So, How's Married Life?

Ever since June, there are two main questions I get asked when talking to people: "When are you going to have kids?" and "How's married life?"

Well, the answer to the first one is easy: Whenever we decide to. (In a non-snarky way, in case you're actually wondering, give us like 6-7 years.  We want to be established and financially stable (not to mention both out of school) before we bring a wee tot into the world.)

The answer to the second question, though, is not so easy.  It's hard to answer because there's no word for it.  I could every synonym for "amazing" or "awesome" or "perfect" and it still wouldn't be enough to describe the absolute joy my marriage brings to my life.  I guess, if Mary Poppins were to help me, she would say:

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Because there just isn't a word to more accurately describe it. 

Sure, there are the hard parts of marriage.  There are the days we think we may have to go into debt to keep living.  The times we have fights. The times I'm just grumpy and I don't know why so I keep just getting grumpy about being grumpy.  Long days at work and class when it feels like bedtime is years away.  Times when we are so busy we don't get to see each other as much as we would like. 

But there also the times Blake surprises me by getting home from class early and bringing me tulips.  The times when he scrapes my windshield for me.  Those times when I'm grumpy about being grumpy so he just holds me and rubs my back and feeds me chocolate and lets me cry. The times my knight in shining boxers saves me from fire-breathing dragon bugs. Or any bugs.  Or a piece of fuzz in the shower that looks like a bug. 

Dat Nose Squish!

Marriage is nose-squishing kisses.  Early morning hugs when I'm half asleep and he has to leave for work.  Cuddling on the couch, holding Addy against her will, and watching Netflix all day on Saturdays. Marriage is coming home at night to someone who loves you more than they love themselves.  Always having your best friend right beside you.  Waking up in the middle of the night because that best friend is snoring.  Seeing how cute he is when he sleeps so instead of waking him up, you just pop in earplugs and snuggle up against him. 

Conversations in weird accents.  Accidentally setting a few napkins on fire while making dinner.. Late nights talking about nothing and everything.  Stealing his lemonade when I run out. Kissing booboos. Hickies on the middle of your nose because your husband is a goofball and does crazy things to make you laugh. (True Story.  You can call me Rudolph.) Sticking your arms or legs in the air to signify that it is the other person's job to help you change into your pjs.  Learning to let each other have fun with things that you don't understand like video games.  Turning grocery shopping into a date.  Sharing everything.  The fact that I am wearing his pants and his shirt because guy clothes are much more comfortable (and they smell like him.  Bonus!)  

Told you it was a true story.  Imagine going to work with this puppy!

I think we all have a purpose in life.  (Except wasps and mosquitoes, I can't figure out what purposes they serve.)  And I honestly believe my whole life was meant to find this man who keeps me laughing 24/7.  The man who knows the way to my heart is kitties and back rubs.  The only one who can deal with (and even love!) my quirks. The man who brought me out of my shell.


It's like in my Romantic Relationships class (sidenote: I LOVE my classes this semester!) when we talked about the definition of love.  One of the answers was brilliant: "love is just the highest form of bliss that is humanly possible to achieve.  Without love, sheer bliss is unattainable." And the answer the whole class could agree on was that true love is something that cannot be described, it has to be lived to be truly understood. 

Why It's Hard to Teach an Old Dog New Tricks: What We've Learned So Far!

Well, B and I are past the half-year mark! On Wednesday we'll reach seven months! It's crazy how time flies- looking back it feels like it was yesterday when we got married but at the same time it feels like it's been forever since we got to spend a carefree week together on our honeymoon.

In the past six/seven months, we've both definitely grown and we had to learn some hard lessons.  I'm so glad we got married when we did though- learning these lessons and growing together makes our relationship mean so much more to us than if we had waited until we were both out of school and had careers to start our little family.

Our family, taken 1-10-15. Note the baby sleeping right between us.
Parenthood is fun. Especially when the child is covered in fur!

The hardest one (that I think we're still being taught) is patience.  Before we got married, we went apartment hunting and wanted to go ahead and get everything established so we could move in as soon as we got back from our honeymoon. Blake wanted/needed to get away from the job he was working and I was trying to figure out how to get a car. Well. We ended up not getting a few job opportunities.  We both were getting frustrated, as we were living at his dad's house and were ready to get our own place and really start our life together.  There was interview after interview, but no job.  I didn't get it. But then, it's like everything just clicked.  We learned that there's a reason he didn't get those other jobs- the job he has now is such a perfect fit for both of us.  He's making such great connections with the attorneys and he's really getting a chance to show them what an asset he is to the firm.  As much as we thought we loved some of the places we looked at in Smyrna, we found the perfect place for us. The second we walked in it already felt like home.  A blessed path for me to get a car was opened up, and now everything is just floating along.

We had to learn that what God's plan for us is not necessarily what we think we want the plan to be or what it should be.  We can't dictate timing.  We have to wait for his timetable.  It's been such a humbling experience.

Personally, I've learned to be secure in our relationship.  I mentioned in an earlier post how for a long time I was very insecure in our relationship.  I would have minor anxiety attacks whenever I was alone- "Is he complaining about me to his friends? Does he think I'm just awful? Is he not with me right now because he's tired of me?" But now I know exactly how he feels about me.  I know how he shows love.  I don't have to have some grand gesture worthy of a Disney movie to know how he feels about me. I've learned it's about the little things- him surprising me with Subway after I mention that I'm craving it, or getting a back massage after a long day cleaning.  And when he's at work or class and I'm home alone, I'm not scared. (Well, ok, I do have recurring nightmares/daydreams of people breaking in or a murderer coming and killing me or the cat getting out... But I don't fear for our relationship.)

We've also learned the value of friends and family.  Starting out as both students, we didn't really have a lot.  But our family and friends have all really come through to help us in whatever ways they could.  Whether it be just standing beside us at the wedding or giving us a sofa or coffee table, we've been blessed beyond measure. Even when we first got engaged and there were some who decided not to be our friends or support us, both of our families have really stuck by us. (BTW, funny story.  There were rumors that I was pregnant and that's why B proposed.. Well. Over a year later and I'm still waiting on that baby!)

But seriously.  We would not be where we are without the support of our families!

Side note: This has absolutely nothing to do with anything I have said, but it's such a cute story I just couldn't resist telling.  Last night after showering, Blake was in the bathroom shaving and Addy ad I were hanging out in the bedroom.  When Blake came back out he was playing with Addy doing his little tickle thing that she absolutely loves to her.  I mentioned how we had been hanging out having girl time and he called it "mother/daughter time" and it just melted my heart.  It's so cute to see how Blake's relationship with Addy has grown.  When we first got her, he agreed more because of me than his own wanting.  He thought she was cute and all, but cats have never been his obsession like they are mine. (Which is why we have the whole deal that since I got a cat we will get whatever kind of dog he wants.  Right now, we're thinking it will be an Old English Sheepdog.  And we will name him/her Ambrosius after the dog in Labyrinth, which he so kindly forced me to watch one night even though it gave me nightmares of Bowie in tight leather and goblins...)  But anyway.  After we had had Addy for a couple nights, I asked him if he loved her and he replied with "I guess".  But Since then, he has proved that he really truly loves her.  It's so cute. He's even starting to change his opinion on cats.

Is this not totes presh?! This is him cuddling Addy right after she got a bath :)
So sweet and tender! *Le Swoon*

It makes me all excited to start having kids :)

Anyway.

Seeing how much we have grown and learned together in just the almost seven months we've been married makes me so excited to see how much we will learn in the rest of our forever together!

What's the most important thing you've learned from a relationship? I would really love to hear!!

New Year, New Blog Post!

Hello all! I hope everybody had a wonderful holiday season! I know, it's been forever since I've posted.  It's been such a busy month! So I'm going to let you in on the exciting things that have happened in the past.. Month? Or so!

Well, I got a car! It got super bad for a while because B has to leave for work at 6:30 and my place of employment didn't open until 8.. So yeah. Yay for no longer having to wait outside in the cold or catch rides from everybody! My wonderful mother-in-law helped me pick out this completely perfect Honda Accord Hybrid! I never thought I would fall in love with a car, but I have freedom. Like, I've gotten to go grocery shopping without having to wait for Blake to be home! It's so nice. I think I'm super officially a grown-up now.

(If I had a cute picture (or any picture at all) of me sitting on the hood of my car, I would put it here.  But it's super cold outside so unless I have to go outside, I'm staying in! So just use your imagination to think of me with a nice gray Honda Accord.)

Also, Christmas was a blast! Almost my entire family made it out to my parents' house, so there were little ones running around EVERYWHERE! So of course, everyone got sick.  Then we came back out to the good ole' middle of the state for Christmas with his family!  B and I have both been sick since a couple days after Christmas, but we're finally over the hill and hopefully will both be 100% soon!

Then, there was New Year's! Because B and I are such party animals, we went all out.  When he got home from work, we put on our pjs and fell asleep on the couch watching Netflix.  So then we woke up and did shots.. of Nyquil. and passed out by 10!

Clearly a crazy NYE party.

It was GREAT.  Like I'm being serious.  we were both pretty sick so it was nice to not have to go out in the cold to watch anything drop.

BUT. We have done one stereotypical New Year thing! We made a list of family goals for 2015! I don't like resolutions.  Resolutions are made at the beginning of January and forgotten by February.  But goals are things you work on until you've accomplished them.  So these are our goals!

1. (This one has been edited out to protect the innocent)

2. Spend at least one hour of distraction-free time together each day

3. Pray together each night

4. Stick to our budget! (Basically, eat out less.)

5. Find other married couples and establish a married-people friend group

6. Take a walk together every day to get some exercise in!

I also have one personal goal: get back to blogging regularly! We'll see how that goes! 

So far, we've been doing pretty well with half of them.  But that's the beauty of goals! Even though it may take a few tries to really get into the habits we want to develop, we won't just stop because we get discouraged! 

I know we're both excited to see how 2015 goes! I hope it's a great year for all of yall too! 

XOXO, Sparklin' Kitty

(I know, I'm not gossip Girl. Whatevs ;P)