Today is my 5th wedding anniversary. I can’t even believe it’s been 5 years already… August 3, 2013 will always be my favorite day. It is so important to remember to cherish moments, both big and small, because time really does go by in a blink. Luke and I have been through several moves, law school, job changes, and now pregnancy in our 5 years of being married and, while we definitely don’t have it all close to figured out, I do feel like we’ve learned a thing or two over the years (about ourselves and about each other). Today, I thought it would be fun to highlight 5 of my favorite memories since saying “I do” and to share 5 small things I’ve learned after 5 years of marriage. I’m also going to post a few wedding photos because that is still my favorite photo shoot ever. We did a day-after photo shoot too because I’m “extra” like that… but y’all, I can’t recommend it enough! This is a long one, so grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

My top 5 favorite memories:

1. Honeymoon: I mean obviously, right? But seriously this was the best trip in every way possible. We went to St. John in the Virgin Islands because that is where we met three years earlier on a mission trip with our church from college. Our stay was very different this time around, but the sentiment that came with going back to the place we met was such a fun addition to the trip. We stayed in our own bungalow at Caneel Bay—tropical perfection in every way! A few of the highlights: we took a private sunset sail; went on a day-trip to the British Virgin Islands; Luke stepped on a sea urchin; we snorkeled at all 7 beaches on the resort property; we snorkeled the famous Trunk Bay; Luke took us on a catamaran sail and didn’t quite know how to steer; we became obsessed with mongooses (they’re all over the property); Luke bought me a silver-and-gold bracelet that I still wear every single day; we got in our first married argument (yes on the honeymoon, but thankfully it was short-lived haha); and Luke busted out a speedo one day on the beach as a joke (a funny/not so funny joke). Seriously, the best trip!
2. Moving to Tennessee from Alabama: I struggled with this one a lot. Alabama was my home. I had lived in the state since I was 12, went to college there, married Luke there, have my parents there, visited my Mimi there, and had my friends there. I did not want to leave. It was down to two law firms for Luke… one in Birmingham and one in Nashville. Obviously, Nashville won and really was a better opportunity for him. After law school finished, it was time to pack up our little Alabama life and go. I moved with lots of hesitation and very little excitement. Fast forward to now, three years later, and I LOVE this city. The Lord has opened so many doors, given us many friendships, and blessed us beyond what we deserve. On top of that, we’ve been able to spend more time with Luke’s side of the family, which has been so special for both of us. I’ve often heard the phrase, “Sometimes the right thing isn’t always the easy thing,” and that definitely applies to me in this situation. The only downside to living in Nashville is being 6 hours aways from my parents—the distance still kills me, even three years in.
3. Year One of marriage in Tuscaloosa: We lived in Tuscaloosa, AL for our whole first year of marriage. I think it actually makes me say “War Eagle” with more pride than I already did haha. The amount of adjusting that was living in Tuscaloosa for a year in 2013-2014 would take me hours to write out. Yes we went to Auburn, and yes were and still are huge Auburn fans, but Luke went to Alabama for law school (when you get a scholarship to a great law school, you go). All football rivalry aside, I did not like the city of Tuscaloosa at all. But looking back, we made some of the sweetest memories there, made amazing friends there, and it was a place of so many firsts, so it will always hold a special place in my heart.
4. Having Nashville Predators Hockey season tickets: We did this for a half season (which in hockey is still a ton of games) back in 2016-2017. IT WAS SO FUN. We had the same seats for every game and got to know the other ticket-holders around us… it was like the perfect little hockey family. We also had playoff tickets to every game in our seats (I’ll never forget the triple-overtime game that lasted until 1 a.m.). This is when our love for hockey, especially Nashville Predators hockey, elevated to a whole new level. We passed on renewing for the next season, as we were trying to be more responsible and save more money for our house, but honestly we’ve missed our tickets ever since (and now they’re way more expensive so I don’t see it happening again any time soon). We still go to several games each season, but there’s nothing like having your own seats at the game… Those were some great nights at Bridgestone arena that we will certainly never forget.
5. Buying our first house: A real “couple milestone,” right? The Nashville housing market was/is insane, and finding a house that’s in your budget and desired area can be quite the challenge. It took us about six months of constant hunting to get one. We love our location and our house (despite the many things that have needed to be fixed or “gone wrong” since purchasing ha), and it is so exciting that this is where we’ll bring our son home to from the hospital. Home ownership is definitely not always easy or pleasant, but it’s so satisfying to look at what we have and the projects we’ve done and be thankful for the life we have built here together. We have been so blessed, and we give God all the glory for being able to call this spot in Brentwood, TN our home.
6. Finding out and telling Luke I was pregnant: I know this is thing #6, but I couldn’t help it. This was clearly was making the list, but I couldn’t pick anything else above to knock out. January 9th, 2018 was the day. I found out after I got home from work that afternoon (my sense of smell was outrageous and my mouth was super dry… I was a little suspicious so I took a test). Long story short: We went to a hockey game that night—dinner beforehand and I could hardly contain myself—and I told him using a Preds baby onesie from the team store. If you know us (especially Luke), you would know that telling him in a way that related to the Preds, especially by emphasizing that next season we would have another “hockey watching companion,” was the perfect way to bring him the news. He was so thrilled, and I will never forget the look on his face when he made the connection or him picking me up and spinning me around in front of everyone. That onesie is now hanging in Little Man’s closet, and I can’t wait to put him in it for a game this fall. It will bring back the sweetest memories from that night!

5 things i’ve learned:

1. Pray together: This would be my #1 piece of marriage advice to any couple. It’s something that we have done off-and-on throughout the years, but until this year, we would just pray individually more than together. In 2018, we started prioritizing praying together each evening and it has been the biggest blessing. Not only has it drawn us closer in our individual relationships with Jesus, it has strengthened our marriage and relationship with each other as well. There’s something about going to the Lord with your spouse in times of thanksgiving and in times of need that is so sweet and special. I treasure this time with Luke every evening. We are closer now than we have ever been, and I really believe that praying together has been a huge part of it.
2. Go on dinner dates: It sounds so trivial, but this can actually be hard sometimes. I’m not talking about riding to pick up Asian take-out or running into Chick-Fil-A on a whim because you don’t have time to get something cooked (although there is certainly nothing wrong with that). I’m talking about planning an evening in advance for the two of you do dinner together. It can be hard sometimes. Life is exhausting. It’s way easier to keep on your sweatpants and order pizza so you can just veg in front of the TV at the house. And, while those are often really fun nights too, there’s something about getting fixed up and going to dinner that is refreshing, and the quality of time is usually so sweet. It often takes me back to when we were dating in college and how fun and exciting it was to get ready to go to dinner on a date with my boyfriend. When we plan ahead for a date night, we almost always end up having great conversation and are able to just focus in on each other. It’s like an escape from all the other distractions of work or the thousand things we could be getting done if we were at the house.
3. Always put your husbands’ socks right-side-out before you roll up the pair: Of Luke’s many quirky preferences (still love ya, babe), one of the silliest to me is the aversion he has to finding inside-out socks in his sock drawer. We both pitch in on laundry duty, but I might as well have left all the laundry for him if I put his socks away inside-out haha. I can’t tell y’all how many times I’ve fought back laughter (and eye rolls) during his speeches about how it throws off his morning routine and how part of doing the laundry is folding and putting everything away properly. (To be fair, he always tries to fold my shirts the way I like them folded, even if he still doesn’t quite have it figured out after 5 years, God bless him…) All that to say, just trust me when I tell you to always turn socks right-side-out before putting them away—it takes all of 10 extra seconds, and it (apparently) makes a BIG difference. Haha
4. Communicate expectations: At different times, I’ve gotten upset because Luke didn’t do something that he “should have known” to do. But, more often than not, the reality is that he actually didn’t know what I wanted him to do in that particular situation. When this happens, it’s not usually because he doesn’t care or is insensitive, but because he’s a guy and his brain doesn’t work the same as mine… he simply didn’t think about it in the same way. Over the past 5 years, we’ve both learned that communicating expectations about what we need or expect—emotionally, relationally, or even in things like household chores (see: “sock-folding” above haha)—help us both to be happier and more satisfied with each other in the day-to-day things of life.
5. Never stop trying to impress or surprise your spouse: While your relationship is not always going to feel as new and exciting as when you were dating, it can absolutely still be just as fun (and even better) as long as you continue to put in the effort. I think a lot times, the more comfortable you get with someone, the easier it is to almost “let yourself go,” and while I definitely don’t always walk around the house in my Sunday best (sweats and no makeup reign supreme more often than not around here), I do still love to get dressed up and get a little giddy when Luke tells me how great he thinks I look. Something else that we like to do is surprise each other. It’s kind of like an unspoken challenge that we have going: see who can surprise the other more or the best. I’m eating my favorite Cold Stone ice cream as I type this because Luke surprised me with it when he came home tonight (a whole quart of it to be exact… Hallelujah!). Sometimes the surprises are small, and sometimes they’re big, but they’re always great because you know that your spouse was thinking about you.

It’s been an amazing first five years of marriage, and I’m so excited to see what the Lord has in store for us in the years to come. Praise God that I can say without hesitation that the verse I had engraved in Luke’s wedding ring still holds true:

“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine…”
Song of Solomon 6:3

xoxo.

All images captured by Jennifer Blair Photography.