pinewood derby
"He takes us on vacations. He's the one that drives us." -Daisy, daughter
Scotty mini golfing with Daisy in South Carolina
“I love that he’s willing to help whoever even if he’d rather be doing something else.” -Nicky, son
“Scotty is always smiling.” -Kayla, step-sister
Scotty... smiling
"Scotty is a brother that has always carried an amazing heart. I reflect quite often of our lives together and my gratitude for his love, kindness, and passive character... When we are together, I feel a kind of strength that is specific to him. I am always very proud of Scotty when people report to me how kind an individual he is... Thank you for selecting me as your brother." -Kyle, brother
Lil Kyle and Scotty
"I love how Scotty is easy going about the right things and gets super excited about other things (like bidets and food and fishing, not in any particular order). He's always entertaining to play games with, he is awesome with kids, he's a great example of someone willing to serve and help others, and he works hard." -Katie, sister-in-law
This man loves to fish!
"I liked that one Christmas sweater he wore that one time at the Christmas party, I thought that was really funny. I love his sense of humor and that he can have good serious conversations too." -Scarlett, niece
"I like going on fishing trips with him. I like how he's funny and witty and always beats my dad in arguments." -Avanlee, niece
Daisy, Nicky, Scotty, and Avanlee
"I really like how he is open and likes to do activities with us. I like that he has a good attitude with a lot of things, and I feel really happy around him because of his personality." -Asher, nephew
"I love how he's always willing to help people no matter what the cost and that he's so funny. He's an amazing uncle, the best uncle!" -Juliet, niece
Scotty holding Juliet and Daisy
"I like that he has nice kids. He's an amazing uncle. He's nice and everyone in his family is." -Gwen, niece
“What I love/enjoy/appreciate about Scotty is his love of life and people. personally, Scotty makes me feel like I’m his favorite person. Every time I see him he gets excited and has a sincere interest in knowing how I am doing and what’s going on in my life. Every single moment I have spent with Scotty has been filled with laughter and fun and has left me feeling uplifted. In the Board of Directors for my life, Scotty has a chair.” -Stevenson, friend
“I like that he has a sense of humor, loves outdoor adventures with the family, works hard, is a good example, does projects around the house, and most importantly, loves Brittany and the kids.” -Shawnna, mother-in-law
“That’s what I was going to say.” -Ron, father-in-law
The only time my dad has ever 'smiled' for a photo
"Scotty is always happy. He is always smiling. He is an outstanding father. He is the kind of dad that everyone wants to be. He put up with his mother-in-law's crazy parties. He is a great and righteous example to his family. He is a hard worker and has always been able to support his family with their needs. He sets a good example by living a gospel centered life. He loves unconditionally. He has an amazing amount of patience. He always makes time to help anyone that asks. He never missed an opportunity to serve others. His sense of humor is the best, and he passes it on to his kids. He doesn't take life too seriously. He doesn't let things bother him. He leads a simple, uncomplicated life. He loves to plan vacations. He's the best travel guide. He's very creative. He's very talented. He's a child at heart. He always has a rope if you need one." -Jill, mother-in-law
Scotty with his rope
"Scotty is super patient and kind. I've always admired those traits in him and looked up to him because of it. It made me really happy as I grew up knowing that my sister would be protected and cared for by such a great person." -Brock, brother-in-law
Believe it or not.. this used to be us!
“My favorite memory is when we had a paintball war in Grandpa’s field.” -Drew, step-brother
“For me, Scotty has been so kind and welcoming to me and my kiddos. It’s meant so much everyone has been so nice and made us feel like family.” -Caroline, sister-in-law
“He calls the Royal Red Robin Burger ‘The Vegan Hater.’ He (with his beautiful bride) loves games, and we love when they teach and share with us the cool ones. He loves his wife and kids the most. He goes on numerous double date nights with us crazies. He supports and loves his wife and gives her Christmas gifts to go see Hugh Jackman with her girlfriends. He has the best laugh.” -Christie, friend
“He always has a smile on his face and just has a really relaxed demeanor. He doesn’t want to stress about the small stuff. He would rather laugh about it.” -Brian, friend
As these comments about Scotty rolled in, I was overwhelmed with the realization of how blessed I am to get to be the one to share my life with him. He is truly an incredible person. He is a wonderful husband and father, a peacemaker, and a problem solver. He is giving, adventurous, and humble. He is joyful and makes me laugh like no one else. I’ve seen him at his best, and I’ve seen him at his worst, and I love him for all of it! I feel honored to be among his friends and family in wishing him a happy 40th birthday!
We love you, Scotty! Thanks for bringing so much light and joy into our lives.
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