Can't believe how the time has flown. Wedding season is UPON us. I had the MOST fun weekend celebrating Meagan Crawford (almost Lancaster) a couple weeks ago and now, in 2 DAYS, they will be married. Can't believe it. So excited.
Anyways, wedding season has really got me thinking about our marriage. Brandon and I celebrated our one year not that long ago and we truly have been so blessed. Some people say you're first year is so hard and you'll go through some times where you really have to remember why you love each other and such, but I just want to say, that does NOT have to be true. Brandon and I have had an AMAZING first year. God has provided for us and I'm amazed as I look back at where we were a year ago. I would say finances were the hardest thing for us but even that wasn't THAT hard.....
Our first summer being married, we started having to pay for all our bills on our own and Brandon even went on a mission trip to MEXICO but I don't even remember it being hard to pay for everything. Then Brandon student taught an HOUR away from Boone and I was the only one making money while we had to spend a bunch of money in gas but God still provided! Then I needed a new car but God provided with Brandon a new job (not his dream job - but a good job) and we had the extra money we needed for a car payment. I just have to remind myself of all these things because I do have to say that money is tight right now. It's like we just get settled and start dreaming about saving to build a house and then it's summertime and my income is cut in half because I'm working a part time summer job rather than my awesome teaching assistant job and we're traveling a ton for weddings and we want to invest in our friend's marriages - but it really does get hard. We have to prioritize and make some cuts - but ultimately I know that God will provide. It makes me thankful that we have enough to still give back to God and even though I know you don't give to get back, I know that since we have not stopped giving to Him, He's not going to let us go hungry. I mean, seriously - sometimes I act like we're starving on the streets - but really we have an awesome place to live, amazing parents and church family and we live the most blessed life!
Which brings me back to our first year. Can I just tell you how much I love my husband? I really do highly recommend marriage when it is founded in the Lord. I love Brandon more now than I ever have and I'm so grateful for a first year of memories. We never had those big fights where one of us would be sent to sleep on the couch or one of us stormed out the door. We have never ever not even once even given a THOUGHT to not being together for the rest of our lives. We went through job changes and broken cars and travel and honestly none of it was ever unbearably hard. Yes, marriage is an investment and it takes time and commitment but I really don't think it has to be a struggle. I know I talked a lot about finances (it is one of the bigger stressers in a marriage for sure) but it's really not all about that either. It's about loving each other and celebrating all the little things that life brings. It's about learning HOW to love each other. Yes, there are times when I get frustrated that things aren't cleaned up or one of us has not spent our money where we should have but we still really love each other. Brandon loves me by making up the bed when he doesn't want to and praying with me in the mornings. He loves me by writing me songs and dreaming about our future. He loves me by kissing me goodnight and letting me enjoy a girl's night once a week. I just feel so blessed. I know that our friends are going to love marriage just as much as we do. Congratulations to Frankie and Meagan and Nic and Kira. I can't wait to see how you guys grow in your first year. We serve such an awesome God who has blessed us with life's best.. marriage.
Now I'm off to work. I'm choosing to be thankful for the job that God has given me and an amazing boss who had been super awesome in giving me the time off I need for all our wedding adventures rather than being sad about missing church tonight. I do love my church though and wish I could be there. I will be praying for an awesome service and listening to the message as soon after as I can!!
Then, tomorrow morning I'm off start the celebration of Frankie and Meagan. It's going to be the most AMAZING two days. I could almost cry just thinking about it. Get ready!!!!
