This, is love.

On a Sunday the three of us occasionally pop into the city first thing and get a hot chocolate  – mainly because it’s the only thing open so early.

Even though he rolls his eyes at every song my husband puts on BBC Radio 2 while we are in the car because he knows I like it. On the way home Steve Wright’s Sunday Love Songs is usually on. For those not familiar it’s a blend of “classic love songs, dedications and real-life romance stories” (that sound you hear is my husband pretending to be sick).

Being something of a romantic, the tales of enduring love make my heart sing. Sometimes I even find myself getting a bit teary at the proclamations. You know the sort, “You are my rock”, “I love you more every day” or “My life would be incomplete without you”. I’ve always wanted the big romance; the pretty words written in fountain pen, a gondola ride in Venice at sunset, the bouquets of flowers just because…but I know those things, while lovely, are not what it’s all about in the long run. However, in my quest for grand gestures I think I overlook the smaller, although no less lovely, things that happen every day and that’s a shame because I know I’m missing the point.

Mark lives in fear that one day he will be the subject of a blog post because he thinks it will be one long moan. And that’s my fault, I do moan, often because I am knackered, but I rarely comment on something nice he has done and he does do nice things. Lots of them.

Anyway, today, on our fifth wedding anniversary and seven years since our first date, his fear becomes a reality because this post is about him – although hopefully it isn’t quite what he was expecting.

Here are one big and 10 smaller reasons why, for me, this is love.

1. The biggest one is that he moved 150 miles away from his family and friends (and beloved West Brom FC) to be with me despite the fact that he dislikes change.
2. He supports me no matter how outrageous the thing I say I want to do. If I said I wanted to go to the moon he would probably Google “how to make a DIY rocket” and hit eBay to source the parts.
3. He is a good dad. He gives Freya her bath every night when he gets in from work and I love listening to their silly conversations and the stories and often ridiculous songs he makes up for her in a bid to get her to clean her teeth.
4. I trust him completely. Thanks to a previous cheating boyfriend I was very wary and suspicious of men but, aside from the fact that he doesn’t have the time or energy to get up to any funny business, I know he just wouldn’t because he is honorable and trustworthy.
5. No one makes me laugh as much as he does (see photo).
6. I like that people feel able to tell him about their problems. He is a good listener and rarely passes judgement.
7. No matter how random or silly a question I ask (and there are many), he will always consider it and give me an answer.
8. He holds my hand. I’ve never really been one for PDAs but I like the fact the he will often reach for my hand as we walk along or even during a rare minute sitting together on the sofa.
9. He provides very good tech support, will answer any math related questions and proof read my copy free of charge.
10. I have accused him of being thoughtless, like when he didn’t bother about marking my first Mother’s Day (because I told him not to bother about Mothers Day) but I don’t take into account all the little things he does throughout the year. For example, he will occasionally surprise me by bringing me a lovely lunch home even though it means he doesn’t have time to eat his own.
11. He puts up with me. Despite the fact that I believe myself to be calm and laid back (if he is reading he will be laughing hysterically at this point) I fear that I am often fiery and it’s not always an entirely rational response. He puts out the fire by not fanning the flames, which infuriates me at the time but probably means I don’t say a lot of things I would later regret.

Happy anniversary, my love.