25 down, eternity to go

Yesterday was my 25th wedding anniversary. I hate to say "silver" because that implies old, and gray, which I am, but will forever be in denial. If your thinking I didn't post this yesterday cuz I was out celebrating my big day with my man, out having a good time with the little surprise I planned for him, well...you would be wrong.

I spent the night with the other 'Biggest Losers', and no, I wasn't too 'Glee' about it. I would have gladly given up my tuesday night shows to be out on the town, but it wasn't meant to be. The stars were not aligned in our universe and things just didn't work out the way they were supposed to. So instead, we let Chef Boyardee prepare us a nice little romantic italian dinner (mini-ravioli), then Tary and Trey went to scouts, while I sat home alone, just me and my thoughts, thinking how much I love my husband and reflecting on all the wonderful years we've had thus far.

Yeah right. I was flipping back and forth between my two favorite shows, enjoying the uninterrupted "Me" time. I must admit I was a little disappointed things didn't turn out the way I expected them too, but then again, if there's one thing I've learned in the 25 years of marriage, it's this: If you don't expect anything, you'll never be disappointed when that's all you get.

Here are 25 more little words of marriage wisdom I've learned over the years:

1. Always check the direction of the toilet seat in the middle of the night before you sit down.
2. When you ask him what he wants for dinner and he says he doesn't care, be prepared after you've made him something. That's when he'll tell you what he really wanted.
3. When you ask him what he wants for dinner and he says "anything you want to make", make a phone call and order out.
4. Don't try to spend as much money on your hobbies as he will on his; I know it's not fair.
   
5. Life isn't fair, get over it.
6. Dancing in the kitchen is much more fun with a partner.
7. Painting your bedroom pink while the husband is away on an expensive out of state hunt WILL deter him from ever doing it again.
   
8. Don't expect oohs and aahs from your man after showing him your latest craft project. That's what friends and sisters are for.
9. "That's nice dear" is man talk for "That is awesome! You are so talented! You always amaze me!"
10. Never be too tired to stay up all night talking and giggling.
11. Men will deny that they giggle.
    
12. Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate, but through being the right mate. ~Barnett R. Brickner
13. Choose your love, then love your choice.
    
14. All marriages are happy. It's the living together afterward that causes all the trouble. ~Raymond Hull
15. Never feel remorse for what you have thought about your wife; she has thought much worse things about you. ~Jean Rostand, Le Mariage, 1927
16. Marriage means commitment. Of course, so does insanity.
17. Don't smother each other. No one can grow in shade. ~Leo Buscaglia
18. The husband who doesn't tell his wife everything probably reasons that what she doesn't know won't hurt him. ~Leo J. Burke
19. Married life teaches one invaluable lesson: to think of things far enough ahead not to say them. ~Jefferson Machamer
20. A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers. ~Ruth Bell Graham
21. I have learned that only two things are necessary to keep one's wife happy. First, let her think she's having her own way. And second, let her have it. ~Lyndon B. Johnson
22. Before marriage, a man declares that he would lay down his life to serve you; after marriage, he won't even lay down his newspaper to talk to you. ~Helen Rowland
23. Why does a woman work ten years to change a man's habits and then complain that he's not the man she married? ~Barbra Streisand
    
24. The best way to remember your wife's birthday is to forget it once. ~H.V. Prochnow
25. If you want to be loved, you have to be lovable. ~ Ruth Mills (my mom, best advice I ever got)

In all fairness, my husband did surprise me with this beautiful necklace!



And Skip and Faun surprised my husband with his elk head that Skip so beautifully taxidermied. Thanks to them, Tary went to bed a happy man.

And I started working on my new list:

26. Never tell your husband he can decorate the basement anyway he wants, just so long as he gets it finished.