Why do you want to get married?!

Simple enough question, right?! But believe it or not- I have never sat down to really formulate an answer to this question. Not in the concrete, literal sense. I know what Mr. Yankee and I's relationship means to me in my heart, but I had never really wrapped my brain around it until I was reading my favorite wedding planning blog, Weddingbee. Mrs. Pencils, as she is now referred, is in the middle of recapping her wedding to all of us weddingbee hounds out there and her most recent post discussed the exchange of vows and it struck me that this very simple question was not something that I had obsessed over.

Instead I have been busy thinking of Mr. Yankee and I's future: where we'll be living, future vacations we'll be taking and future career goals. I have also been busy thinking of bridesmaids dresses, where we'll be having our rehearsal dinner and how to word our invitations. It made me a little sad that I this was not fully prepared to articulate an answer to this question. And with our first appointment with our officiant coming this weekend, I figured I would get a head start on an answer to a seemingly easy question.

So why do I want to marry Mr. Yankee?!

I never have a bad time when we are together. Every adventure we take- even if I am stressed out to the max, Mr. Yankee can always make it better.
He is always happy to see and be around me. Even when I am as sick as a dog or have had a shitty day at work. He is attentive, affectionate and loving without being needy or clingy.
He is solid; mentally, emotionally- I know I can depend on him and that is something that has been severely lacking my entire life. I have never really felt like I could fully depend on anyone and felt like I always had to be on guard- I know that with Mr. Yankee I am safe. He is there.
I truly believe that we are ying and yang- the perfect balance for each other. Where I get hot and bothered over someone cutting me off, Mr. Y just goes with the flow. Where he rides by the seat of his pants, I plan every last detail.
His family. I have a very small nuclear family and an even smaller extended family- all spread through out the country. I never get to see them, never grew up with them in my daily life and therefore are not very close with many of them. Mr. Yankee's family, however, is amazing. I thank my lucky stars every day that I get to be a part of this huge, connected, loving family. I feel as if his mom is my mom, his aunts and uncles are mine too and that his cousins- apart from being totally awesome- are my family too.
I know that if the decision is ever made to have children, Mr. Yankee will be an amazing father. I know that partly by looking at Mr. Y's father- Mr. Yankee is very much like his father: reserved, intelligent, caring, kind and solid. They don't feel the need to be the center of attention but are very observant of every situation they find themselves in. And they both are dedicated to family- Mr. Yankee worries all the time about how he is going to care for his parents (who thankfully still in excellent health) and future father in law Yankee visits his mom every week. And it is this dedication to family that makes me so positive that if children were ever apart of our life together Mr. Yankee would do an excellent job.

..This was a total goo fest and for that I apologize. But hopefully this helps other brides out there stop and realize that a wedding is just a really expensive dinner party. And that it's the marraige that will last- not the party favors.