5 years ago (in June)....I married my best friend...

5 years...5 wonderful and blessed years...5 incredible and memorable years...5 years of marriage. June 25, 2005 I became Mrs. Philip John Justiss! I love the sound of that!!

I am one blessed girl. I am one wonderfully blessed girl. When I say I am in love with my husband and he is my blessing from above, it is an understatement... God is so good and has blessed me beyond measure in my marriage. God's love is poured out daily to me through the words and actions of my husband. He is a Christian. He is loyal. He is constant. He is loving. He is forgiving. He is understanding. He is patient. He is supportive. He is encouraging. He is compassionate. He is passionate. He is uplifting. He is faithful. He is my best friend. He is a listener. He is incredible. He is strong. He is healthy. He is adventurous. He is love. He is never jealous. He is knowledgeable. He is brilliant. He is challenging. He is all I ever dreamed of. He is an answer to many prayers. He has a heart of prayer. He is devoted. He is a wonderful father. He is firm in his faith. He is everything...

I love my husband more than I can ever put into words. He brightens my day. He challenges me to be a better person daily. He encourages me more than he realizes. He supports me in whatever I'm doing. He believes in me. I love how he enjoys cooking and spending time in the kitchen. I love how he's always trying new recipes and techniques. He is full of surprises. I love his love of reading and how fast he can dive into a book and become so entranced that all the world around him melts. I love his constant desire to learn. I love the example he sets for our boys. He is constant reminder of love. I love to watch him spend time playing with William, even if it's two seconds after he walks in from a long day at the office. He's always giving. I love how he can relax on the couch and just be. I love to pile on the couches with him and spend time watching t.v. shows or movies together. I love how he tries extra hard to be extra quiet in the mornings as to not wake me. I love how he gives me a kiss every morning and tells me to have a great day before he leaves for work. I love how he knows I am not a morning person and understands that I am slow to get moving first thing in the morning. I love how he factors in an extra 10 mins of prep time for me when he says "we need to leave in 20 mins"...that really means 30! It's not that I spend a lot of time primping, but I take extra time to get everyone else ready, then spend about 5 mins on myself...so he allows an extra "cushion" for me. I love how he's there when times get tough. With every struggle we face, he's there to lift me and hold me in those loving and strong arms and say "I'm here, we will get through this"...whether it be the loss of a loved one, sickness, sadness, financial or just being down on myself...he's there to reassure me that we will pull through. I love how he reaches for my hand when we pray. I love the fact that we both believe in saying the blessing to give thanks before a meal. I love his tender heart. I love how he dives head first into our Bible study lessons and always leave a sermon ready for a discussion. I love his faith. I love knowing he's lifting me in prayer. He is outstanding. I love him for who he is. I love how his hair has a certain "flip" to the back when it begins to get a little shaggy. I love his Auburn hat. I love his plain flip-flops, because that's who he is. I love how he can sit and listen to me ramble on and on about my day and all the little details...b/c let's face it...I can get lost in all the little details. He patiently listens and remembers my stories. He has such a huge heart and a gentle spirit. I am blessed to have his heart. He chose me as his wife. He chose me.

Wowie...I'm sitting here with tears streaming down my face. Yep. That's me...crying over my love for my husband. I don't want to go back and edit or rearrange any of the above, b/c I want to capture how my thoughts just poured out...it may or may not make sense, but it's what God laid on my heart. It's how I feel about my husband. I pray one day my sons will appreciate my words about the love I have for their father. I pray they can see into this window of our lives.

It's been seven years since we met. Seven incredible years. Philip proposed after a year of dating and we were married within nine months. As of June 25th, we've been married five years now, and they have been beyond my expectations. We had the most perfect wedding ever...in my opinion. Looking back, I truly felt like the most beautiful bride in the world and felt so on top of the world. Little did I know that my life would not only continue to be wonderful, but be better than I ever dreamed. My husband makes sure of it. He does spoil me, but not in the sense of high-maintenance. I will venture to say that I am not a high maintenance girl, and I hope this is a fair statement. He spoils me with quality time and unexpected surprises. I can't quite seem to put this into words...it's like when he can tell it's been a long day, he'll send me to take a long, hot bubble bath or let me sleep in some on a weekend. Or, he'll suggest sunset on the beach when he can tell I've become too wrapped up in housework or playing at home with my boys. He'll cook my favorites on a whim, just b/c he knows it will put a smile on my face. Even if he's not up for a picture, he'll put a smile on his face for me so I can capture the moment b/c he knows how much I love pictures. He just knows how to make me smile...

Philip, I love you dearly. I will always love you dearly. Here's to 5 wonderful years together and endless years ahead.

And for the record, this year, as a traditional gift (wood) he gave me a white, wicker rocking chair for the front porch. This is perfect! At the time of our anniversary, I was 9 months pregnant. This gift has been priceless! I (we) have spent many a hrs. out there, rocking and holding our new baby, while watching our other baby play. He thought of me and picked something so "me". Gifts are not the main point, it's the thought put into the gift. Also, for the "just because" gift this year, he gave me a stationary stamp with our address and name. I've been wanting one for a while, and since he knew I would be writing thank you notes and doing birth announcements, he chose this gift. He is always thinking of me and ways to brighten my day. I gave him a butcher's block for his wood traditional gift. He's been wanting on and needed one for his master chef skills. I was tickled to surprise him with this, knowing his love for cooking. It completes our kitchen, and reminds me of the little things that help make him who he is. For his "just because" gift, I gave him a new pizza peel as well as an acrylic canister for his coffee beans. He loves making homemade pizza and it's always a treat for us, so I wanted him to have a nice pizza peel. The coffee bean canister was to match his canister for espresso beans, both of which I engraved with a "c" for coffee and "e" for espresso. Again, all for his love of foods, and just to put a smile on his face. We enjoy surprising each other with gifts, anticipating the smiles...

I love my husband, and I know my husband loves me. I am so very thankful for the man he is and for who he is in my life. Happy 5th Anniversary!