This time of year, my husband becomes the center of attention in our house. Not because he’s an amazing man who keeps this household running – which he is. Not because he brings laughter and joy to those around him – which he does. But because he brings warmth – quite literally. You see, my husband is like having a personal furnace sitting right next to you. And because of this, as the temperature drops, the more I leach heat from him. Personal space has no boundaries when I’m cold. Admit it guys, I’m far from alone too – you know who you are reading this who o so sneakily attempt to jam your ice-cold feed into the warm legs of your partner as you slide into bed! Even as I type this, Maya, our rescued pitty-mix, is lying on the couch with him, all 4 legs stiff-armed and snuggled under his body while the 20-degree wind nips at the windows. Ladies, I don’t know why you chose your man, or woman, but if you married for warmth – I get it ;)
All joking aside, the hubs is a pretty spectacular man. He keeps me sane and grounded, teaching me it’s okay to allow my type-A personality to take a back seat. He has likely kept me from a heart attack or nervous breakdown. He keeps this ship afloat, or else I’d be working away in my own junk-cave, surrounded by 2-week-old dishes and a pile of things I meant to put away. But more than that, he challenges me. Everyday. To be better and to do better, to step into my confidence, and recognize my power. To chase my dreams, and make sure I live a life I’m happy in. He knows exactly when to push – when I most need to hear it, even if that’s when I least want to. He keeps me true to who I am. Ladies and gents, if you have partner that does that for you – keep them.
Moving into the holiday season is a special time for us. It’s our time to take a look back on the past year and see where we’ve been, and then look forward to where we’re going. We said I do in October, we celebrate all the good in our lives on Thanksgiving, and then immerse ourselves in all the joy that is Christmas. In the spirit of starting the holiday look-back, checkout below for a little snapshot of 5 reasons the hubs in my main squeeze, and 5 glimpses of our life this year.
5 Ways this Year Proves I Married Up:
⦁ Did you do something out of your comfort zone this year that scares the ever-loving crap out of you? Me too, and you rock by the way. This year, I decided to take a personal business venture seriously, and see if I can hack it. It still scares me. But every step of the way he’s been there to encourage me, remind me why I do this, and reinforce my confidence when it would just be easier to turn and run. ⦁ He picked up where I left off. It’s official – we took the marriage rulebook and threw it out the window. Then ran it over. And that suits us just fine (sorry dad!). Fact is, I couldn’t even begin to do this if he didn’t gracefully absorb all the daily things that have to occur so our lives don’t burn down while I focus on building all of this. ⦁ He has taken grief in stride. When my mother was diagnosed with cancer a 2nd time, he was there for me in every way. He knew when to hug me and let the tears fall, and when to let me be alone to process. He makes me know I can walk through anything with him. ⦁ He has never let me take life too seriously. That was in our vows actually. Once essential life tasks are completed, it’s okay to set the to-do list aside to enjoy the ride. There is nothing better than laughing so hard you snort and your abs feel like they will explode. Or having a dance-off while cooking dinner. ⦁ He’s called BS on me when I needed it most, helping me look my biggest excuses and ugly parts in the mirror and acknowledge them. That’s something you can’t put a price tag on.
Snapshots of Us This Year
⦁ We celebrated our first year wedding anniversary on October 1st, and this is the ratskellar he proposed to me in 3 years ago in Germany. We also celebrated 7 years together. In fact, he told me when we first started dating that if I was looking for a ring, I’d better be prepared to wait a while. I joked in Germany with his aunt that we were just going for domestic partnership. He proposed 2 hours later. Someday I’ll tell you the story of how he carried the ring through customs. ⦁ You know those amazing Friday nights when you curl up with a good drink and ooey-gooey food on the couch, and spend the evening watching movies? That’s been us this year – our one day we throw caution to the wind, and bust out adult takes on culinary indulgences: pickled jalapeño and smoked bacon mac & cheese, creamy brie and ghost chilly Philly steak, bologna fried in garlic butter with balsamic onions. Try these. Your life will never be the same. ⦁ We honeymooned in Jamaica with our best friends. Late nights and deep chats on the beach. Breakfast cocktails and true relaxation. The Jamaican Kevin Hart. Memories that will never fade.
⦁ We took road trips with some unexpected happenings. Want to test your partner’s ability to stay calm, cool, and collected when you have yet to have children? Take your dog on a road trip and have her get carsick multiple times while going down the thruway at 70 with no way to clean it up. ⦁ We added to our homestead, spending hours planting and growing. We are now blessed to say that our property holds an organic vegetable garden, and 12 different types of fruit, including both berry bushes and fruit trees.
It has been a good year indeed. I am so excited to keep the gratitude rolling through the holidays, take it all in, and kick off a new year with all of you. Cheers to the holiday season!