This past week, my husband and I celebrated our anniversary. Nine years of marital bliss is certainly worth celebrating, and we always love a good excuse for a tasty meal and some cocktails.

Usually, we take a vacation day on our anniversary to spend some quality time together, but since the nature of my work means that judges and subpoenas often dictate my schedule against my will, we were stuck waiting an extra day to celebrate. Despite this slight delay, we lined up a babysitter, and spent an entire day meandering, eating and enjoying each other’s company. When you have two boys and two very high-stress jobs, slowing down to enjoy one another is sometimes a fiercely conscious effort.

My husband and I always work hard to make our anniversaries special. We both have a very deep, strong belief in the concept of marriage, and I think we both feel that, before we can be good parents and friends, we must first be good spouses. Sure, it sounds like a cheesy Hallmark card, but I think that our determination to maintain a healthy marriage is the reason that we continue to have a family that laughs together, every single day. Even when we were dead broke with two kids to feed, we would make our anniversaries special by doing no-cost things for each other. A special anniversary is not about the money we spend; it’s about both of us taking the time to slow down, celebrate each other, and acknowledge that our continuously healthy relationship deserves special acknowledgement. So, here’s to the past nine years and many more to come.