Marital Love

I'm writing this down so I will remember how much love I have for my husband.

It's been a good weekend. Not incredible by any typical definition, but really, really good. Saturday was chore day and Sunday was church day, but here are the reasons I fell in love with my husband again: 

*Every Saturday morning he picks up Bountiful Baskets for us. Every week, without fail. This time, he took 3 of the kids with him. 

*While I was doing laundry and getting chores done around here, he went to Costco for me. When he came home, he brought flowers! A nice, big, beautiful bouquet (Costco has good flowers!). Truth is, he brings me flowers at least once every 3-4 weeks. I love it. It's often a combination of daisies (my favorites) and it's always delightful. This one had a purple thistle in it:

*Saturday night, we went on a date and got sushi. I love our dates because we get a chance to just talk about all kinds of things. They aren't very epic and they don't last hours on end, but they are important. Our date nights are sacrosanct; our kids know it, too.

 *Sunday was a whirlwind (he had stake meetings, I had choir practice), but we tag-teamed bathing the boys and getting the kids ready for church (we meet at 1PM). And just tell me --what is it about a man dressed up in his finery? Sigh... Anyway...

*We try to sit by each other in Sacrament Meeting whenever we can. Sometimes the kids squirm between us, but yesterday it was nice to start out with 3 kids on one side of Brandon and 3 kids on the other side of me. #5 ended up squishing in between us (and then fell asleep), but I love sitting next to him at church. 

*He took #6 for me during Sunday School (I had to teach gospel doctrine), but I asked if he'd take him during Relief Society, too. It's been hard the last few weeks (he's getting so close to nursery age!) and I wanted to be able to sit and listen. Brandon didn't even bat an eye and said he'd keep him. It was incredibly nice!

*While I was teaching my lesson, we read this scripture (Doctrine & Covenants 121): 

41 No ^apower or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the ^bpriesthood, only by ^cpersuasion, by ^dlong-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;
 42 By ^akindness, and pure ^bknowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the ^csoul without ^dhypocrisy, and without ^eguile—
 43 ^aReproving betimes with ^bsharpness, when ^cmoved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of^dlove toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;

and I couldn't help but think of Brandon. I was overcome with love for him because when it comes to our children, I'm the one who is usually having to check my anger. Brandon tends to have more patience. 

*After church was a combination of watching old Disney movies, making nachos, and just sitting on the couch together, laughing at the antics of our kids (and dealing with their disobedience and sibling rivalry and... you know, typical stuff). At one point, I was playing the piano (just some Sonatinas or whatever) and I decided to play Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique, Second Movement (if you want to know what it sounds like, go here). I said to the kids, "This was the song your father was playing when I fell in love with him!" and he said, "and you're slaughtering it. Move over." I then said, "Haha! My evil plan has worked!" and moved to the couch. He then proceeded to play the entire movement (and honestly, that was my plan all along, dear reader. Brandon doesn't play the piano nearly enough anymore and this song will always mean so much to me because of how he played it when we met. I really think I did fall in love with him on the spot!). I just sat and listened with my eyes closed, loving the music.

*We sent the kids to bed, ate ice cream, kissed a lot (*blush) and then he left for the airport. Yep, he's traveling again (although just for you weirdos, I have an alarm system that is always armed, a vicious cat, neighbors who look out for me, and I may or may not have a gun... so stay away!).

So, there you go. I love my husband. I know it's realistic to say that our marriage isn't perfect (like when we were arguing during our date or when we disagreed on parental punishment, etc.), but I want to focus on why it's amazing. Because it is. I'm incredibly blessed to be married to such a gorgeous, hard-working, patient, kind-hearted, covenant-keeping, loving man. I know I married up, and although he will say the opposite, I don't think it's true. I'm truly blessed to have him by my side. I sure love you, Brandon.

Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.  ~Emily Brontë