There is a Maren Morris song I am quite fond of. It is called “The Bones” and it explains that any relationship will endure and prosper despite obstacles as long as the foundation is strong.

When the bones are good, the rest don’t matter. Yeah, the paint could peel, the glass could shatter.

As I sit here and reflect on four years of marriage to the best girl I know, I think we got good bones. I went back and read the anniversary blog post I wrote on our third anniversary and realized that the three factors I attributed to our solid marriage cultivated themselves even more over the past year…

It has been a blessed fourth year of marriage

From Husband and Wife to Parents – A year ago, I mentioned that having a baby so early in our marriage strengthened it more than the common notion of weakening it. Sloan gave us a shared love but also motivated us to make sure our marriage was strong for her. This sentiment doubled over the past year with the birth of Beau.

Our family grew and so did the strength of our marriage.

The Best Examples – I can never say it enough. Learning how it is done from parents who are in long, loving marriages is extremely advantageous. This year, we got an even greater perspective on these strong marriages because we lived with both Sid’s parents and my parents for periods of time.

It has been a blessing to learn about what it takes to build a strong marriage from our parents.

Marriage Rooted in the Church – Making a commitment to each other and to God in his sacred place guided our marriage in the right direction from the onset. But over the past year, Sid and I took a serious journey in becoming closer to God. We took RCIA classes together that resulted in Sid’s conversion to Catholicism and my own increased faith. This only increased the bonds of our holy union.

With a marriage rooted in the Church, how can’t it be successful?

But it wasn’t just the reinforcement of these three tenets that kept our marriage healthy over the past year. Rather, it was also the emergence of an additional principle.

I am talking about the need to trust each other and take risks.

Sid and I made the biggest decision of our marriage to pack up and move across the country. We had a safe, nice life in Myrtle Beach. We also had a brand new son who was adjusting to the world. But we knew an opportunity awaited.

Seizing the opportunity entailed many leaps of faith. But after manufacturing the move, saying many difficult goodbyes, living apart for eight weeks, and adjusting to a new normal, the bones are as strong as ever.

After eight weeks apart, we were re-united in time to spend the last month of our fourth year of marriage together.

Happy anniversary, Sid! I am so honored and thankful to be married to you. Four years down, forever to go. Don’t Blink.