I love you always forever Near and far closer together Everywhere I will be with you Everything I will do for you

Over the last few days Remy and I had a chance to celebrate our 4 year wedding anniversary. Four years! It's been such an amazing experience. It has been so much fun celebrating this weekend and has been my favorite anniversary weekend extravaganza yet!

Thursday (May 24) was our actual anniversary and we kicked off with dinner on our deck. (sidenote: When I came home from being out Remy had my favorite flowers waiting for me, so that's actually what kicked it off.) We hung around the house for a bit before we went over to our friends Laura and Chris' house. They generously offered us a BOGO coupon to go see a movie (The Hunger Games- we read the series together so we thought it was fitting). We got to the movie theater (side note: We went to the 10pm showing because you know...WE CAN!), grabbed our snacks, hurried in (thinking we were late) only to find that we had the whole place to ourselves. It was so much FUN! I have never had that happen before. I mean I have had it come close with a late straggler ruining everything but this was a first. I was able to describe without whispering awkwardly in his ear, we were able to make inappropriately timed jokes, and yell out spoilers. Once we got home we sat on the couch and snuggled and talked. We talked about everything and laughed and just enjoyed each others company into the wee hours of the morning.

Friday- Ain't no party like a Chartier party because a Chartier party don't STOP! ( I mean I am a Zigler and we are known as the partiers!) ANYWAY so we continued the party on Friday evening. We got ready and snapped some pictures (and by some I mean like 50,000 but you will only see 2) and headed out for dinner.

We went to the Rendezvous (which we love!) and had fantastic food. We even got a free dessert once they found out it was our anniversary, bonus! We then walked down by the waterfront and stayed for the sunset. Isn't living by the ocean the best?
 

Once we came home we watched a show from our DVR (Touch) because some of us are too old to stay up for a movie (*cough* Remy *cough* Does anyone have a hard candy? I seemed to have developed a cough.) When the show was over we light some candles, popped open our non-alcoholic bubbly, and ate our traditional anniversary cake. After the cake was eaten we gave each other our anniversary gifts. We each wrote each other a letter and then read it.  Remy went first (of course I cried)

My Dearest Chelsea,

            Four years and more have come and gone since I knew I loved you. It’s hard to believe we’ve been through so much. In all honesty I can’t help but marvel that you’re still with me. I know you think I’m silly, but there it is. You’re everything I always dreamed of in a wife, and everything I never found in another person. No one has ever treated me with so much respect, love and kindness.

I know I’m not always the best at showing it, but I appreciate everything you do. From making our houses feel like homes, to taking me everywhere, to being someone I can talk to and rant at. All of it makes me realize how lucky I am. I only hope I mean half as much to you as you do to me.

I love all the little jokes and sayings we have which nobody else gets. I love that we can be a world unto ourselves one day, and good friends and adventurous wanderers the next. I know you don’t always enjoy those latter times in the moment, but they always make for amusing memories to reflect upon. I love that you are so patient and kind to everyone, even though I know sometimes you probably want to throw things at them.

            I am a better person after having met you. I can sense the changes within me, though I know I have a long way to go. You have helped shape me into someone closer to who I always wanted to be. You have taught me to express myself, to compliment, and to put other people first. Because of you, I am more confident and hopeful. I love you for all of that, and for just being you. I know this is only the beginning of our life together, and I look forward to the next four – the next forty – the next four thousand years.

With all my love,

Remy – your eternal husband.

And then it was my turn (and of course I cried)

To my dearest husband,

Four years! Isn’t that crazy to think about. Is some ways it seems to have gone by so fast and in other ways it feel like we’ve always been together, we’ve always been us.  This letter may have a few clichés but it’s only because I feel they really describe how I feel and they are going to come straight from my heart. I hope I am able to express to you how much I love you and how much you mean to me.

I love you more now than the day we got married. As I was growing up I knew I wanted to be married. I really really wanted to have a husband and home. I planned my wedding (oh dear heavens did I ever!) but I never once in the process forget that once the wedding was over I would be married. I found both of the ideas fun and exciting (the wedding and the being married).  I tried to prepare for marriage by learning homemaking skills and reading lots of ensign articles about what makes a good marriage. With all my preparation and planning (as with most things in life) I had no idea what marriage would really be like. I could never have imagined, certainly hoped but never imagined, that it would be so wonderful, so rewarding, and such a blessing in my life.

Throughout our marriage (well so far because it’s not like we’re done or anything) you have taught me so much.  I am constantly amazed at how much I am learning from you.  I am only going to touch on a few of those things in this letter but please know you have and still are teaching me so much. One of the most powerful lessons I have learned through being married to you is service.  You are so willing to do whatever I ask, always so willing to help me in any way you can, and always so willing to get me whatever I need. I knew that we would need to serve each other in our marriage but in my young selfish state I was worried “If I put his needs before my own, who will take care of me?”  I never should have worried because you have done the same. You are constantly putting my needs first and with both of us looking after each other it has made for a happy marriage. If we ever get asked what makes for a happy marriage I will tell them- service.

You have taught me how to become the woman I want be. This might sound a little strange but hear me out. As we both know, I have a gentle and sensitive personality. It’s simply how I was made and you recognize those qualities in me.  You not only recognize those traits but you let me be those. You have never belittled my sensitivity or made me feel less because of my gentleness.  You have allowed me to understand that those are my greatest strengths. Not every husband would. Not every husband would hold me as I cry when I think of the homeless people in the winter, or smile when I talk about something that has especially touched my heart.  You have allowed me to blossom as a woman and because of that I feel like I can more fully fill my role as a wife and someday mother.

You have also taught me to become a better wife. By being a kind and gentle husband it has made me want to be a kind and gentle wife. Even when we have moments where we encourage one another do improve on a behavior you are always so gentle and kind with me.  You make me want to be better.

Neither of us has seen a good example of how marriage is “suppose” to be and I love that we are winging it together.  I think so far so good!  I love you so much and I can’t wait to see how the rest of our lives turn out and where life takes us.  I hope we can keep learning from each other, learning about each other (crunchy peanut butter), and growing together.  I am so excited that I get to keep you for eternity!

Your loving wife

After we read our letters we reminisced about the last four years and made predictions about what our next year will look like. We still have a few things planned yet (like checker on Sunday) but so far it's all been amazing.
 

 Any great ideas on how we should spend our next one? I mean 5 YEARS!

P.S. When I was trying to figure out what song title to use for this post this song came on the radio while we were driving home from the waterfront. Fate? I think so!