This day, 3 years ago, at 6:43am this man and I were brought together as husband and wife for time and all eternity. Quite the step for me back then, considering at the time I didn?t feel so lucky in love and had made a youthful commitment to never marry again. But I had a feeling something was different about him and this time.
The difference? I had found my best friend. I had found the human being that I could be ME around, 100% of the time?and he still loved me. In fact, after spilling my deepest darkest fears and secrets, this man only loved me more!!! As someone who once searched to say the right thing at the right time to make people in front of me happy, I now (thanks to you, Chris Powell) have NO filter (haha). I have felt what it feels like to be honest and authentic, and have felt what it feels like to be loved for that, and I can never go back.
Chris and I tiptoed around the word love for 6 months after knowing we were in love. Instead, we found a much more fitting and powerful word for how we felt about each other, that we still use to this day. ?I appreciate you SO much,? is what we say. And it?s the doggone truth. I do appreciate the person he is on every level ? far beyond his insane hotness, believe it or not (which I considered a ?con? when I met him!). Chris is a person of honesty, integrity, values, character, humility (SO humble!!!), kindness, hard work, and determination. I knew I?d never find anyone else like him ? he?s one of a kind!
Three years now ? I?m sure we are like babies compared to some! But with so much in our lives, marriage isn?t easy. Marriage isn?t made to be easy and is full of benefits and costs. Thankfully, we see that the benefits of this once-in-a-lifetime union far outweigh the costs. When times get tough for us, we simply remind ourselves of the tattoo on our ring finger (a diamond ring seemed so unpractical to me when we married, especially because we were still living with my parents and making very little $$!). His ring says ?my best friend? in my handwriting, and my ring says ?my best friend? in his handwriting. Reason? Because we have seen marriages come and go, but best friendships like ours are a made for an eternity. It is a reminder that above ALL ELSE, we are BEST FRIENDS – – we ask ourselves, ?how would I treat my best friend in this situation?? Oftentimes, we treat our spouses differently?especially when they nag :-). This helps us put our priorities in order and remember why we appreciate each other so darn much.
Thank you to my best friend for loving the root of who I am. I know without a shadow of a doubt that no matter what happens to my face, body, mind over time ? because we all age ? you will always love and ?appreciate? my soul, and I will yours too. I?m blessed, grateful, lucky, happy, in love?to infinity and beyond.
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70 Responses
A match made in heaven 🙂 congratulations guys!
Beautiful. I didn’t know this about you two. I love that an authentic relationship can come in the funniest, round about ways. Being married to my best friend is the best feeling in the world!
“… to infinity and beyond.” Guess that sentence should describe ALL marriages!! Congrats!!
What a touching story. You two are so in love! Congrats
This is absolutely beautiful. The true love and passion you two share for each other is inspiring and makes me believe there are people out there who genuinely care for each other 100% of the time. I love the fact that you did not have to have a big fancy wedding or buy each other rings to symbolize how truly blessed you are for each other. true love, true love. <3
I loved your article about remembering we’re friends first and would you talk to your friend like that, I always remember that when I start going to that bad place. Many more years to you both! We just had our 5 year wedding anniversary in March and our 7 year dataversary is coming up on Labor Day. I scheduled this dynamic date as I always did in case I didn’t like him so I could sneak away. Late lunch, if he wasn’t meant for me I would sneak away, if he was we could continue on, we did continue you to a hike at a park to a lighthouse at the top of a peninsula bluff, and a stroll at a water front park where we had our first kiss, 6 years later I did my 2nd triathlon at that park and he was there for me with our two girls and signs. I’m so sad this year with moving away we won’t be able to go recreate our date. We’ll just have to settle for a hike in the Rockies this year. The scenery has changed but the love hasn’t. Best wished to you both with your impending arrival and next phase of the journey!
This post help me put my relationship into prospective and how I view what my boyfriend says to me at times. There was an incident recently where he didn’t like the shirt i was wearing and i got offended by it and was hurt. But then I read this comment and was thinking to myself… would i have acted the same way if my girlfriends said it? then answer would probably be no. I just want to thank you so much for such great advice! I even hear your voices during my workouts telling me to keep going and be the person you want to be. I also take that advice into my personal life as well. Thank you so much for being great individuals and open with your relationship and family!
Love it!
Love your humble & honest beginnings and the amazing example you are setting for your children! (Cracking up at all the pictures where your daughter is conked out, I take it she’s not a morning person?! LOL)
You two make the cutest couple and you have a beautiful family. Congratulations on your 3rd anniversary together.