3 Year Anniversary
Man how times flies! Today is our 3 year wedding anniversary and I couldn't be happier to still call my high school sweetheart the man of my dreams! Okay sorry, enough of the mushy emotional stuff and on to what really makes our marriage work. I was lucky enough to bribe talk my husband into collaborating with me on this post, and we are sharing 3 things that help keep our marriage strong and some of our favorite photos from our big day!
1. Don't Sweat The Small Stuff
Tiff: This one is easier said than done, especially for me! Dealing with anxiety and stress isn't something that I'm good at but honestly whoever said opposites attract was dead on! I'm not sure what I would do if I didn't have the most laid back, calm person as my other half to talk me down when I overreact (yes I'm admitting I may overreact sometimes) and I am so thankful for the balance it brings to our relationship. We've been together for 11 years and married now for 3 and I'm so proud of how we've been able to mature in our relationship and not sweat the small stuff. It's so important to fight for the things that will improve your relationship not the things that will break it down, and never forget that you made a commitment to this person for better or for worse.
Anthony: For every couple each person has to bring their strengths to the table to help support your partner. Luckily one of my strengths is to stay calm in adversity, and try to not let small things shake my lifes enjoyment. My wife has to work just a little bit harder to in this area, but that's why we are team and she can lean on my strengths. If you don't sweat the small stuff you will undoubtedly be happier each day together. That doesn't mean you let each other get away with less than your best, but life still deals you less than ideal scenarios and understanding when you should allow it to actually impact your relationship is super important.
(I get this question a lot, but no we did not get married on the Ole Miss football field. We rented it for some pictures because we both graduated from Ole Miss and are die hard fans for life!)
(Surprise! No turning back now!)
2. Be On The Same Page
Tiff: This one isn't as tough for me because I am an open book! My husband can literally watch my Instagram stories and know everything about my day; what I wore, what I ate, if Link tore something up, and so on, without even opening up his mouth and asking me. But, that doesn't mean I still don't want him to inquire! Being on the same page requires good communication and sharing everything with your spouse, nothing is off limits. Ever since getting married we have made this a priority and even though we've been together since high school and should know just about everything, I'm still finding out new things daily. My biggest piece of advice is don't assume your partner knows everything about you or whats going on in your life, work, health, etc. Speak Up and make that connection and bond over being able to work through things as a team, you didn't get married so you could go through life alone.
Anthony: Open book doesn't describe me quite so much...but as a couple we still make it a priority to be on the same page when it comes to the big things. Our goals in life, our priorities in life, and how we mange them are all aligned. What I feel that does for us as a couple is allows us to work towards our goals without it having major impacts on our relationships. I may work a few extra hours than Tiff might like, but she knows what we are working towards. Now when it comes to the little things I can't quite say I'm so good. I sometimes maybe assume we are on the same page by forgetting to mention a concert I might have bought tickets to or the new ski gear I snagged, but we are all a work in progress as individuals and I still try to improve my communication with my wife everyday.
(Anthony got his high school band back together for our wedding and it was amazing to see them all play again. There is nothing dreamier than a man that can play an instrument! )
3. Be Each Others #1 Fan
Tiff: This is probably my favorite thing about our marriage because I can truly say my husband is my number one supporter. He will be the first to tell you that I am very good at coming up with new ideas and projects, but not so great when it comes to following through with those things. I tend to get overwhelmed and lose sight of the bigger picture, but he is always there to push me to be my best and see my potential. Thinking back on all the things I've been able to accomplish; like finishing college in 4 years while working a full time job, competing in Miss Mississippi USA, winning Miss Magnolia State and even starting my blog 2 years ago, would not have been possible without the push he gave me. I would have quit a hundred times if it were up to me, but having him there to cheer me on and refusing to let me fail made all the difference. This definitely goes both ways because I am the biggest fan girl when it comes to all the things my husband excels at (Excel is actually one of them, he's a master at it) but not only that, his work ethic and the steps he's taken to move up in his career, his ability to always see projects through to the finish, and last but certainly not least, his musical gift of playing the guitar and being able to pick up songs almost instantly gives me so much joy and makes me proud to say "That's my husband!"
Anthony: This is a fun one to think about and I think really is a great gauge for the success of a relationship. I am a person that refuses to give-up on things, sometimes to a fault and the annoyance of others. I also refuse to allow my wife to give-up or quit anything that she is passionate about just because it seems like it might not be possible or gets hard. I think if you find yourself just as focused on your significant others passions as your own you are probably on the right track. Not necessarily meaning that you actually enjoy whatever it is, you don't need to have all the same interests, but that you get excitement from watching their success and your greatest enjoyment is their happiness. I don't particularly have any aspirations or get much enjoyment from photography, but I'm still a semi-"professional" Instagram photographer for my wife's blog. (Those quotes around professional need to be 20x larger). The enjoyment I get is from being a part of something my wife is passionate about and helping her achieve her goals. I get the same support 100% in return, and it just makes things a little bit easier knowing you have someone in your corner at all times.
The End
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