I got the idea from another blog that readers might be interested in how it has been being married and living with my husband/best friend.
Life is seriously so good. I have been married almost 7 months now, so I guess you could say that we are in our "Honeymoon Period". However, my in-laws are the perfect example of the Honeymoon period never ending - so I refuse to believe that ours will ever end. I really do believe that every day you make the choice to love and cherish your spouse, so you can also choose not to let life suck the newlywed spark out of your marriage.
Here are a few things about living with Dave. Super sorry if some of these are mushy (no I'm not ;) ) :
I'm learning that men have huge appetites for meat. I often need to be reminded that I need to make sure there is a meaty protein entrée with dinner. I am usually fine eating pastas and grains, but Dave can put away almost a whole chicken dinner, especially if he worked out that day.
Sharing is fun! Two is better than one. Name pretty much any daily routine and I guarantee it is more fun when done together ;)
We snack like it's our job. Weekends we usually break out the goat cheese, hummus, avocados and smoothies to eat while we watch something on Netflix.
I'm so lucky to be with someone who matches my preferred lifestyle. We're not big on partying, and are very happy to snuggle up and stay in on a Friday night. We're not homebodies per se, but we enjoy the calm and relaxing time we spend at home.
He reads!! I love when people like to read! Several nights a week we stay up tucked in bed with our books. Occasionally reaching over to give the other a kiss, or share an interesting detail of a story. We just read the book Unbroken together, and are always relating things back to the book and "Louis", the main character, who is almost like a family member now.
Dave and I have our own little married language. I've notices other couples that talk to each other different than they do everyone else...yeah we definitely do that now too. It would probably be sickening to an outsider :) He is my Honey Bear and I'm his Snuggle Bear (yes you can throw up now)
I do the cooking during the week, and Dave let's me sleep in on the weekends while he makes a delicious breakfast.
I never liked cooking or cleaning till I got married. Now I love trying new things and seeing Dave's face when he walks in the door hungry, and sees a good dinner on the table. I also can't stand going to bed if the kitchen isn't clean. (Proof that I am my mother's daughter) When Dave is at class on Mondays, I get out the rubber gloves and clean the apartment from head to toe and honestly feel a huge sense of accomplishment. College degree or not, I love being a homemaker (and anyone who says that's not work is kidding themselves- its only two of us right now and there is always something to cook or clean).
Dave is a sweetheart to live with. He is constantly saying and doing sweet things to make me smile.
My home is a spa. I get foot scrubs, back scratches, my hair brushed before bed, and frequent massages. For Christmas, Dave got me a hot stone massage kit and he watched a few YouTube videos on how to use it. This is a big "win" for both of us because I get awesome massages whenever I want for free, and he would prefer to be the only one to give me massages (not keen on some stranger touching me).
I asked Dave once while he was playing with my hair (my most favorite thing in the whole world) how he got to be so thoughtful. His answer: "I have a list in my head of all the things that make you happy, and I try to do at least one a day". Holy cow! Seriously, where did I get this guy? I am trying my best to be even half as thoughtful as he is.
It is so important to have good communication and a willingness to forgive. Very rarely does one of us do something that bothers the other, but neither of us can stand being upset with the other, so it usually ends up becoming a really good conversation. We try to be touching or hold hands while we work it out, and hear each other out. When it's over, we switch gears and do something positive.
We keep in contact with friends and family. While we've loved being on our own these first months, we miss our loved ones and can't wait to be back in the area. Sunday afternoons we call both sets of parents and occasionally grandparents too. I think it's a good habit to be in that we initiate calls home, and it helps us not feel so far away.
We usually stay up too late chatting. We'll keep thinking of things to say even after saying "good night" a few times.
Dave likes to push Snooze on the alarm which is on 3 min intervals (ahh), and I apparently make angry dinosaur noises while waking up.
Church shopping is super important. We went to a church for a few months and then heard a few messages that made us feel uncomfortable so we decided to find a new one. There have been a handful of times that we have gone to a church and one or both of us will not feel good about it so we will leave together. If one of us isn't happy there, neither of us are. It's so important that we go somewhere where we can both thrive and feel at home. Luckily we found a nice church for the rest of our time in Alabama.
We like taking walks, tossing the Frisbee and having picnics. We made up a new game of tennis where one of us will pitch a tennis ball for the other to hit as hard as possible with the racket, and see where they land. It's like the "Kendalled down" version of baseball that I could actually play.
He listens to my stories about the seniors I volunteer with, and I listen to accounts of his flying and classes. I usually understand 60% of what he is saying... so that's nice :)
I get to be an Army Wife :) something I never expected to be. That means folding camo, quizzing him on flight procedures, and being incredibly proud of Dave . I'm his biggest cheerleader.
I know I don't deserve Dave, and for some reason he feels the same way about me. The good news is that we're married, so even if I don't know how I came to be so blessed, I get to keep him forever! <3
We are about to move back to Pennsylvania, where neither of us have guaranteed jobs. Right now we are thinking that it might be the perfect time to travel and see some things before we are tied down with work and bills. Pray for us and future adventures!
