#692 3 Years.

Today 3 years ago, Ben and I were married.

I have no idea what my life would look like without him. Truly. It’s like he’s been in my life since the day I was born, just as integral to our family as mama and daddy and Clark—and I bet they would say the same thing. God has blessed us so much, there’s no way we could scratch the surface of thanking Him this Thanksgiving. I hope that this blog is somehow a small offering to Him for giving me Ben, and for giving us this very sweet life.

We agreed this year to not buy gifts since the new house and Massachusetts and Chevy are far more than either of us could have ever asked for. Without fail, his thoughtfulness on any given day and especially on important milestones like anniversaries and birthdays, overwhelms me.

He left a note for me on the vanity in our bathroom tonight when I began getting ready for our night out to celebrate. It was on his personal stationery and attached to a little swatch of leather. It read, “3rd anniversary = leather. Leather is durable and warm—just like our marriage. Therefore, our attire for the evening will be boots and something that goes with boots. Thank you!”


After we showered and got dressed, I came in to the kitchen with a very small gift for him, also made of leather. I just couldn’t stand to give nothing at all to the one I love most. A little package tied up with string and a note was waiting there for me. We opened our notes to each other. His handwriting, his words, made me teary-eyed (imagine that!).

I opened up his gift to me, knowing what it was before I held it in my hands.

He spent the last 2 days working on our annual marriage book. Each year of our marriage he has given me a book, written by him, recounting the best things that happened each month of our marriage in the last year, with 1 photo per month and quotes that sum up our relationship that year on the last pages. These books make me cry every single year. They are priceless and wholly us. This year, the usual ticking stripe handmade book was bound in leather in honor of our 3rd year.

Next he read his note and opened his gift.

A few days ago he mentioned needing a new belt, and so… this belt will now be a keepsake of our 3rd anniversary. It seems like a dumb gift, but he really wanted one. Honest!

Jim honked his horn downstairs and I brought my book along to read in the truck on the way to dinner. We joined them and the Crumptons for a very very big dinner at Crescent City Grill, one of our first date spots 7 years ago.

Mal didn’t count, thus Ben is discombobulated. 

We lingered over appetizers, dinner, dessert and coffee and I realized how thankful I am to have so many loving friends with whom we can spend nights like this.

On the March page of our 3rd year book, Ben ended the month saying, “To me, the slow times in our life seem to be the best. Those are the times when the only big thing in our life is each other. I love you.” 

He’s so right. As much as I love the holidays, I’m already excited for the slow-down that follows when we get to catch up with each other and focus on doing nothing.

He ended the book with a sweet verse from Genesis 29:20: “So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days.”

But maybe my favorite thing he wrote was on January: “It’s like ole Jay said. If aliens ever abduct you, I’ll just have to be single. I love you!”


Romance


I love you too, Mit. I love you so very, very much.