1,826 Days and Counting

On Friday, July 10th Brian and I marked our 5th Wedding Anniversary!!! We take turns planning the celebration, and this year it was my turn. In the afternoon we drove down to Ohio to visit my fam and snag a free babysitter. (You're the best, mom!)

I packed up nice picnic dinner in one of these jim dandies:

And we headed off for Stan Hywet, where the Ohio Shakespeare Festival was putting on As You Like It.

I've always loved this old, historic mansion. I grew up within walking/biking distance, and have many memories of visiting the house and grounds with friends and family, on field trips, and for choir performances, festivals, etc. My mom even took Brian and me there when he first visited my family for some casual engagement shots.

Good times. So it was the perfect place to return to celebrate our half-decade of matrimonial bliss.

After taking advantage of the complimentary bug spray, we found a picturesque picnic spot by the pond:

And enjoyed dinner:

Then it was time for the show.

The acting was great, and the play itself even better. Wow, Shakespeare was a total genius--the play gave me so much to think about in terms of social dynamics, gender roles, and relationships (man, I'm such a family therapist). I think every time I read or see a Shakespeare play, I appreciate the old Bard a little more.

But I appreciate my Brian even more! I'm so, so, so thankful to be married to such a sweet, funny, intelligent, hard-working, family-loving, gospel-centered, faithful, forgiving, creative, talented, cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute man! He totally meets and exceeds all of my girlie, high school lists of characteristics I hoped for in my "future husband".

Here's a list of a few reasons why I love him, just because making a list is so intrinsically fulfilling to me:

• His wacky sense of humor will keep me entertained for the rest of eternity.
• He would walk 10 miles in the heat to save 50 cents.
• He's dedicated to providing for our family through a career that is exciting and fulfilling, and won't sell himself short, even though it means sacrificing right now.
• He listens to me babble on and on when I'm in a philosophical mood. Usually. Or at least he does a good job of fake-listening.
• He plays with my hair.
• He likes jelly bellies, nerds, and mike&ikes. That's so cute.
• He plays the piano like a crazy talented jazz genius. He's got serious mad skillz.
• He wants to have infinity babies with me, and like 6 or 8 of them in this life.
• He despises clutter and disorganization, yet he holds onto school papers like he's gonna try and sell them on ebay, and scatters his clothing like a rock star--He's frugal to a degree I've never before witnessed in any human being, yet he really likes refined food and clothing. (It's our incongruences that make us interesting).
• He always drives the whole way whenever we drive anywhere, as long as I do my duties as navigatress, cheerio-and-toy-and-book-throw-at-kid-er (???), back masseuse, toll ticket holder-oner-to-er/money getter, and snack passer-overer. And English language slaughtererererer.
• He has cute little endearing idiosyncratic habits that I'll refrain from listing, 'cause then they wouldn't seem quite as idiosyncratic. (OK, just one: He wiggles his feet when he's eating something for dinner that he really likes. Ahhhhhhh! SO cute)
• He watches Simpson's on his computer so I won't know, haha :)
• He's a hopeless idealist and pretty much a perfectionist. Just like someone else I know.
• He somehow chose to marry little old me.

Sigh... I think I'm in love.

For eternity.