When I was younger and would watch different TV shows and movies, I gained a perspective on relationships and love. I thought that to be in love, you never fought and things were always "perfect." As I have gotten older, I have learned that life is not like the movies, and it is far from perfect. Our relationship might not fit the standard plotline of a romantic movie, but our relationship and you fit the standards of perfection for me.

Because of you, I've learned that love, like many things in life, is a lot of little things that add up to mean a lot in your life.

From our little dates of getting ice cream to spending time with family on Sunday's to even being willing to pick up sticks with me, our relationship has grown from being only friends to being so much more. We have been through so much together and have had many highs and lows between us. Even though the lows are troubling and make us struggle, I know that these less than perfect moments have made us stronger in the end.

You know that I hate conflict and when we fight, but please know that no matter what life throws at us, I will always fight for you.

I know I don't always make things easy. I am stubborn, tend to have my head in the clouds, and can be way too emotional sometimes. I took a year off from school to travel all over Illinois and had the opportunity to leave the country to go to South Africa for two weeks. I know you weren't thrilled about some the things I did, but you knew that it was going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Now since I am at school, you cheer me on as I go through college almost two hours away, and you always push me to do my best in everything that I do whether about my classes or the extracurriculars I am in. Even though this means we don't get to see each other as much as we want. Giving up is never an option for you, whether it is about work or with us. You put 110% into everything, and I want to make sure you know how much I appreciate that about you. I strive to have the perseverance that you have.

As almost three years have passed since we have started dating, I have realized that you were the puzzle piece I was missing in my life.

You calm me down when I get too excited about something, you hold my hand in Ulta to make sure I don't spend too much money, and you even make sure to call me when I have early mornings to make sure I am awake because I am not a morning person. Your strengths make up for my faults, and we both know that it is the same the other way around. I try to break you out of your shell in social settings, remind you to listen to other perspectives in life, and teach you the importance of mud masks.

It is hard to believe how much we have changed and grown up since we first met. It shows that when we're apart we are great, but when we are together we areunstoppable. I always look forward to laying on the couch, watching "Grey's Anatomy," and then falling asleep by 8 o'clock.

I can't thank you enough for everything you do for us. You are constantly making me a better person, and we have grown so much as a couple. I know in Hollywood's eyes we are not perfect, and I am 100% okay with that because in my eyes, we are. I love you even when you not so sneakily eat the fries off my plate and talk bad about Mustangs.