30 reasons this relationship works

The Boy and I have been married for five and a half years this month, and while it's not that long in the grand scheme of things (my parents have been married 38 years next July) it's an accomplishment in this day and age. That's not to say I haven't learned a few things in our nearly 11 years together, because the lessons are there on a daily basis.

Things marriage has taught me:

1. He'll go out to snowblow in a blizzard not because it has to be done but because genetics say it's his duty to make sure that driveway is clear at ALL TIMES.
2. Underwear left on the bathroom floor in the morning is better than finding it kicked under the bed or a dresser. Choose your battles.
3. Sometimes he truly does not care if you did nothing but sit and play with the kids all day long and dinner is a $0.99 box of spaghetti and a jar of sauce you opened last week (as long as it still smells and tastes OK).
4. He takes pity on you when you get down on yourself, no matter the reason.
5. The relationship has gotten to the point that you love everything about each other, and even bathroom humor is acceptable.
6. Things are still fresh - we can debate about various subjects more now than when we were both smart kids attending college with plans to rule the world.
7. Star Trek.
8. Marvel Comics.
9. Marley & Me.
10. Making babies is only part of the fun of being a parent when your partner in crime turns out to be an awesome dad/mom.
11. He'll learn to cook if you have the patience to teach him how to read a recipe.
12. Pancakes are his specialty.
13. Going to bed upset with one another isn't always a bad thing.
14. He'll go without new boots for work because there's a pile of bills that needs to be paid and groceries that need to be bought.
15. It's the little things - the kiss before he leaves for work, a gentle rub to his shoulders when the work stress is bountiful, snuggling in bed and just talking.
16. Even after two kids and a combined 23 months of breastfeeding he'd still choose your boobies to motorboat than anything fake and otherwise not yours.
17. You know all his ticklish spots.
18. Mt. Dew stopped being an important part of his diet when babies came along and the cost of Maxwell House made more sense.
19. He makes a mean pot of coffee (now, after some practice).
20. Clutter won't bother him nearly as much as it will you. And that will cause an argument, or at the very least a slight disagreement, every time you stress out about it.
21. No matter how stressful his day was, he'll still come home to the chaos and try to fix everything that went wrong during YOUR day.
22. He'll turn off all the lights in a room to save energy, even if you need to go right back in and turn them on again. This will cause some bickering, but it's worth it.
23. Motorcycles and leather jackets.
24. Unconditional love.
25. You're never too old, been together too long or too sober to act like kids.
26. Hand holding.
27. Scuba diving and cigar smoking.
28. A vacation can mean just taking a long drive together without the kids.
29. Communication.
30. He just gets you ... and loves you anyway.