As much as I love and respect and am grateful to my dad, this year Father's Day takes a backseat to a more important celebration. Dennis and I have been married one year -- I find that hard to believe! The past year has been so FULL. I think I have learned more about myself (not very fun!) and about God in one year as Dennis's Wife than in any four years together of my life as a daughter. I still have so much to learn about what it means to be part of this new family I have been given.
Being married is a lot (A LOT!) harder than I thought it would be -- and I thought my expectations were pretty reasonable, compared to the Disney happy-ever-after all the magazines suggest you ought to expect! But I am overwhelmed by how great, how very great a blessing marriage is at the same time. Hard, yes, but a source of encouragement, comfort, strength, sweetness, excitement, and fun. Just to know that, "for better or worse," next year, and the next year, and all the years God gives us, it's not going to be me, or even me and Dennis -- it's going to be Us, that strange two-headed creature I am just beginning to recognize.
We really had a lovely day -- working the opening shift at the coffee shop has taught me to appreciate slow, leisurely weekend breakfasts! A friend gave us a slightly-dilapidated but still deliciously functional French press, which makes our breakfast coffee even more of a treat. Then DH surprised me with a truly, truly amazing anniversary gift -- tickets to see the Des Moines Opera perform Le Nozze di Figaro. (!!!! bounce bounce) I am already excited! After church we had fun with capers, anchovies, and other strange and new (to us) ingredients -- Dennis had picked out THE MOST AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS pasta recipe (raisins, too!) and a savoury chicken recipe from an Italian cookbook his sister gave us. I think I can check off another pound gained! Oh, man, it was good. I'd post a picture, but there isn't anything left to take a picture of :)
Having fulfilled my quota both of Girly Smarm and of Husband Bragging for the week, I shall close. I would love to hear, Dear People whom I love and respect, any thoughts -- Deep Thoughts or fluff -- you care to share on Marriage and what it means.
like a stone in your throat
1 year ago
Oh, yeah -- if you haven't already, read this post of Mom's.
ReplyDeletehttp://daybygrace.blogspot.com/2010/06/as-much-as-i-love-and-respect-and-am.html
oops. I meant this one:
ReplyDeletehttp://hurricane-camille.blogspot.com/2010/06/submissive-wife.html
Well, he picked a pretty appropriate opera to attend considering your reason for celebrating. And it's a FUN one!
ReplyDeleteMarriage fluff. Well, last night Kevin was whistling through his nose in his sleep. I was laughing too hard to wake him up. Then he did an extra-loud whistle and woke himself up.
lol @jenny! you have to love that kind of stuff about marriage. i love your post, emily. congrats to you and dennis! justin and i celebrated our 7th anniversary on june 7th. as i watched our wedding video, i was amazed at how little we really knew each other back then. i mean, i knew a lot of stuff ABOUT justin back then, but i didn't really KNOW him ...obviously in the biblical way, haha, but i mean more than that! like all of his idiosyncrasies, the funny (and not-so-funny) things about his personality. it made me excited to think about how much more we have to look forward to in the years to come and the ways in which our relationship will grow and deepen. you and dennis have many challenges ahead (just wait till the kids come on the scene!), but so much to look forward to! happy anniversary! :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Emily and Dennis! Sounds like you had a wonderful day!
ReplyDeleteWords of Wisdom.....
Contentment I have found is an elusive thing, and not something any mere man can provide.
Never forget that your two headed monster is really a three headed monster, hopefully with God as the chief head. With him will your marriage succeed. Wishing you many many more!
Things that I learned after we got married.
ReplyDelete1. Toilet paper must roll over the top, not under.
2. Jeans must be folded with seams opposite (like they come from the store), not seams together. Dress pants are folded with seams together.
3. Two people can generate the same amount of dirty laundry as six.
4. On that same theme – two people that have a total of four feet between them can leave out shoes to shod those six that we still do the laundry for.
5. A cold splash in the toilet in the middle of the night is cause for serious negotiations regarding the position of toilet seats.
6. The two-headed monster only has one brain. We take turns using it.
7. Avoid using the words “never” and “always”. We agreed on that rule early on, and it helps more than you think.
8. Sometimes liking each other is more important than loving each other.
9. On the days when you don’t like each other too much, you still love each other.
10. David really is my best friend.
Regarding marriage,...
ReplyDeleteTime flies when you are having fun.
Otherwise, take one day at a time, or actually one moment at a time with a heaping helping of prayer during those challenging moments.
Better to hold your tongue than to eat your foot.
Only God gets to look at the big picture, so try really hard not to second guess Him when you are baffled with the critter known as Us.
Let Dennis be right occasionally. Our family has a genetic predisposition toward being right all the time. However, we must not be tempted to round 'up' when contemplating this. The margin of error exists so that we won't die from conceit.
ReplyDeleteDon't let Dennis be right all the time. For one thing, no one (not even you) is right all the time. And for another thing, you hold the high Female Trump Card, which occasionally allows you to be right even you're wrong.
Learn how to fight. Learn how to lose gracefully, and learn how to win graciously.
If you like the seat down, then put the lid down before you leave the potty. That way, you both have to 'raise something' prior to answering Nature's Call. It is more equitable and not so one-sided.
Write down 'the good stuff' when it happens, like with your blog today. You'll remember it better that way, and Dennis will have a record to thrust in front of your face when you're fighting.
Disregard bad advice.
Remember - God loves. you! And so do we!
Uncle David
I loved reading everyone's comments! So much that is both funny and very very true.
ReplyDeleteI have to say, though, Uncle David ... I gave up on the being right all the time a long time ago. About the same time that I realized I wasn't a genius/prodigy -- I just read a lot!
Thanks so much to everyone for sharing :) I love you back!