What I've Learned From Marriage

Chris and I have officially been married one year! This obviously makes me an expert. I was twenty-six when I got married, which is a lot older than I expected, and the more I think about it, not old enough. The one lesson I have definitely learned? MARRIAGE IS HARD. A lot harder than being single! Dealing with someone else's schedule, socks, farts, and dirty dishes is hard. Don't get me wrong, I love Chris with all of my heart, but I'm a realistic person. The honest truth is, marriage is hard because Chris sees the real me, everyday. Before we were married, he saw the me the way I wanted him to. I always wore cute clothes, make-up, and I was a happy, cheerful person - mostly. I was even a lot skinnier!

I am not a monster. I like to think that I'm generally a happy, caring person that looks on the bright side of life. BUT I have bad days. I have faults. Every so often I will get hung up on something I shouldn't. Sometimes I am a selfish, terrible person to be around. And now Chris sees this part of me. It's hard. I want to push him away, and hide. But I can't...

Realization: Chris can't see the best part of me, unless he knows the worst. He has to know all of me. Lucky guy gets the good along with the bad. I am, however, working on those parts of me that would be considered imperfect. I want to be happier and more caring. I don't want dark moments in life any more than the next person, but sometimes they are inevitable. Opposition is an important and needed part of life.

I have been stretched a lot this year, as Chris and I have found things that have caused some strain. With that  stretching has come a lot of growth. I have heard that the first year of marriage is the hardest, and I sincerely hope so! It has been down right hard sometimes. I am grateful for that, but I'm grateful that we are, hopefully, over the bumpiest part.

Here is to forever!

March- In Like a Lion

Chris and I were just talking about how much our lives have changed in the last year. I have never been more grateful for the man that I married, and how well he treats me. Four more days and we will be a year down, forever to go!

So, about these changes. First of all, I have hated really disliked the coffee table that Chris had before we got married. It is old, ratty, and the fact that he got it at DI seven years ago didn't do it any favors. However, I do love a good deal, and since it is still sturdy, I couldn't justify throwing it out. So, I decided to try something. Without telling Chris. The weekend he went with the scouts to go camp, in the non-existent snow, for their klondike, I went to the hardware store and I bought chalk paint. After spending hours on Pinterest, I was practically a chalk paint pro.The hardest part was choosing a color that I liked, and that I thought would match the conglomerate of stuff in our living room. Let's face it, however, anything would have been better than the original table.

So here is my masterpiece. Chris was a little surprised when he came home. Having a blue table has been  interesting to get used to, but guys, I LOVE IT! I have complained over and over again about how much I hate the white walls in our place. This table really helps! And the paint job saved the tables life in our home. Also, it was sooo easy! No sanding, and the paint dried quickly!

Another change in my life is the selling of "my" car - Stella. Chris makes fun of me for being so attached to her, but she honestly came into my life at a time when I really and truly needed something good. I had been rear-ended by someone who was texting instead of worrying about driving, and had whip lash for about two weeks, and I still have PTSD. I needed something I could trust. Along came Stella. She will be missed extremely. I loved her power, her sleek look, and the fact that I dind't have a dig a key out of my bag every time I wanted to get in - I just pushed buttons. We have replaced her with "our" car, so now Chris can say that instead of saying it's mine. Which is a good thing I guess, he feels a little more responsible for it. We are hoping that now we will be able to get out of debt a lot faster. The light is at the end of the tunnel, and I am so danged excited! 

Our "new" car

In other news, the day after Chris got home from the klondike, it started to rain. Monday morning, we woke up to about four or five inches of snow - an unheard of amount in Montezuma Creek! The district called a snow day for the entire county, and by the time we went out to play, we had over 13 inches. It has been a long time since I have seen that much snow, and I was a little excited. I may have annoyed poor Chris with "Do You Want to Build a Snowman??" And have often teased him about how the klondike was a week early. 

 

And my teaser for the day is: Chris and I, after a lot of deliberation and talking have finally decided that, for spring break, we would go to DISNEYLAND! I had already made reservations in a hotel in Buena Park by Knott's Berry Farm, and we knew we wanted to go there, however, we weren't sure about splurging for tickets for Disneyland. They are too expensive! So, my goal this week is figuring out how to save money on food and make travel fun! We will be stopping at Joshua Tree National Park on the way down for some night pictures and camping fun, then onward to the beach! Anniversary post to come. :)