18 Reasons It's Good to Be Mrs. Brandon Reynolds

1) Because he's dang cute.

(Our first official date at The Carousel ice cream parlor.)

2) And looks good in a suit.

 (At Bubba's, the house Brandon lived in while we were dating.)

3) Because he respects women and motherhood more than most women do.

   (At the wedding of my best college girlfriend in San Diego.)

4) He writes love letters that make me cry.

(Back at my sweet apartment, right after we got engaged.)

5) He has a big awesome immediate and extended family who provide a great support network for us. 

(The traditional "Roast" with his extended family where we were roasted and received lots of advice.)

6) He works hard for the money. (Always has. We spent the first 11 years of marriage in school!) 

(A series of pictures taken for our wedding announcements.) 

7) He gave me four amazing children. 

(This is the one we ended up using.)

8) And they absolutely adore him (probably because he's constantly knocking himself out for them).

(Now I think this one is better.)

9) He's a dreamer! Life has always just begun in his mind.

(This one is pretty good too.) 

10) We have this Japanese connection.

(At our "Barefoot BBQ" the night before the wedding.) 

11) He loves books, good food, the great outdoors, and travel as much (or more) than I do. 

 (On the way to the temple the morning of our wedding.)

12) He's a good kisser.

 (Just after coming out of the temple.) 

13) He shuts down the house every night. And folds laundry.

14) He is honest, sensitive, compassionate. (Who knows how much free care he's given to various patients at this point.)

15) And funny.

16) He put up with my crazy antics for about the first 10 years of motherhood while I "adjusted"-- always loving, supporting, and encouraging me as I grew into motherhood. He is also 100% supportive of everything I now do with Power of Moms. In the words of Marjorie Hinckley to her husband, "you always gave me wings to fly."

17) He is fiercely loyal to me and our children. 

18) Our mutual devotion to God and our faith is the glue of our relationship, and neither one of us would have it any other way. 

Happy 18th Anniversary, sweetheart. I love you.