Today Justin and I celebrate 8 years of marriage. Before marriage, we were high school sweethearts and dated for 5 years. Marriage is such a beautiful thing, but it's not always a walk in the park. Here is what I've learned from 8 years of Marriage.

1) I have learned to have a closer relationship with God than with my husband- God should always be anyone's top priority and should always come first. There are times that we put other things before God and when we do, it seems nothing ever works out the way that it should. When I put God first and my husband second, things tend to go more smoothly.

2) Pick your battles- Not everything is worth fighting over. There is no use in sweating the small stuff and starting an argument over every little thing. This has been a hard one for me. I have a tendency to get mad over some of the smallest things for really no reason at all.

3) Accepting my husband for who he is- This is something that all married couples need to do. We need to accept our spouses for who they are. They were who they were when we married them. There is no point in trying to change them now. However, I do wish my husband would change his habit of not putting his clothes in the laundry basket. They always have a tendency of ending up in the floor or all throughout the house. However, I love him anyways.

4) It's Okay to have different hobbies- My husband is a racer and loves to watch races. In fact, he prefers to stay at the race track 24/7. I prefer to be out in nature, particularly at the lake or hiking. I enjoy going on different adventures and seeing different things in nature. I love nature photography. I  go with my husband to support him and watch him race, but I don't always go. He goes with me sometimes as well. It's okay to enjoy different hobbies and be your own person. Make time for yourself.

5) Make time for each other- This one is a hard one, especially when you have children. Justin and I always try to fit in one or two date nights a month just so we can have some alone time and reconnect. I can't stress this one enough. It is very very important to make time for each other. Many marriages suffer because people don't make time for each other.

6) Be forgiving- None of us are perfect. The only person that is perfect is Christ. God forgives us when we sin, so we should learn to forgive our spouses.

7) Never go to bed angry- I've went to bed angry on more than one occasion and it's never been a good thing. No matter how mad I am anymore, I always let Justin know that I love him and kiss him goodnight. Life is too short to be angry all the time.

8) Stop having the last word- I always have had to have the last word in an argument. In fact, I never know when to be quiet and just let it go. This is still a work in progress but I am getting better at this one. It's hard to be quiet when there are so many things you want to say, but words hurt worse than anything else and can't be taken back once they have been said.

9) Social Media needs to be last- So many times we get on social media and before we know it, an hour or two has passed. This is time we should be using to spend with our spouses and children. Take the time to make memories. Social Media can wait!

10) My husband is very opinionated- Justin has always been very opinionated. If I really don't want his opinion, I don't ask for it. He can be brutally honest at times. A lot of times I don't want to hear what he has to say lol. However, I do appreciate his honesty. I'm glad he is the way he is.

11) My husband is my best friend- No matter what, I know my husband is my best friend. I can confide in him when I can't anyone else. He is my partner and soulmate. I would rather spend time with Justin and our son Raylan than anyone else. When I'm with Justin, I am home. Even though he makes me more angry than anyone else in the world at times, he is the love of my life. Our love isn't perfect. It definitely has it's flaws, but it's perfect for me. I love this life and family that we have created together.

Happy Anniversary Justin! I pray that God blesses us with many more. I love you!