It’s my husband’s birthday today! And so I’m going to indulge & brag to the world about how utterly awesome he is. Because hey, I’m his wife and I can do that! He has no idea I’m doing this…mwahahaha 😉

 

Might be super gushy but I don’t care- It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while, so I’m gonna! Because Alex is really an amazing and inspirational person, and I honestly just think the world would be a better place if everyone had the chance to get to know him like I do.

If I were to describe Alex with a few short words, they would be: Disciple, Pure-hearted, Kind, Cheerful/Optimistic, Charitable, Giving, Sincere, Selfless, Go-getter. 

 (Okay I tried doing less words, but I feel like all of these words are necessary to truly capture his amazingness)

 

Funny side note: I remember when we were dating, my dad joked that “if Rebecca doesn’t marry him, one of my other daughters has to!”

Okay you ready? Here we go! From the bottom of my heart:

27 Reasons Why I Love & Admire Alex!

*After  numbering all the bullet points, I realized that there were exactly 27!    (He’s turning 27 today!)   And I totally didn’t even try to do that, haha!  That makes my day.  

2. Fun sense of humor

Alex is delightful. In stressful situations, he likes to make me laugh by having a sense of optimism that’s a little over-the-top and by cracking jokes to make some light-hearted fun out of the situation.

His sense of humor is super wholesome too, which is refreshing! He doesn’t belittle or put others down as a way to be funny. If anything, he’ll poke fun at himself 😉

3. Goofy 🙂

He’s super goofy too, which always makes things fun & memorable. (Like, our first date: he brought me a bunch of bananas-  random, right? And then we went to his ward talent show where he did a walking handstand while playing a recording of himself singing the Battle Hymn of the Republic on 4 parts. Haha, makes me giggle every time I think back on that!) From singing silly made-up songs while washing dishes, to dancing in a banana suit for a video shoot, or dancing on a busy corner of an intersection with a huge sign promoting his website, to having the idea to ride a unicycle while wearing a propeller cap on campus, etc. there’s never a dull moment with Alex.

He’s just a fun person to be around, to play games with, and even just to hear him talk- because of the way he is and how he likes to be silly.

If you need more examples to make your day:

 

6. People Person!

Alex is a talker – he talks to people everywhere he goes. At the park, out to eat, in the parking lot, at church, on the bus (that’s how we met). This is the very first thing I noticed about him. He was friendly and striking up conversations with random strangers while we were all waiting for the bus. Several other people at bus stop seemed to have met him already. I remember being super impressed by that.

He believes that time is best spent talking, getting to know, and learning from other people. That’s one of the reasons he loves taking public transportation so much – there’s ample opportunities to befriend and meet all sorts of people you would never have had the chance to meet otherwise. Alex loves going to networking events and social gatherings where he can talk to people (very fitting since he’s an entrepreneur).

7. He loves everyone as a friend

One thing I think is neat is that Alex wishes every single person on his Facebook friends list a happy birthday. No matter if they’re just an acquaintance, or how distant their relationship might be, he does it just as a way to show he cares because he wants everyone to feel loved and like someone cares about them. Also, he accepts everyone as a friend and he’ll often request to be Facebook friends even if he just met you once. You don’t have to qualify to be considered his friend- he just loves you as a person.

Alex has incredible self-discipline. Examples: He never complains or loses his temper (even when Nephi did a cannonball on his foot that put him in crutches for a few days). He’s patient in situations when it would be easy to be impatient. He never says unkind things/gossips about people behind their backs. He is always careful not to make a promise he’s not 100% sure if he can keep. He holds himself to very high moral standards (for example, he doesn’t even watch PG-13 movies! Years ago he decided to give up anything that didn’t measure up to the media guidelines in the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet (even his favorite violent action-packed stuff) – and he did it all of his own accord! I know it was hard for him, but he’s never regretted it because he feels so much closer to the spirit now. Pretty awesome. I really admire him for that. He also used to waste a lot of time on video games when he was younger, but he’s completely overcome that addiction.

11. Pure intents/desires

I don’t think I’ve ever met someone with purer motives than Alex.

He never has “what’s in it for me?” as his motive, even in business-related endeavors & decisions. He is always willing to bend over backwards to freely help someone out, giving of his time, talents, expertise, etc.–things that, I think many people would only do for compensation. His primary focus is on serving others and building relationships. Even when he’s already overwhelmed with work and personal demands, he often still makes time to serve because he believes that helping others freely will lead to the greater good and is what God would want him to do. I often hear him end his conversations with, “Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you!”

Even when it comes to business, Alex feels that he can serve a lot more people by providing resources/services for free, and still make a living (kind of like Google’s “freemium” model). And so far it’s proved to be true. Sure he could probably make a lot more money by choosing a less service-oriented model that could squeeze out as much profit as possible at the cost of others/those he is trying to serve, but he doesn’t. Because making money isn’t his focus. While many associate the words “business” and “entrepreneurship” with a focus on money and profit, Alex thinks of it simply as a medium of making a difference in the world and being enabled to serve others…making a living is simply a necessary by-product that allows him to keep doing what he’s doing.

Alex has a “Thy will not mine” mindset. He strongly believes in the concept of handing his life over to God & laying everything on the altar, so to speak. He just wants to do what Heavenly Father wants him to do- simple as that. When we pray together, he almost always asks Heavenly Father to to help us “build the kingdom” as we go about our daily endeavors that day.

(Yeah, Alex is cool enough to have memes made out of quotes by him!  Ha ha 🙂 No, I didn’t make this meme , someone else did)

12. Without Guile/Genuine

Along with having super pure motives, Alex is the most “without guile” person I’ve ever met. He’s completely candid in his conversations and interactions with others. Very honest and open and transparent – he doesn’t ever try to deceive or mislead, even in situations where it might seem like the social norm to do so. And he likes to assume that other people are just as guileless as he is. I always know I can completely trust him, because he has absolutely no ulterior motives and his heart is full of goodness and righteous desires.

13. Achiever/Goal-setter

Alex has really mastered this. He is so inspirational when it comes to goal-setting! While some lack the faith and motivation to reach their goals, Alex does what it takes to actually achieve them. And he sets many of his goals based on prayer and revelation; if a certain goal feels right/good to him, he’ll set it, even if it seems a bit of a stretch- then come to find out later, through an unexpected turn of events, that it is indeed reachable (because he had enough faith to set that goal). It’s inspiring. For example, I remember last year he had set the goal to get 700 interviews uploaded by end of the year. But as the year was coming to a close, it seemed like it was going to be a bit out of reach. But through hard work and a few tender mercies, he was able to achieve that goal by the 31st! And lots of other examples like that.

Also, here’s a little clip where he talks about goal-setting on his mission: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjdjEOGMCz8&list=PLo6WmFbBTUey_gtm_CRQE3oq5WWUslpgk&index=18

 

Alex is pro-active. I admire how he takes the initiative! His attitude and way of handling problems reminds me of Nephi and the broken bow. When Nephi’s bow broke, he didn’t just wait around for someone to fix the situation, he took the initiative to make a new one. Likewise, when he was commanded to build a ship, he didn’t just wait around for the Lord to tell him what to do – he was proactive in asking where he should find ore to start making tools. That’s Alex. At home, in his work, in relationships, etc. he is very pro-active. He figures out what needs to happen and then makes it happen. (For example, we probably never would have even started dating had he not been so pro-active about making it happen– the reason being, we had only had one chance encounter on the bus.  We didn’t live in the same ward, have any classes together, and wouldn’t have had much opportunity to get to know each other, had one of us not been deliberate about making it happen).

16. Inspirational

Alex’s worst fear is not reaching his full potential. I don’t think I know anyone else who is as consecrated, happy, and who has made such an impact on so many people, who has reached such a high percentage of his potential as he has at such a young age. I think that Heavenly Father is grateful for a son like Alex, who has accomplished so much good and is willing to give his all to the Lord.

If someone were to ask me what Alex’s life motto might be, I’d probably say “Faith not Fear” because of how much it seems that decision has influenced some of the most important decisions of his life. I love his philosophy of putting everything on the alter, and going forward with full speed as if it’s going to work out instead of fearing it won’t. I think that attitude is so cool. That’s why I think of him when I hear the this song.

Alex is the type of person who goes out to make a difference. One thing I remember his mom saying (right before he left on his mission) was that Alex is one of those people who “has a lot of positive energy”  & how he’s going to use that energy to do a lot of good & to help a lot of people. I agree!

I remember going with him to one of his mission reunions and how several people mentioned how Alex “was a legend” on the mission. I’m proud of him. I think that’s true of him in general. With all that he’s accomplishing and all the good that he’s producing, I think he’s gonna end up leaving quite a legacy behind him.

17. Close to the spirit

18. He’s a ‘real’ man

Alex is strong, has courage, self-mastery, & is considerate and gentle at the same time. He doesn’t try to mold himself to societal trends that try to define what makes a man. He’s not afraid to open up and be vulnerable/talk about emotions, for instance. Not many guys are like that. I feel like I’m pretty lucky to have a guy who likes to talk about things. And he’s super strong. Beats everyone at arm wrestling. Yet he never uses his strength to take advantage of others or to put people down. One of the most attractive things to me about him is, even though he’s way buff, he is still gentle and loving, which shows a lot of strength of character and self-discipline. I also admire how he’s not obsessed with a lot of things that other guys seem to be obsessed with, like violence, sports, shooting, cars, hunting, etc. (Not that those are all bad things, but it’s refreshing that he’s not super obsessed with that stuff).

Most of all, I love how he has the courage to stand up for the right. I remember a story about when he made a bet with and arm-wrestled one of his coworkers, as a fun and playful way of getting him to stop using inappropriate humor at work. I think he has a gift of knowing how to handle potentially contentious situations and turning them into more positive encounters.

19. Loves the Gospel!

Alex doesn’t just live the gospel, he LOVES it! Alex treasures the scriptures and gets so excited about them. I remember that one time when we were dating and Alex came up and started talking to me excitedly about a really cool insight he had gained from reading the scriptures that morning. A few minutes into it, a random guy came over, just to tell him “You are wonderful.” The guy had overheard our conversation and was uplifted by the way Alex was beaming and talking about the scriptures/gospel with that much excitement. I love that too.

20. Always giving/serving

Alex is SO helpful around the house. I remember my grandma, when we were living with her, would always comment “Oh wow, I’ve never known a husband to be so helpful around the house!” or “You really have a wonderful husband!” It’s true – he is such a Christlike husband, always giving of himself and serving me in a million small ways throughout the day. One thing he deserves a medal for is the way he offers to change all the poopy diapers (if he’s around when it happens). I don’t know how many husbands would do that! He’s amazing. Makes me homemade chicken noodle soup when I’m sick (and always adds a funny secret ingredient that I have to guess). Let’s me sleep in/watches the kids often. Surprises me by making breakfast or dinner randomly. Helps with dishes, laundry, trash without being asked, etc. I feel super blessed.

He is always thinking of how he can serve others and never thinks of himself – even on his birthday! (He signed up to clean the church building at 8am this morning. And when I asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday…instead of requesting a fun day full of activities focused on himself, he suggested going out to pick up litter as a family ’cause “it’d be so fun!” or doing some secret service for someone. That’s typical; he’s that service-minded. It’s truly what brings him the most joy.

21. Friendly and kind to all

Alex doesn’t discriminate against anyone. It doesn’t matter if they are drastically different from him, mentally challenged, socially awkward, homeless, or just downright rude- he’ll treat them kindly and with total respect. (Like this one lady we met on the Trax once who, once she found out we attended BYU, started bashing on Mormons and BYU bigtime- but I was impressed because Alex was super kind back and didn’t get defensive or take any offense). It doesn’t matter who they are or what their lifestyle is like, he treats them the same & somehow has a gift for getting along with every single one of them. (Another example- after touring a house in a very ghetto part of Ogden, he was talking to a neighbor lady and then was approached by her husband- a very rough-looking guy (who happened to be a sex-offer/drug-user/used a ton of vulgar language, etc.) but Alex totally treated him with respect and ended up getting along just great with him.

I’ve noticed that Alex has a way of softening the hearts of angry, narcissistic people for some reason. He treats them with respect and kindness even when others might not.  I love this story: So one time, when we were visiting Mount Pleasant for General Conference, Alex went with my dad to the Priesthood session over at the church. Well at the beginning of the broadcast, Alex felt a prompting to step outside for a minute, and so he did. And he found a very angry nonmember guy who was saying something like “whoever the *bleep* parked in front of my house, get your *bleepity bleep* car out of my *bleepity bleep* driveway!”  I imagine it was a little tense at first, but Alex just started up a conversation with the guy and tried to show kindness (even though it wasn’t his car that was parked in the guy’s driveway). Well he ended up acting as the guy’s sounding board for a good long while- Alex just listened non-judgmentally as the guy cursed and vented to him about all sorts of things/the Mormons, etc. After a while, the guy eventually calmed down and because of Alex’s kind-heartness, his heart seemed softened. They left on a positive note and as Alex went to go back inside, the man smiled and told him, “You just keep on doin what you’re doin.”

I love that story. It reminds me of something that President Monson would do (following unusual promptings to minister to someone in need). And I feel like shows a lot about Alex’s character and positive influence on others.

22. Kind-hearted and generous

I can say this honestly: Alex truly loves everyone and doesn’t hold grudges or feelings of resentment towards a single human being. He never talks unkindly about anyone. I’ve never known him to do that. He is the most kind-hearted guy!

And he assumes the best of everyone. Always forgiving. Gives others the benefit of the doubt. He doesn’t worry about what others think. His second-nature is to assume that others are just as charitable as he is. I don’t know anyone who has developed more charity in his/her heart than he.

For example, (he’d never tell people all this, but I can!) there have been many instances when he has run across a homeless person, and gone out of his way to befriend them and to find out their needs and do what he can do to give to them. One time, he invited a homeless man to our home, even let him take a shower, and then noticed that the man’s shoes were very old and worn out and so he offered him his own shoes (in fact, the very nicest shoes that he owned.)  Another time, he saw a homeless lady outside and asked her what kinds of foods she enjoyed, and then went inside the store and put together a $50 package of delicious goodies and snacks. He also once paid for a hotel for a homeless man for a few days (and this coming from someone who’s not super well off himself).

23. Gift for Teaching/Mentoring

A few years ago we had the fun opportunity to teach the 4 year-olds together in Primary. It gave me an opportunity to see some very positive qualities that Alex has. He is very good at captivating little children’s’ attention in a positive way and finding ways to make things fun and relate-able for them. I’ve also seen this countless time in his interactions with nieces & nephews, and with our own children especially.

He has the gift of teaching. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that he teaches a lot by example. And he has a great love for those he has a chance to influence. Also, one of the most important thing in teaching is the attitude of the teacher, and his enthusiasm for life and learning is contagious!

 

He’s a natural born mentor. He takes the time to mentor others one-on-one. Whether it’s a child, a fellow YouTuber, classmate, friend, or fellow entrepreneur, etc. he is always willing to take time out of his day to freely share his knowledge and insights. He takes time for people, one on one, to sit down with them and to help impart with them any knowledge or skills he thinks could be of benefit to them. One of the things Alex loves most is helping others reach their fullest potential. He has also reached out to others, like my younger sisters, and helped motivate them with goal ideas and inspirational pep talks about their future.

As I watch him sit down with Nephi, for instance, to help him learn the ABCs or to talk to him/help him learn and grow and develop in various ways, it’s so heart-warming! Alex is such a good daddy- he’s the best mentor I’d ever want to influence our children. They are very lucky.

 

24. Values Fatherhood & Family Above All

I remember when I first met him, he had already taken several family life classes, and even read some books about preparing for his future role as a husband and father. He had pondered a lot (even before we met) about how to make a good relationship work. I thought that was super classy.

The life of an entrepreneur can be hard. There’s not always set boundaries between work and home, and it’s easy to feel pressure to put work first, since everything depends on you. But even with all the many people and things that are pulling for his time and attention, Alex always makes it a point to put family first. If things are feeling stressful at home, he puts everything else on hold to help out and take time to talk, until everything is happy and peaceful again, before thrusting himself back into his work. He truly believes that he’ll be more successful in his work if all is well at home (and vice versa). I love that.

 He always makes time to play with our children and give them some good fun daddy time. Lots of tickling, wrestling, & giggling, and playing all sorts of silly little games with them. Nephi & Celeste absolutely adore him.

25. He has a grateful heart

This is one thing I noticed about Alex right from our first date. As we walked, he spoke with a spirit of gratitude for the life and his many blessings. It was an air about him that was refreshing. One of his most frequent sayings is “I’m so thankful for ___.” (And it’s not that he’s even trying to be deliberate about it– it’s just who he is). I love that Alex has a grateful heart, even when things may not be going his way. He chooses to be grateful because it’s a happier way to live. He reminds me of the scripture that encourages us to confess the Lord’s hand in all things. He has no car, no cell phone plan, and not many luxuries, yet he is constantly expressing gratitude for what he has. And the most impressive thing to me is, that in his successes-whether business or personal-he always acknowledges the hand of the Lord rather than taking personal credit for it.

I came across this quote: “Gratitude is a catalyst to all Christlike attributes. A thankful heart is the parent of all virtues.” (Dieter F. Uchtcdorf) So no wonder Alex is so amazing! I guess this is the root of it all 😉

26. He’s content / not materialistic.

Alex is very much a minimalist at heart. I think he and Henry David Thoreau would’ve gotten along well 🙂 He would gladly simplify his life by owning as few personal belongings as possible, and feels liberated when he gets rid of things he doesn’t truly need. He loves living a more simplistic lifestyle, even in ways that are a bit unconventional (for instance, walking instead of driving places). He also doesn’t get attached to material things easily (doesn’t get stressed or upset when something gets misplaced or breaks) and doesn’t care much about receiving gifts.  Needless to say, he’s a very easy man to please.  He always is content with what I make for dinner, and often raves about it, even if it’s nothing special. I love that about him.

And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive. (Alma 7:23)

 

Yep, I hit gold when I married him.

 

 

 

Wow, after writing that all down, this ended up being a pretty long post! I guess it’s hard to fit so much amazingness into a small space 😉

I know Alex isn’t perfect (because no one’s perfect) but in my opinion I think he’s pretty dang close (at least in the ways I treasure most) and so I feel like today he deserves a nice big long tribute that raves about his many awesome qualities and gives people a glimpse into why he’s my favorite person in the world!

 

 

To learn more about this amazing fireball of awesomeness (because you know you want to), here’s a few links:

In-depth video interview about his mission: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLo6WmFbBTUey_gtm_CRQE3oq5WWUslpgk

A video interview where he shares his life story/some meaningful experiences: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkky161fd9U