Trey's Top 3 of the Last 5

In thinking about the upcoming milestone that Bri and I will share this Saturday, I decided that I wanted to write a blog to share with all of you about my thoughts on Bri and our marriage. I thought about writing a super-sappy love story about how Bri is my soul-mate or perhaps a letter to her for all to read; however, for whatever reason, neither seemed to be the right fit for the task at hand. I mean, of course, she is my soul-mate, my best friend, my true love, my rock, my encourager, my.....everything good and wonderful you can think of to describe a wife- and I think that most of you who know us, know this to be true. So for me to reiterate this fact, though it might be meaningful, does not add to the story that is our life.

Instead, I want to tell you about three of my favorite things from the last 5 years and why I hold these things (and Bri) in such precious esteem. Though not necessarily my favorite exact moments- and certainly not my only treasured moments- these are moments that stand out to me in our everyday lives that remind me of the true blessing we have in each other.

Moment 1: Breakfast

My initial thought on this category was food in general- because we have indeed shared a lot of wonderful times involving every meal- but I changed my mind in the midst of our scrumptious bagel and coffee breakfast at Brewbakers in Madison this past Saturday morning. As we sat there enjoying the New York City-style bagels, chatting it up about holiday shopping and plans, I thought back to all the great breakfasts we have had over the past five years: French toast or sausage biscuits on Thanksgiving and Christmas mornings with our families, Mama's on the Square in San Fran, bagels and coffee in New York City, Seafood omelettes at the Lighthouse Cafe in Sanibel, countless random spur-of-the-moment trips to Cracker Barrel and Panera Bread.....the list goes on and on!

And although the majority of the time the food is great, that's not what makes this meal stand out above the rest. Its the conversation- generally rested and open- not weighed down by a day full of work or travel, not filled with stress or worry- just me and Bri- our thoughts, plans, dreams all out in the raw and unhindered. Tie this in with the fact that when we are able to eat breakfast together we are usually able to spend the day together and it becomes easy to see why this meal is so special.

Moment 2: Laughter

This probably comes as a surprise to no one- I love to laugh. I love to make people laugh- but above all, I love to make Bri laugh. Her smile is one of my favorite things about her. It is like a Red Bull (energy drink) of joy and happiness, a fire extinguisher of anger and fear, and has a homemade-quilt-like ability to calm my nerves and alleviate my pain. Our laughter is so sacred to me- and yet, it is ridiculously commonplace. We both believe that laughter is an essential part of daily life. We are both unbelievably clumsy and un-graceful (our poor kids!) and are more than willing to point it out in order to cue up a chuckle. We enjoy funny movies and TV shows (we are loyal watchers of "The Office"). We are both willing to go to embarrassing lengths to get the other to laugh- especially after bad days or disagreements....times when laughter is perhaps needed the most! We both feel that the best way to spend time with friends is to spend time laughing (we, by the way, have some amazing friends that love to laugh, and love to make us laugh!).

Laughter, though not the most original choice, is one of the strongest bonds that Bri and I share and a bond that I pray we will celebrate as much on our 50th anniversary as on our 5th.

Moment 3: Traveling

Bri and I love to travel. When we got married 5 years ago, we set this aside as a priority in our relationship. Not only have we traveled a good bit, but we have plans to travel to different places in different ways, with different people, based on our life stage and ability to do so.
Travel, for us, is not only an escape, but a renewing of love. You see, Bri and I travel very well together (except when I miss a turn, or four) but the reason that travel is significant to our love and relationship (thus, making my top 3) is that we like to do different things on our trips! I am a photographer, so much of what I want to do on our trips revolves around taking pictures- this means a lot of walking and a lot of standing in one place to get the right shot. Bri, on the other hand, is more of a relaxer- hanging out by the pool or on the beach, going to shopping areas and browsing around. On the surface- we couldn't be more wrong for each other when it comes to travel....and yet- our union couldn't be any better.

On almost every trip we have ever taken, we both put on a coat of patience and selflessness (this is much more difficult for me, as Bri pretty much sports this coat 24/7) and hit the town (or beach)! Our trips become an amazing blend of shared interests and compromise. Bri is endlessly patient while I snap pic after pic, and I let go of my "go!go!go!" travel philosophy to enjoy an early night at the hotel to watch TV and relax. Sometimes, getting what we both want means not being together- so, on many trips, we split up for a couple of hours to indulge ourselves in our respective passions. This may not sound terribly romantic to you- but this willingness on both of our parts to recognize that the other needs/wants something different out of the trip is one of the greatest things bout our marriage! Along the way, we make sure we find tons of common interests and great places to eat- we share time, laughs, frustrations (these usually occur in the airports!), great food, wonderful experiences, and each other's passions in an effort to not only re energize ourselves individually, but also as husband and wife.

Looking back, I am amazed at how much we have grown as a couple. Five years, ago- I would have told you there wasn't much growing to be done- after all, we dated for over 6 1/2 years before we got married! And yet, despite the lengthy courtship, I couldn't have been more naive about our need for growth. I know that as time goes on, we will grow more- in ways which I can't imagine. I can't fathom admiring, respecting, and loving Bri more than I do now, yet I know that I will as time goes on.

Happy Anniversary, Bri. Thank you for being my wife and best friend. I love you.