What do golden rings, the Great Lakes, fingers on one hand, and the marriage of Sid and Brent have in common?

You can put a “5” in front of each one.

Today, Sidney and I celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary. Although we have never been farther apart geographically for an anniversary, we have never been closer in our relationship. That type of stability can make a few thousand miles seem like nothing.

It was a beautiful feeling walking back up the aisle with Sidney after we were married.

The keys to our strong marriage, aside from the unshakeable love we have for one another, continue to be the same ones I outlined in our third anniversary and fourth anniversary blog posts: Outstanding examples from our parents, a matrimonial union rooted in the Church, and the gift of children.

There is not a day that goes by that those three blessings don’t have some type of influence on our relationship. As I look back on this latest year of marriage and think about what strengthened our marital bond beyond “the big/consistent three,” I can point to, appropriately, five things…

Let’s Begin a Life Out West – I suppose there had to be some trust with this one, right? Although it was hard to leave our life in Myrtle Beach, Sid and I worked together to make a major move that was beneficial for our family.

Weight Loss Challenge – We embarked on a six-week weight loss challenge together. Yes, at times we wanted to flip out on each other as hunger and fatigue set in, but we survived. We saw the challenge to the end and enjoyed some great results.

Meet Like-Minded Couples – Sid and I joined a Young Adult Catholic Group in our area and met some other married couples who are at the same stages in life as we are with careers, children, and faith. Having our parents as examples of what a loving marriage looks like is huge, but having peers who also have strong marriages is important too.

Two Is Better Than One – This past year of marriage was the first full 52-week cycle of having two children. If you think having one kid will bring you closer to your spouse, go ahead and have another. Thanks be to God for Sloan and Beau.

Spend Every Waking Hour Together – The pandemic allowed me to work from home all year and with Sidney shifting into her role as a stay-at-home mom, that meant we were under the same roof pretty much 24/7. If we didn’t kill each other with that arrangement, I would say our marriage is on pretty solid ground.

I am so thankful for my wife. She is a rock star and makes me so happy. Can’t wait to get working on the next five years and beyond. Happy anniversary, Sid. Don’t Blink.