Jared and I often joke about keeping things "light and bright," and that phrase perfectly captures one of the many reasons I love our relationship. While life isn’t always easy, with him it feels lighter. We’re each other’s loudest cheerleaders, whether that’s celebrating a big courtroom win, a new yoga-teaching milestone, or a simple “great job” at work—we never miss a chance to hype each other up. No matter how the day goes, coming home to him feels like a reset. He makes me laugh, listens when I need to vent, and always knows when to pour a glass of wine and order a pizza when I am on the verge of crashing out (often because I accidentally burnt the chicken). Jared does the little things that make our life easier and calmer. He orders my coffees — the ones with names that are at least five words too long — without (much) hesitation in the Starbucks drive-thru. He has become the Michael Jordan of both vacuuming and bed-making, as he likes to say. He has also seamlessly stepped into the role of my personal Uber driver, because everyone involved agrees that it's safer that way. Most importantly, we have fun together. Whether it's tailgating on The Hill with our friends, treating ourselves to Sunday night ice cream, or dancing to Jared's very committed rendition of Who Let the Dogs Out to hype us up before work, Jared makes every day* feel light and bright. How could I say no to an entire lifetime of days like that? *Results may vary during KU losses

For full transparency for the readers, we wrote these without discussing what we would say beforehand, so I can only assume she lovingly mentioned the very best parts of me, like my unmatched talent for leaving cups around the house or my ability to decorate the counter with random “trinkets.”   All jokes aside, the best parts of us begin with how supportive we are of one another. We have both chosen demanding careers, but no matter how our days go, we know that when we come home, we have each other to talk to, confide in, and lean on for advice. Even on my worst days, Maddy has an uncanny ability to put a smile on my face.   Another thing I cherish about our relationship is how intentionally we try to make each other’s lives easier and happier. Whether it is leaving my favorite Starbucks drink out for me in the morning, scheduling a surprise massage to help me unwind, or cooking the best home cooked meals (no small feat with my 12 year old palate!), Maddy is always thinking of ways to make my life happier and I don’t take that for granted.   Lastly, you will rarely catch us not having a good time together. We love dressing up for a nice dinner, playing a round of golf or tennis, or getting way too competitive over our current card game obsession (this month, Skip-Bo). This is embarrassing, but I am currently losing our series. I plan to turn things around by wedding time, so nobody panic. We are equally happy binging the latest Netflix murder mystery or tailgating for our beloved Kansas Jayhawks football team. TLDR: It doesn’t suck to share a life together!