Survey

1. When was your first kiss: April 16, 2004

2. When is your engagement anniversary: The day after our first kiss! haha

3. When is your wedding anniversary: March 8, 2005

4. How long have you known your spouse: 10 years

5. How long did you date before you were engaged: 4 months

6. Where did you meet your spouse for the first time: Church in Sierra Vista, AZ

7. Do you have any children: No

8. Do you have any house pets: Two American Bulldogs, Leviticus and Venus

9. Do you own a house or rent: Own

10. Where do you want to live: Somewhere out West, like Colorado

11. Do you live in the country or town/city: City

12. What is one of your favorite activities together: Anything athletic; going to the lake, playing tennis, going rock climbing, skiing

13. Do you have a favorite vacation spot: Skiing every winter

14. How many siblings (including in-laws): 5 on my side. 4 on his.

15. What town is your current address: Fayetteville

16. Do you work or stay at home: I work part time.

17. Where did you honeymoon: At a Bed & Breakfast in Tuscon, AZ

18. Leave a piece of marriage advice: Do not use totally's, like "never" or "always". Also, once you say you forgive, don't bring the issue up again. And "Love with all your heart" is R's advice :)

Little Differences

Leo Tolstoy once said, "What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with the incompatibility". I love this quote. It got me thinking about marriage. More specifically, about my marriage, and how that rings true. In the first stages of mine and R's relationship, it was all about how compatible we were. We both liked the same outdoor activities. We both liked to work out. We both wanted to go to the same places and see the same things. We both had similar goals and dreams. It was these similarities that attracted us to one another, but is that enough to sustain a marriage? I guess at the time, we thought it was. But now, after 5+ years of marriage, we have come to realize that we won't always agree and we won't always see eye to eye on every little thing. Sometimes we just have to agree to disagree and leave it at that. We have also come to realize that it is these differences that make us so perfect for each other. We have learned to respect each others opinions and have learned to see things from each others point of view. Is it always easy? No. But worth it? Definitely.

With that being said, here are a couple of our differences that we fully embrace: I like to practice yoga. R is in pain just thinking about forward folding. R likes to shoot guns, and I'd rather stare at a white wall. I like to "play" on facebook, as R calls it. While R likes to "train", or in other words, play video games. I enjoy comedies. R likes action packed movies. I fall asleep in action packed movies, while R falls asleep on the couch. I, on the other hand, like to get into bed before I fall asleep. I am very strict with my morning/night routine, while R likes to go with the flow. Some would call me OCD or high maintenance, while others would say R is lackadaisical. We of course, never call each other these things :)

In all honesty, R is the least lazy person you will ever meet. He is so generous, always willing to serve others without expecting anything in return, and he just has the biggest heart in the world. I don't know how I got so lucky to find such an amazing man, but I sure am grateful I did. My mom once told me how lucky I was to have found R, because she didn't think there was anyone else that would "put up with me". Those were her exact words. Later on, after she had spent time around us both, she said she now understood why we got along so well and agreed that we were "made for each other". I couldn't help but smile. The simple truth is, I married a wonderful man. One who's differences I may not always agree with, but will always respect.