Dearest Benjamin,

I thought we'd reached the pinnacle of our love on this day, three years ago... but since then, you've taken me from the mountain top up into the clouds! Darling, I love you more today than ever before. 

Sure, we worked through our squabbles and disagreements, like anyone else. But because of your meekness and gentleness in the midst of trials, I always come out loving you even more. 

 God is constantly opening my eyes to the many blessings, big and small, that I've received through you...and my heart overflows with gratefulness. 

The greatest blessing is the visible evidence that Christ is truly your treasure. When I wake in the wee hours of the morning to tend to Henry and you're not beside me in bed, I know that you're already up reading and studying your bible. 

Many a time I have walked into the spare bedroom and discovered you there, kneeling beside the bed, in prayer... and it's brought tears to my eyes. 

I have loved our recently developing family devotions, as you lead us in prayer and reading the word. And though I laughed a bit and felt a teeny bit awkward at first, I'm now especially loving the aspect of singing together, with the boys, in family worship. 

You have a love for learning, and your ever-expanding library makes this quite evident. When an Amazon prime package shows up on the doorstep, it's almost always another book. I love that you share what you're learning with me, whether it's an excerpt from one of 9Marks new books or a link to a DesiringGod article. I love it when we break out into theological discussions and the back and forth of opinion that follows. Your words are engaging, and you draw out my perspective on things. 

You have a discipling mindset-- one that wants to see fellow believers grow and flourish in their relationship with Christ.  Conversations with you are spiritually driven and exhorting in nature. I love listening in. You're so passionate about the gospel. 

You are my calm when things are going haywire. Over and over, I've heard you say, "It'll be ok, Babe, just take a deep breath." And it's just what I've needed at that very moment. You know when I'm stressed you do whatever to help lighten my load.  

You're a very detailed person, and your work is very meticulous--no matter what you're doing. For instance, you iron, I don't... ok, maybe I do, like twice a year.   

Ok, can I brag on your cooking skills for a min? How is it that you can think up recipes off the top of your head, and they actually taste good? I, on the other hand, try to be a cool chef... so I substitute sour cream when we run out of milk for the pancakes. It's dairy, right? No, that was not ok. You love the challenge of making a complicated recipe. I don't. I dump dressing on greens, and that's my salad. You gather 14 ingredients and spend 20 min throwing together an amazing Greek salad that tops any Mediterranean restaurant around. 

You're my motivator for lifestyle habits such as healthy eating and working out. I definitely eat wayyy less McDonalds french fries and cheeseburgers now. Haha! They just taste so good! Hey, and you even gave up our original steakhouse idea and treated me to whopper from Burger King on last year's anniversary... because I hadn't had one in years, and it was a "pregnancy craving". 

Dinner dates with you are great, and I love that you get me out of my comfort zone and encourage me to try new things. I am a creature of habit, but you rarely ever order the same thing twice. I remember one dinner date early in our marriage, finishing my food quickly... because I eat rather fast. And then I looked over, and there you are, taking your time. You told me "I like to really enjoy my food--savor the flavors." Seeing your food there, I felt I had room for a few more bites, so I grabbed my fork and took a few nibbles.

You: "Uhh Babe, are you still hungry, 'cause we can order you some more food?"

Me: "No, not much. It's just sorta romantic to snatch bites of food from your plate, ya know? I don't do this to anyone else!" 

You were so kind to oblige. 

"Aww, well you take as much as you want, Lovey." And you still offer me bites of your food to this day! I know it may sound dumb, but that really makes me feel loved. This is one of those little things that I just love about you. The underlying reality is bigger than a bite of your steak or sip of your Mocha latte. Maybe it's connected to the feeling a girl gets when she wears her guy's t-shirts, or when he offers her his jacket on a cold day. Thanks for these little selfless expressions of love. 

You're one of the most down-to-earth and humble people I know. I love that we have fun and laugh together. I love your made-up jokes and your cheesy play on words. You have me laughing out loud all the time. I genuinely love your sense of humor. 

The list of the things I love about you is endless. I am forever being reminded of just how incredibly blessed I am to call you mine. 

Happy anniversary, Benjamin. 

I think the world of you!

Love,

Jes

Our sweet Henry is seven months old now! He is a precious baby and we are thankful for him! 

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