5 things that make our relationship work:

1. Enjoy each others company.

We truly love to be together. Before we dated, we were best friends, quick friends. The kind of friend that will stick by your side through even the worst-of-the-worst arguments. He's the one I can't wait to tell my funny joke to or to see when I get home from work. For him, it's the same. On the rare occasion that we spend time apart, saying "I miss you" is second nature once we do get the chance to talk or be together again. We both just feel really lucky in knowing that we have a strong friendship intertwined into a thriving, loving marriage.

2. Have patience.

Just like my mom said in her speech at our wedding, "Kevin has the patience of Job" and he really does. Me? Not so much. I fly off the handle, I am a bit of a last-minute-gal and thrive on spontaneity. But he teaches me patience every day. His personality makes him think through all possibilities (and sometimes it takes longer than I'd like) whereas I just make rash decisions and sometimes stick my foot in my mouth. I find myself often tapping my foot in his direction, waiting for his response or decision on a certain situation. Thankfully, in our relationship, there is a little push-n-pull and, in the end, we learn alot from each other.

3. Have fun together.

This might seem obvious but this is the glue that holds us together. Neither of us laugh the same way with anyone else. He shows me his true, goofy self and we have dance parties together in the family room all the time. On the outside, Kevin seems like the serious one but when the doors are closed, he definitely has a freak flag (even if he doesn't fly it in public). We are just meant to be, two goofy peas-in-a-pod.

4. Love.

We say it and we show it when we feel it. Multiple times every day (and Kevin would repeat everyday I ask him "Boog, do you love me?" and, although he's probably irritated about answering the same question over and over, he always responds "Love you Boog". He has little ways of showing his love and I do of showing mine to him. He cooks for me and will bring me coffee at work and a warm towel after a shower and he never yells at me for using the last of the toilet paper without replacing the roll. I wash his unmentionables and try to cook him inventive meals and I turn on his side of the electric blanket to heat up his side before bed and never yell at him for leaving his basketball shorts on the floor of the bathroom. We love. In big ways, in little ways and in ways neither one of us notice.

5. Sometimes it isn't worth it.

This has been the biggest hurdle for me so far...learning to pick my battles. He doesn't really get upset about much - very calm all the time. So, in this category, I am the one that is still learning. And his patience and sensitive attitude teaches me in some way almost every day that the little things in life don't matter. They just don't. If he left socks on the floor or dripped some water on my clean counter or if I shattered a dish in the sink or left the back door propped open, it's not the end of the world. What matters is that we're together, we're happy and we're in love. All the rest of is just stuff that won't matter at the end of the day.