Why I Love My Husband

In honor of our third anniversary coming up on Tuesday, I want to share a little bit about our marriage and why I love my husband.

To preface this post, this past Wednesday, Cody and I were laying in bed and he was giving me a hard time about something (I can’t even remember what now) and I looked over at him and said, “What is it that you actually love about me?” He kind of brushed it off and said he loves a lot of things about me. I am not going to lie, I was hoping for a little bit more specific of an answer. I had forgotten about the conversation the next morning, until I received the text message below.

This gesture is Cody in a nutshell. He doesn’t let a day go by without letting me know in some way or another that he loves me. There are many ways that he shows me love. Some days, it is as blatant as him saying so, but most days it is in his subtle actions; he will get the newspaper from the mailbox on Sunday mornings when it is snowing out, stop at the store on his way home from work if I have forgotten something, take an annoying amount of food pictures for me when I am working on a new recipe, details my car when it needs it, get the coffee ready when I ask him to, consistently call and text me when he is traveling for work, and kisses me goodnight every night he is home, no matter what. Although words are nice, it is true that actions speak louder, and Cody’s actions speak love.

In return, I want to answer my original question for him. Like his response, there are many things I love about him, but below are just a few:

He cares about others more than he cares about himself. If you know Cody, you know how true this is. He cares more about others being happy, than anything else. He is that guy to buy a round of shots for everyone at the bar, foot the bill at dinner, cover the entire cost of a party, help you move at 8 am on a Saturday, call you a cab when you shouldn’t be driving, pick up the phone anytime you call, and help you in any situation possible. I think this is what I love about him the most and what I would consider to be his best quality. He genuinely puts others first.

He treats his parents with the upmost respect. Cody is such a good son. Don’t they say you can tell a man’s character by the way he treats his mom? This was one of the first ways I knew Cody was a keeper. He would do anything at the drop of a dime for his parents. I feel so lucky to have a husband that values family and that makes his a priority.

He is motivated to work hard. Cody is not afraid to work. I laugh about all of the odd jobs he worked when he was in high school and college. He used to clean carpets and would have to inspect them with a UV light prior to cleaning–this got interesting! He worked for the highway department at one point and would have to pick up road kill. Eeewww. He used to be a barista at The Daily Grind and Java Jungle, worked in the kitchen at Lucchese’s, and more. When he worked at Java Jungle, he accidentally used the wrong type of cleaner on the floor and stripped it–that was his last day there. 🙂 At Lucchese’s, he accidentally broke the pasta machine that was imported from Italy. I know from experience, you don’t want to make an Italian angry, so I can’t imagine this went well! There are more stories than that (believe me, he loves to tell them), but at the end of the day, the point is that he has never been afraid to work hard. He knows the value of hard work and because of his work ethic, we are able to enjoy things that we might not otherwise be able to.

He prays every night before bed. Cody wears a Saint Christopher medal around his neck. It was a gift from his Grandpa Brown, his mom’s dad. Every night, Cody says prayers and kisses the medal before he goes to bed. Although I don’t know what his prayer are, I feel comforted laying next to him as he says them. I value that fact that he is spiritual and has a relationship with God.

His smell. What is it about your partner’s smell? It is just the best. Curling up next to him after a long day and breathing in his scent is the best feeling. I don’t mean to copy his answers, but I had to use this one.

He is forgiving. Let’s just say, I am probably not the easiest person to be married to. I have a whole slew of hang-ups just like everyone else. When I make mistakes, run my mouth, or leave a trail of clutter behind me in the house, Cody forgives. He has an open heart and mind and takes his vows ‘for better or for worse’ seriously.

He is encouraging. Cody always encourages me to go for my dreams. He motivates me to be bold, not to take no for an answer, and to listen to my heart. He is a believer, dreamer, and a doer. Instead of focusing on the negative, he always focuses on the positive and believes in the future potential of all situations.

He is a good ‘doggie dad’. How silly is this? As a couple, Magic has brought us the most joy to date. It is unreal how much love Cody has for our dog. It makes me smile watching Cody care for, play with, and take care of Magic. The way he cares for Magic brings out his natural tendency to care for and love others. I know when the day comes that we are real parents, I will witness another level of love from Cody that I have yet to experience and that is exciting to think about.

I hope I am not embarrassing Cody by sharing this post. What kind of marriage would it be if I wasn’t proud of him or able to talk about his qualities that I love? It is true what they say about marriage not always being easy. Some days are downright right hard. In three short years, we have already been faced with situations we never thought we would have to encounter. Some days, we want to pull out each other’s hair. We have had blow-out fights. We have both taken our respected turns on the couch, although we usually crawl back into bed with each other. Our marriage is not perfect, but I do believe I have found the perfect partner in Cody.

I am thankful for Cody and all of his wonderful qualities. I am so glad he was placed in my life and am looking forward to many more anniversaries together. In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite pictures from our wedding.

What do you love about your spouse? I encourage you to share it with them. There is nothing better than making the day of another. Never underestimate the action of speaking kind words. Xo.