"I don't want to annoy anyone else Miss Vaughn, I want to annoy you."

This Sunday marks 12 years of marriage for Husband and I.

It is no surprise that after so many years together, I feel our relationship can best be summed up in a Billy Madison movie quote. Movie quotes are kind of our thing. In fact, Husband may be my only equal in remembering and quoting movie lines. I guess the larger point there is that he GETS me.
But anyways.
TWELVE years! Go us!

Photo credit : Traci Buck Photography

Look at that. Just a couple of kids in love. And clearly I married someone with a sense of humor, because, I mean...just look at those sideburns he had. 

Here we are, roughly 12 years, 2 kids, 8 houses, and countless date nights later. (Sans sideburns)

So it's been 12 years of Husband taking off his socks EVERY night, rolling them into a ball, and throwing them at me (double points for when he can get me in the face, of course).

12 years of him ruining all of my yawns by sticking his finger in my mouth mid-yawn. 

So gross.
Do you understand how annoying it is to have all your yawns interrupted? Do you have any idea? I can't even tell you...

It's been 12 years of him holding his hand up patiently for a high five and then dissing me the second I reciprocate. By now it's not even like I'm falling for it anymore- I know exactly what he's going to do. It's just that he'll leave his hand in the air for SO long, that I finally just give in. And then whoosh- my hand falls through the air at the last second, much to his delight.

12 years of me leaning in for a kiss- you know, really closing my eyes and leaning in- anticipating a good romantic kiss (or even just a regular kiss) only to be startled by him biting my lip or blowing air into my mouth, or letting his mouth hang slack while he pretends to have come down with a sudden bout of narcolepsy.
12 years of him letting me get into bed first, giving me a full ten seconds to get cozy in the dark, then leaning on the mattress so I think he's getting into bed (I mean he really commits), but actually he's just getting a good grip so he can yank the covers entirely off the bed in one swift motion.

  Much like a 5th grade boy, his efforts to annoy me are tireless and without bounds. 

I know, try not to be jealous. 

But here's the thing: It works.

 Somehow...it works. 

He knows how to make me laugh. And laughter is huge for me. 

I don't know if it's juvenile and ridiculous or if it's cute and funny, but banter is basically our love language.  Whether it's by getting a rise out of me, catching me off guard, or simply going to extreme lengths he can always make me laugh.
And THAT is invaluable. 

In our 12 years together we have had our share of real struggles. Our love has been seasoned with joys and hardships and it's grown down roots and weathered some storms. And I'm sure there will be more storms to come. But if I'm going to burrow down into a foxhole with someone until the storm passes, I want that someone to be him. 

He is my person. 

He is strong and tender and wise. He is clever and kind and good. But at the end of the day it's the
funny that I find so charming and adorable.
Do yourself a favor. Marry someone funny.

Also marry someone who looks good in a cowboy hat- should the occasion ever arise to wear a cowboy hat.