Seven Signs You're Totally Happy in Your Marriage

...as told by me, of course. Happy Anniversary to my best friend and partner in all things life!

1. You can say almost anything.

I have little to no secrets with Mr. Pace. I know that I can tell him what's on my mind, free from the fear of judgment. Of course, there are some things he'd just rather not hear, but I know I can always tell him if I need to. Hopefully you can say almost anything too :)

2. You can do almost anything.

Pee in front of my husband? Check. Pass gas? Check... Pregnancy helped with that one. There are very few things I'm bashful about in front of Eric. I feel it's important to keep a few things private (personal grooming time, for instance), but aside from that I have little shame.

3. You can be alone.

I can be away from Eric for up to twenty-four hours before I really start to miss him, and in my opinion, this is a pretty good sign. I don't feel the need to constantly be near him because...

4. You can trust him. Really trust him.

At one point years ago I might have been a jealous girl but not at all with Eric. I really can't sit here and say much about why I trust him so much--I just do. He's such a wonderful provider for our family, a strong head of the household, and an amazing father. It's very evident that Vaught and I sit at the very tip top of his priority list, and that means everything in the world to me.

5. You love what he loves.

I didn't get interested in Powerlifting to impress my husband; I did it because I see how much passion he has for the sport, and I want to share that with him. This doesn't mean that we can talk about it for hours or that I sit down and watch sports on ESPN every single night with him but it's common ground we can share so that we always have something to talk about. Likewise, he's learned a little bit about blogging and teaching, so we can talk about the things I like to do.

6. You're still you. He's still him.

I can't imagine life without him, but I still know who I am. I didn't abandon my love of bad reality TV just because I married a man who hates it. He still goes to the bathroom with the door wide open.. because that's just what Eric likes to do. A little Febreze can go a long way in marriage.

7. You don't constantly talk about how happy you are in your marriage.

This one speaks for itself. Visit my social media accounts and count how many times I have doted on my adoring husband. Not just mentioned him; I mention him often in passing, but really doted. Bragged. Gloated, if you will. You shouldn't be able to find an instance of the sort more than once or twice. That's because I don't really care for people to know how great our marriage is. Is it perfect all day every day? No, but it is wonderful, so I want to keep it private. To publicly acknowledge your husband for doing something extra sweet now and then is fine. But I feel that there's a lot in hiding for the ladies who constantly brag on their guys.

You may or may not agree on some of these and that's great! No matter what, I hope you are happy. You deserve happy.

Happy second wedding anniversary to us!