Our 3 Year Wedding Anniversary

What is your LOVE language? 

I recently read about the 5 different ways we connect with our partner from The 5 Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman and it got me thinking, what is mine and Adam's love language? The five love languages describe how we feel loved and appreciated and it is all dependent on our individual personality types. 

The five love languages include: 

1. Words of Affirmation
2. Receiving Gifts
3. Acts of Service
4. Physical Touch
5. Quality Time

I asked Adam what he thought his love language was and he said he related more to "Words of Affirmation" and "Acts of Services" whereas mine was "Acts of Services" and "Quality Time." 

Words mean a lot more to Adam than Acts of Services and for him it doesn't necessarily have to be compliments but more so verbally appreciating his gestures. I do my best to acknowledge his gestures but I still find it can difficult expressing my self to him. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing but gratitude for him but I don't think I have a way with words. You see, I grew up in a strict Chinese Vietnamese household so Words of Affirmation wasn't a big thing in my family. My brother and I were raised in a way where we were expected to just do our house chores, get good grades, be a good daughter / son etc.,. Nowadays my parents are much more verbally open with "thank you's" and "I love you's" but growing up they showed their affection in their own way. I'm certain this is one of the reasons showing my "love" verbally or even expressing my self to Adam has been harder but I believe I have gotten better at it over the years. There's the saying "Actions speak louder than words" and apparently that's what I have resonated with more.

I feel like I still have a lot of work to do but life's a journey and we are constantly learning and growing together and as individuals. He's always been incredibly receptive and reciprocates my "love languages" and for that I admire his willingness, patience, and kind heart. Not to get too mushy but he truly has brought so much love into my life. 

For our 3 year wedding anniversary photos, we wanted something casual so we grabbed some delicious ice cream from Screamin Mimi's Ice Cream and then ventured out to the redwoods in Occidental. It was delicious and so much fun! I love looking back at our photos over the years to see how far we have come. I have been dating Adam for the past 7 years and counting and we still celebrate our dating anniversary. We have always kept things low key but honestly spending that quality time together is all I really need and I'm sure Adam isn't complaining either.

We spent this year driving out to Bodega Bay to go on a walk and ate at the Fishetarian afterward. They have yummy veggie delight sandwiches with a side of fries. Check them out if you're in the area. You won't be disappointed. With COVID, we didn't really get to go anywhere too different as we weren't ready to do so yet but this was wonderful as we got to escape the heat as well. 

Whatever the world throws our way, I'm happy that I have Adam to go through life together. I honestly can't imagine what life would be like without him. Here's to new adventures together. May we always conquer them together.

Special thank you to Jana Contreras Photography for our wonderful photos. She has a way of bringing out all the smiles, laughter, and love. We love and appreciate you dearly. 

XO,

Anny