Happy SEVENTH Anniversary!

Russ and I have been together for a few years now...12 to be exact.  After 5 years of dating, we exchanged vows on June 4, 2005.  It was a day I will never forget!  It would be cute for me to say those were the best days of our life, but the truth is that our days are getting better and better the longer we have been married!  We are still having fun and enjoying each others' quirks, humor, and odd interests.  The longer we are together, the more we realize how unimportant the "small stuff" is.  There are things that are just not worth arguing over.  After seven years of marriage and going through the ups and downs that we have faced, there are a few lessons I have learned.  I'll share a few...

Our anniversary picture

1. Settle arguments quickly.  Holding a grudge is a waste of time.  We are not promised tomorrow, and I sure would hate to waste any of my valuable time giving the silent treatment.  Russ and I are pretty quick to get over arguments or disagreements.  Sometimes the argument is resolved, and sometimes we just go on with our day and transition with some goofy joke or "you know you love me" statement.  Get the ugly stuff over with!  Don't let it fester and become a source of resentment.
2. Say "I love you" a lot.  You can never say it enough.  I'll admit that Russ probably initiates it more than I do, but it never loses its impact.  There is nothing better than when Russ walks up out of the blue and gives me a big hug and says, "I love you."  Of course, I know my husband loves me...but I still like to hear it.  And it doesn't hurt to tell each other how "hot" you each are!  Ha!  We have always done that too...whether we are 30 pounds overweight or not.
3. Hold hands.  Holding hands is probably the first "act of love" you ever showed your boyfriend.  That doesn't mean that you don't need to hold hands anymore!  Holding hands is still an important act of love.  If you are not into PDA, hold hands while watching a movie, while riding in the car, or while praying together.  After seven years, we are still holding hands and I hope we never stop.
4. Embrace your differences.  For example, Russ is a much more carefree and "go lucky" person than I.  I am more logical and very careful about what others think.  I'm perceptive on how others feel about what I'm saying and I know when to drop a topic.  Russ...not so much.  Now, you should know that Russ doesn't have a bad bone in his body...so nothing he says is ever hurtful.  It's just goofy sometimes.  Ha!  I used to try to help him out, but now I just join in and laugh.  I guess I've grown to think like him.  That's scary!  I laugh at his jokes and think he's so cute...bless him.  Ha!  I've learned to embrace our differences...because, in actuality, we would be one boring couple if we were both like me.  Russ is certainly the life of our little party!  Granted, there are some differences that are much more difficult to embrace.  But our life gets better and much more enjoyable when we try to embrace each other's differences.
5. Be on each others' sides.  Whether I'm right or wrong, I know Russ is on my side.  Now, he may not agree with me, but he will always be on my side...supporting me...helping me.  When it comes to me venting about a situation between myself and another person, he always helps me see the other person's side.  But in the end, he is on my side.  That's the kind of partner I need.  Someone that I can depend on through life's poopy moments.  Someone that I can count on to be on my side, never make me feel like an outsider, and love me no matter what my viewpoint, attitude, outfit, or interests are.  He just loves me for me.

Although seven years sounds like a long time to me, it certainly doesn't feel like it!  I know we have much much more to learn about marriage and each other, and those lessons will come in time.  There have been many times when we both got this marriage thing wrong a time or two.  But, I can honestly say that God knew exactly what he was doing when He planned our family.  He knew that these past six years of "praying for more" was exactly what we needed to become a stronger and closer couple.  It took a while, but we are now loving our "Party of Two" life and living up every moment we have with just the two of us.  I'm so thankful for the last seven years, and I can't wait to see what the next seven bring!

Happy Anniversary, Dr. Russ!  I love you!