11 things I love about our marriage

before i dive into these, i just want to say that i originally wrote these to lance.  I wanted him to know how i felt and encourage him in this journey together.  but as i read back through them, i thought they may be a blessing to others that are wadding through marriage together. 

please also remember that these are all the things i love!  there are plenty of things that we aren't satisfied with... plenty of areas where we fall short... plenty of things we are doing wrong... we don't have a perfect marriage and we don't have it all figured out, but these are the areas i'm really, really glad about...

#1 We laugh and have fun together

I love that after 11 years there is more smiling than frowning and more laughing than crying. Having a funny husband doesn't hurt either!! Yes, I did just admit that you're funny. Agh, the secrets out. 

#2 It's a partnership

I've never felt alone in our marriage or in parenting. We've always given equal or apologized when we've fallen short on our end. I love that I know that I can count on you! 

#3 We haven't stopped growing

We're taking weak seasons and learning from them. We haven't allowed years of experience to give us a pass on trying to make our marriage better. I love that you lead us by encouraging us to be more disciplined or try new ways to strengthen an already good thing. 

#4 We are surrounded by like minded people

They aren't all just like us, but they are like minded in how they live their lives and make their decisions. That gives us a good sounding board when we need wisdom and it makes life more fun to run with them by our side. 

#5 We have balance

You are detailed. I'm big picture. You lean toward saving. I lean toward spending. You're a "think it through" guy and I'm an impulse gal. At times it feels frustrating, but all are necessary and bring a lot of depth to who we are as a couple. 

#6 Christ is our foundation
Things have changed so much over the years. Places we've lived, occupations, friends around us, number of kids, even how we relate to one another. But it all seems steady because our foundation is never changing. The foundation on Christ has been what brings peace even during uncertain times. 

#7 There is still attraction
You're losing your hair and I'm getting grey hair. The figures we once sported are not as they use to be. Our once perfect smiles have lost their straightness ever so slightly. But no matter... We're still attracted to one another. Somehow the memories we're making are adding to our fondness for one another. We're also learning the importance of heart change over physical appearance and that is what is drawing us toward each other.

#8 We're good students

We're studying one another and continually learning what makes each other tick. What does the other person enjoy/need/desire and how can we make that happen. We aren't sitting around waiting to be told how we can bless and love the other. I love how you  observe and then take action...coming through with the perfect gift or act of service that will bring life to me. 

#9 We refuse to let busy win

Let's face it... We're in the thick of it. It doesn't get much more busy than what we've got. Four kids, school involvement, multiple jobs, ministry life, volunteering, community, speaking engagements just to name a few. We aren't allowing these things to take over. We make sacrifices where it's needed to have time for eye contact and physical touch. We make the most of the nights that we throw ourselves into bed exhausted only to wake up and do it all over again. We pray to focus on each other and look for opportunities to do so. 

#10 What ya see is what ya get
We are genuine about our feelings. If its rough, it's rough. If it's awesome you know it. There's not much faking it in our world... With one another and other folks. We don't grow weary of keeping up false pretenses because we like to keep it real. This can be a major drag at times for us, but we are hardly left guessing about what's going on. 

#11 It's forever

This side of heaven and barring either of us dying... It's forever. We know that the vow we spoke and the commitment we made is a lasting one. It's a future promise that no matter what we do or don't do, what happens to us or doesn't happen for us- we'll be together!! We've already come through a few dark seasons and I'm certain there will be more but I'm also certain that we will be together on the other side of them.