Seven Christmases.

Seven Christmases ago, I spent December 22 both making a scrapbook for a boy I had only dated for six months and worrying that a scrapbook was an inappropriate gift for that early in a relationship. We exchanged gifts on December 23rd, not knowing then that we were unofficially picking a day that would always be special to us. PS: The scrapbook was the perfect gift. 
Six Christmases ago, we spent December 23rd driving around the town we had fallen in love in a year and a half ago. I made a scavenger hunt and gave him cheesy little gifts at each stop. We took pictures and ate ice cream and laughed and watched the sunset and it was perfect.
Five Christmases ago, December 23rd brought me the very best present in the form of a surprise proposal and a shiny diamond ring. With every gift I opened on Christmas morning, the ring caught my eye and reminded me just how perfect life was. 
Four Christmases ago, I was just a little distracted because my wedding was four days after Christmas. After almost a year of wedding planning, my dad put a ban on wedding talk for one day only, but that didn't stop me and my mom from sneaking off to the kitchen to remind each other of last minute things.
Three Christmases ago, I woke up in the same bed as the love of my life, in our first apartment. It was one of the best days of my life, opening gifts and playing with our new puppy fox. My heart was so full and life was so good. 
Two Christmases ago, we did all the fun Christmas things downtown had to offer and celebrated in our little apartment in the sky. Our tree was set up against the window and it looked like our Christmas lights blended right in with the city lights, and it was the perfect place to live. 
Last Christmas, we were right on the cusp on everything changing. We were two weeks out from the baby that had taken us by surprise that year, and it made Christmas feel so full. Everything was uncertain - what would parenthood be like? Where would we be living next Christmas? But as we spent our last Christmas just the two of us, everything felt so precious. On Christmas morning, we exchanged gifts and talked about how next year, there would be three of us. 
This Christmas, absolutely everything is different. It will be our first Christmas in our new city, our first Christmas with a house (that we decorated!), and our first Christmas with Jack. It has been wonderful. 
Jack has brought a whole new meaning to Christmas. The joy and thankfulness and celebration I usually feel this time of year is doubled because of him. Buying him toys and watching Christmas movies with him and dancing around the room to Christmas music while he laughs has made this the best Christmas ever. 
As I always do this time of year, I think about our first Christmas together and all the Christmases we've shared since then. And I look at my life now - my beautiful, messy, perfect, stressful, joyful life - and know that it all started because two teenagers fell in love in a little town by the beach. 
How many Christmases have you been with your significant other?

Feeling So Thankful For The Last Four Years.

GUYS. In fifteen days, Christopher will graduate from medical school. Two weeks from tomorrow, he becomes a doctor. A real life, actual, M.D. doctor.

I'm feeling a lot of the things I expected to be feeling: Relief that these four years are over, excitement for the next stage, sentimentality for the places we've gone and the people we've met over the last four years. But one thing I'm feeling that I didn't really expect is overwhelming thankfulness.

Thankful that we've made it through alive (just kidding) (but only a little bit), but also just thankful for the whole experience of the last four years. It's been really hard at times, but it is truly an honor to get to stand beside the one you love while they get to make their dreams happen.

Before now, I probably would have laughed (or actually just rolled my eyes) at anyone who said being married in medical school is hard. It's school, for goodness sake!

But it's not! Med-school is a full-time job, and full-time school, and boards, and tests, and studying, and surgery, and basically belonging to someone else for four years. All while finding the time to apply for residency and go on interviews and oh, that little thing called Match Day.

Save for the first semester, we were married for the entirety of med school, so I've had a front row seat to all of it. There have been hard days and easy days and exciting days and boring days. There were nights where I would both go to sleep and wake up before he finished a single shift at the hospital. So while old me may have rolled my eyes at you saying your husband is in med-school and it's hard, the four-years-later me wants to hug you and buy you a drink.

I feel like everyone can say they've grown up over the last four years, because four years is a really long time. But I've grown so much, both in ways I expected and in ways I didn't expect. In big, important ways, and in silly ways. For example: The first year of school, I would walk into a room where Chris was studying and see pictures of infected man-junk and scream because my poor little eyes were scarred for life. Now, a textbook can be left out open on a nasty infectious picture for days and my first reaction is, ugh, so much studying and not oh my gosh what is that awful picture get it OUT. See? Growing up leaps and bounds over here.

While I know I will always look back on these as some of the hardest years of my life, I also know they have been the best years of my life.

So cheers to the last four years. They made me a wife, they made me a mom, they made me a person I'm proud of, and they made Chris a doctor. And I am incredibly thankful for them.

I'm Just So Proud of Us.

I woke up today still on cloud nine from our exciting news this weekend. Also, apparently happy news turns me into the kind of person who says things like "over the moon excited" and "on cloud nine." So there's that. But really-I'm just so happy.

I got up to get my coffee and cried actual tears of joy while it was brewing. Usually, any tears that happen before coffee are most definitely not fueled by joy, so that's saying something. I was just so overjoyed by the thought of how far we've come.

What kicked my tears off at the Match Day ceremony was the dean talking about the white coat ceremony-the first medical school event (almost 4 years ago) where all the students received their first white coats. She talked about the emotion of that day, and I cried, because I was there with Chris, and I remember that day so well. And on Match Day, at the emotional, full-circle event, I was there with him again. We've been together through it all, and I'm so proud of us.

I woke up feeling so celebratory. We should celebrate! There should be champagne! And shopping! And movies! And cake! Then I felt silly, because Match Day was Friday, and we've already celebrated.

And then I felt stupid for feeling silly over that.

Because dreams coming true is worth celebrating. Sticking it out through the hard times is worth celebrating. Reaching your goals and not losing your mind in the process is worth celebrating. A good relationship is worth celebrating.

Guys, I think you should take time to be proud of yourself. Of your accomplishments. Of your relationships. You are amazing, and you are worth celebrating.

So bring on the champagne and the cake. Today, tomorrow, next month. I'm so proud of us, and that is worth celebrating.

Three Years of Marriage.

What. A. Year. 

The third year of marriage was nothing like I expected, but it was the best so far. There were lots of ups and downs, lots of good times and bad times, lots of in sickness and in health. Most of all, there was teamwork-we're a team when it's time to work through the hard things, and we're a team when it's time to celebrate the good. 

I know that in the grand scheme of things, 3 years of marriage may not seem long enough to be significant. But for me, it's already been a lifetime of adventure and learning and growing. A lifetime of building a life with my very best friend. 

December 29th will always be a favorite day of mine, because it will always be the day that we changed our lives forever. The day we became a family. The day we chose each other. And we've been choosing each other every day since. 

Being married to you is my greatest adventure. Happy 3 years...cheers to many, many more. 

Christmas & Love: Six Christmases of Forever.

Six Christmases ago, I spent December 22nd panicking about what to get Christopher for Christmas. What do you get someone you've only been dating for six months but are also pretty sure you're in love with? I turned to my dad, who is the gift guru:

"You can't go wrong with sentimental. Pictures, a scrapbook, something like that." 
"Um, is six months too soon for a scrapbook?" 
"Nope. He'll love it." 
"Mmm, is it going to scare him away if I literally hand him a book of our relationship and he gets me movie tickets?" 
"Chelsea, stop talking and make a scrapbook." 

So I did. And it is to this day one of my most treasured belongings, because we have the earliest moments of our relationship recorded, and I have the sweet memory of being terrified to give it to him on December 23rd, when we celebrated Christmas together.

Five Christmases ago, I was absolutely in love, but there was no ring on my finger. There were no plans, only dreams. I made up a scavenger hunt and we spent December 23rd driving around our hometown, taking pictures and exchanging gifts and kisses.

Four Christmases ago, December 23rd brought me the best surprise of my life in the form of Christopher down on one knee and a promise of forever. Each time I opened a gift on Christmas morning, seeing the shiny diamond on my ring finger overwhelmed me with happiness and thankfulness.

Three Christmases ago, I was a little preoccupied, because I was getting married four days later. We had decreed it would be a day of no wedding talk so that everyone could really enjoy Christmas, but my mom and I exchanged glances all day.."Oh, you KNOW what's coming." 

Two Christmases ago, I had one of the best days of my life. For the first time, I woke up on Christmas morning in the same bed as the love of my life. Opening presents and snuggling with our tiny little fox before visiting my family with my new little family...my heart had never been so full.

Last Christmas, my heart was even more full than it was the year before. Every Christmas song I heard, every peppermint mocha I drank, every time I plugged our tree in, I was overwhelmed with thankfulness that this was my life. The good and the bad, the sweet and the hard, it was all mine. And as I celebrated that year, in a tiny apartment in the sky, with my best friend and our tiny little fox, I was so full of joy. "Um, I think that I might love you" five Christmases before brought me such an incredibly full life.

This Christmas, I'm overwhelmed by how much can change in a year. That the boy I made a scrapbook for on our first Christmas together has moved from boyfriend to fiancé to husband to baby daddy. Christmas feels so full this year. The music, the decorations, the presents under the tree, the movies...it all feels so full. Not because it's the most put together Christmas we've ever had--because it's not...baby has made me sick and miss out on some of the normal Christmas cheer--but because I've never felt such real love as I have this December. The thought that this will be the last Christmas just the two of us has made me cherish every moment, even the hard ones.

This year, we're not only counting down to the most magical week of the year, we're also counting down the days until our little guy decides to join us. This year-the most unexpected, insanely shocking year-has brought me to a place of being more full of love for our life than I knew was possible.

When I was wrapping gifts our first Christmas together, I was so nervous and excited to give them to Chris. On my drive home that night, I was so happy. I actually remember thinking, "It just doesn't get any better that this."

This year, wrapping presents (from bed, because my overly giant belly doesn't really allow me to sprawl out on the floor anymore), I thought of that night six years ago. I wish I could go back in time and share with my seventeen-year-old self a glimpse of all that's coming. And I'd tell her, Oh, but it does. It gets so much better.

Because it just doesn't get any better than this.

How many Christmases have you been with your significant other?

Just Us: Our Thanksgiving.

Today is one of my favorite days of the entire year. It's a festive day full of love and chaos and really good food. It's a day that kicks off the Thanksgiving celebrations, and it's a day of celebrating how thankful I really am for Christopher and our marriage.

This will be the third year we've celebrated our own personal Thanksgiving, and it's a tradition I'm so glad we started.

Every year on the day before Thanksgiving, we go to Whole Foods. I think this is probably their busiest day of the year-it's absolutely chaotic, and that's part of the fun! We pretend we're rich for the day and pick out appetizers, drinks, desserts, the whole nine yards. Then we go home and cook everything and have the best night ever, eating delicious food and celebrating life and all we have to be thankful for.

I have never been more thankful for Chris than I am this year. We're right on the cusp of all these big changes, and every day is filled with so much unknown. But in a time where it would be very easy to freak out and miss out on all the good, I'm able to look at my very best friend and know that no matter what, he will be by my side. And because of that, I'm able to cherish every moment.

I love you, Christopher. I've never been so thankful to have such an amazing life partner. You're my babe, forever and always. 

In the hustle and bustle of tomorrow, don't let the holiday pass without taking a minute to tell your significant other that you're thankful for them!

What Two Months of Long-Distance Marriage Taught Me.

Because medical school is full of lovely surprises, I spent August 18th-October 20th living across the country from Christopher. I didn't blog about this because I feel like it wouldn't be that hard for someone to figure out where I live, so I didn't exactly want to broadcast my solo living situation to the internet. You've all seen pictures of my dog, so you know you could probably take him in a burglary situation.

But now you know-I lived alone for two months, and it sucked. Going to bed every night without my best friend sucked. Being pregnant and going to doctors appointments alone sucked. Getting bigger and more uncomfortable and having no one around to help out sucked. I'm all for being positive and finding the good in things, but sometimes things just suck, and it's okay to call it like it is.

But as of two weeks ago, my little family is reunited, and all is right in the world. And by all is right, I mean that I have my person home to do fun fall stuff with me, and that my late night cravings are finally accompanied by someone to go get them for me.

Like any good challenge, this one came with some life lessons. Here's what I learned:

It's the little moments that I love the most. Sure, vacations and big events and fancy dates are great, but it's the little moments of married life that I cherish the most. Things like falling asleep watching a movie together, or deciding to skip making dinner and just go to Chick-Fil-A instead. It's the little things that make life so good.

Having a dog is the best decision ever. I would have gone crazy without Gatsby. If you have to spend a lot of time alone, get yourself a puppy!

I hate cooking for myself, but I love baking. The idea of dirtying one, maybe two dishes to cook meat and vegetables for myself? Absurd. The idea of dirtying three dishes and two pans and the entire kitchen to bake a pumpkin cake for myself? Totally reasonable.

I take way too much for granted. I love my husband and am so thankful for him all the time...but now, extra so. Having to take the trash out by myself and take the dog out alone at night and not having anyone to curl up with and talk to when I had a bad day just showed me how lucky I am, and how huge of a blessing my marriage is. I love being in love, and I love having a partner in life.

Have you ever had to spend time away from your significant other? What did you learn?

What Marriage Means to Me.

I think you can tell a lot about someone by what their view of marriage is.

Some people hate the idea of marriage and think that it would squash their goals and dreams. Some people think marriage is the best, and can't wait until they meet the right person to become their spouse. Some people are married and treat their marriage like a burden that they just had to settle for. The list goes on and on, and I love hearing people talk about their opinions and thoughts on such a big thing.

With the crazy last couple of months and how full of transition this next year is going to be, I've been thinking about what marriage really means to me.

To me, marriage is being on a team. It's having a teammate in life, and having someone to cheer on.

It's having someone who is always on your side, no matter what. It's loving someone so much that you are always on their side. Chris and I disagree so often, but at the end of the day, I know he's always on my side. I may think he's being a complete idiot about something and just know I'm right, but I will forever be on his side. It's just how this works, and it's beautiful.

It's building a life with your best friend. From the big moments, like moving somewhere new, to the small moments, like sorting the laundry...it's all with your best friend.

It's the security of knowing that no matter how badly you mess up or how many people turn their backs on you, there is someone who is still going to love you and be on your team.

Through the twists and turns, it's having someone right beside you. To roll with the punches with you, to nod when you look over and say, "I did not see this one coming." To walk through the good and bad with you, through the mundane and the unexpected with you, through the good decisions you make and the terrible choices you make.

It's never being alone, even when you are.

I was having lunch with an engaged friend not too long ago and she was talking about some relationship issues she was having, and she said, "I mean, if it works out, great. If not, I'll be fine." When I said I couldn't imagine feeling so flippant over something as big as a marriage, she said, "Yeah, but it's different. You love Chris. Like, you're really, really in love with him still."

You should marry someone that you love. That you're really, really in love with.

I would not be fine without Chris. And that's okay. I think it's kind of taboo to say that, because we're supposed to be strong and independent and not need anyone.

It doesn't make me weak, it makes me in love. I'm in love with Chris. I'm in love with the life that we have together. I'm in love with my marriage, because of what it means to me. I'm in love with having a partner in life. It is the greatest gift I've ever been given.

So to me, my marriage is my favorite. It's the best. I couldn't imagine life without it.

What does marriage mean to you?

Do You Regret Getting Married So Young?

I've blogged before about things you hear when you get married young, and those still ring true. But now that I've actually stayed married for more than 72 days, there's been a new question added to the mix. 

Do you regret getting married so young?

While I think people should probably use their manners and never ever ask questions like this, I'm more than happy to answer them with a big, fat no. 

Every so often, I go through what I refer to as a mid-life crisis (though I hope I'm not halfway through my life already!) It's usually just something like wanting a tattoo or wanting to chop all my hair off or change some things in my life, but sometimes it actually feels like a crisis. One where I question all of my life choices, ever, and wonder what I will ever be able to do with my life with an degree in English.

Talking through these things with a best friend over coffee is great. But talking through them with the same person you'll be with ten years from now is fantastic. I know that no matter what, even if I have made ALL the wrong decisions and everything falls apart, I will still have someone on my team. And there just aren't even words for that.

I crave adventure. All kinds of it. I want to travel and see all sorts of places, of course, but I also want adventure here, now, at home.

It's fun to plan the future, to dream about all the trips we want to take. But it's also fun to just hop in the car and go exploring on a Tuesday night. Adventure can mean Australia, but it can also mean trying that new taco place across town. When it's with your best friend, it's all adventure.

We make the big decisions together. Where are we going to live? What's the first car we should buy? This part of life is full of those questions, and it's nice to have a partner in making them. When you're both planning on sticking together for awhile, it tends to make you want to make each other happy with the big decisions. Also, I sometimes don't make the best decisions under pressure. So it's nice to know that I won't have to explain to a future spouse why I own a house in my college town and drive a neon pink car.

We really are growing up together. I am an adult, living an adult's life, but I still feel like I have so much growing up to do. And I think I will probably feel this way for a long time...maybe forever. Sure, getting married young isn't for everyone. I'm sure there are people who maybe do regret it. But I don't. Having someone to do this with..to make the bad decisions and the big decisions, to go through the hard times and the best times and the let's-just-wing-it-times, there's just nothing like it.

I've read countless articles about things you should make sure you do before you get married, and I haven't done most of them. But I know I made the right decision, because when I read these kinds of lists, all I want to do is make plans with Chris.

Because once you've met the love of your life, backpacking through Europe without them just doesn't seem like fun at all.

Today is My Favorite.

My mom has this Thanksgiving tradition where she has my family write down the things we're thankful for--some years on a place mat, some years on card stock leaves, some years on strips of paper. For the month of November, we would all write things down--big, small, serious, hilarious. 

These things would get put away and then pulled out year after year. A way of reflecting on the past, of seeing how you've changed, and of remembering all you have to be thankful for. 

I remember being so nervous to write down Christopher's name in November 2009. We'd been dating for 5 months, and while I was definitely thankful for him, I couldn't help but wonder how I'd feel the next year when I saw his name. Nostalgic? Angry? Sad? Happy? Would I be able to show him and say, "Look--I wrote this down last year when we'd only been dating for a few months!" Or would it be something my little brother would make fun of me for, saying, "Ha, you wrote down that guys name that you only dated for six months!" 

In the end, I decided to write it. That year was paper leaves, so I figured I could run interference and toss it in the trash the next year if things went south. (Because let's just say there are some names in permanent marker on a placemat from one year that I would really love to get rid of, but there they will stay forever..womp womp).

And here we are, 5 years later, on one of my favorite days of the year. 

Today's the day we celebrate Thanksgiving, just the two of us. We go to Whole Foods and buy really fun stuff we normally wouldn't buy, then we come back here and think we're professional chefs and make our own Thanksgiving dinner. 

Today, I just can't help but think about the day I stood in my parents' dining room, trying to decide if I should write his name down or not. 

I can't help but think of how little I knew what the future would hold...how little I knew just how thankful for him I would one day be. I had no idea the insane love I would feel for him. I didn't know that we'd be a family someday. Didn't know the joy it would bring me to run around Whole foods the night before Thanksgiving, laughing and rushing and having the best night ever. 

And when I think about all of those things, my heart just feels like it's going to explode with thankfulness. 

If you have a significant other, make sure you celebrate them this week. Yes, it's a holiday about friends and family. Yes, it's a busy week. But make sure you take the time--whether it's tonight or actually on Thanksgiving day or the days after thanksgiving--to celebrate how thankful you are for your partner in life. 

And if you need suggestions on how to do so, I highly recommend going to Whole Foods the night before Thanksgiving.  Insanity doesn't even begin to describe it, but it is so, so much fun. 

  

Babe, I'm so thankful for you. Here's to many more Thanksgivings spent together. I love you.

Who are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Happy to be Alive, Because: You're Mine For Life.

23 years ago today, my favorite human being was born.  Happy birthday to my babe!

1.  I have someone to take these types of pictures with:

And these types of pictures with: 

2.  I get to wake up and see my best friend every morning.  Cliche?  Duh.  Absolutely true?  You bet.  And he brings me coffee every morning.  Boom.

3.  No matter how many times I tried to imagine what this season of life would be like (a lot of times, by the way), I never thought it would look like being married to the hardest worker who is just as passionate about my dreams as his own, living 17 stories in the sky downtown, and spending nights adventuring and then coming home to a little fox.  It's nothing like I thought it would be, in all the best ways.

4.  I get to do life with someone who knows me, pushes me, makes me laugh, brings me flowers, knows just when to bring home pizza and wine, and walks my sissy dog.  That, my friends, makes a good life.

5.  I am about to have the best weekend ever celebrating the love of my life.

Cheers to 23, my love!  It's gonna be a good one.

What made you happy to be alive this week? 

f i v e y e a r s

I met Christopher when I was fifteen.  And when I was seventeen, five years ago today, he asked me to be his girlfriend. 

Except he didn't.  He actually just said, "I like you.  Maybe we should start dating."  

You can imagine how many ways I dissected that one when I got home.  Maybe.  Maybe.  Maybe?   M a y b e.  

Despite his choice of words, we've been dating ever since.  

I hear a lot of people say they're so glad they didn't end up with their high school boyfriend, or that they're a completely different person today than they were in high school, so their relationship then would never work now. 

We're both completely different people than we were in high school, but we grew and changed together.  Senior year and graduating high school and choosing colleges and figuring out how long distance works...we did that together.  Since that day five years ago, Chris has been a part of every change, every big decision, every heartache, every accomplishment, everything.  The good, the bad, the ugly.  He's been my best friend through it all, and I think that's the most important thing.  Because best friends laugh together.  They cry together.  They figure life out together.  And that's what we've been doing for the past five years. 

And now, some fuzzy pictures from high school.  We were still working with the iphone 1, people. 

This is from the first iphone that had the front-facing camera.  We had no idea where we were supposed to look.  I have approximately three months of pictures where our eyes look like this because we were looking at our own faces instead of the camera.  

2013 in a picture.

A blurry picture, but still my favorite.  This was last New Years when we were on our honeymoon.  We started 2013 out my making wishes and lighting lanterns on fire and sending them into the sky, watching them float over the ocean.  I remember feeling so hopeful and full of anticipation at what 2013 would bring as I watched it float away.  Because really, I had no idea of what our new life was going to be like. 

I think that sums up 2013.  Exciting, hopeful, anticipating, and having no dang idea what was going to happen.  It's been a year of adventure and discovery, and I have loved experiencing all of it with Christopher. 

Happy 2014, you beautiful people.  I hope it brings you more than you could possibly imagine.  I'm counting on it. 

One year of marriage.

One Year.

52 Weeks.

365 Days.

Countless laughter and

a few tears and

big dreams and

big plans.

Adventures and

struggles and

trying our hardest to make our vows a reality.

Travels and

learning and

experiencing life together.

Loving every day and

loving life and

loving each other.

It's been a heck of a first year.  Here's to many, many more.

Two Years Ago Today.

On this day, two years ago, I was getting ready to celebrate Christmas with Christopher.

He came over to exchange gifts and was in such a rush that he didn't even look past page two of the scrapbook I made him...I'm sure you can imagine how that went over.

He gave me a Betsey Johnson cocktail dress and glitter shows--two of my favorite things in this world--and told me I should wear them to dinner.
Also, that said dinner was in 45 minutes.
Also, I had not even showered yet.
Also, my house was about 30 minutes from where we were having dinner.

Again, I'm sure you can imagine how that went over.

20 minutes later, with half-straight, half-wavy hair and severely damaged nail polish (why is is that every time I paint my nails, I think, oh, I'm sure they'll dry faster this time!") we got in the car and headed to dinner.

Except that Christ told me he felt bad for rushing me, so he had called and changed the reservations and now we had plenty of time.

It was one of those moments where you try to decide if silence or screaming is the best choice.  I settled for telling him to turn the car around and let me finish getting ready.  He said no.  So we went to watch the sunset at our favorite place where he had taken me on our first date two years before.

When we got there, he told me to close my eyes because he wanted to go ahead and give me a Christmas present.  Then he made me get out of the car as he handed me what I could tell was a stuffed animal.  I laughed, because if anyone was driving by they definitely saw me stumbling around clutching a stuffed animal.  They probably thought, Well someone celebrated Christmas a little too hard. 

And then I opened my eyes to find tiki torches and rose petals and a penguin with the words, "Will you marry me?" stitched on the scarf.

And right there, in front of the same swing on the river where we had watched the sunset on our very first date, Chris asked me to be his wife.

I hear a lot of girls explain their engagement as, "the biggest surprise of my life!"  Or, "I'm so shocked right now!"  And that wasn't true for me.  Yes, I was surprised.  My sneaky boyfriend had lied and told me he was losing his job to keep any thoughts of an engagement far from my mind.  But when it happened, I didn't feel shocked or overwhelmed or any of those crazy things.

I felt right.  I felt perfectly right.  Like, of course.  This is what should happen.  This is right.  This is the one for me.

And that feeling has never gone away.

Life has been easy and it has been hard.  Things have gone great and things have gone not so great.  I have had questions and I have stressed and I have worried, but I have never once thought, wait, this isn't right.  And that is something that I hope never stops overwhelming me with happiness.

Check out this month's featured sponsor:

Two Months of Marriage.

As of tomorrow, I will have been married for two entire months!

Except for the fact that it’s February, and there is no 29^th. 

So no technical anniversary this month.  Totally not fair, February.  Totally not fair.  

Anyway, in the spirit of being married and such, I thought I’d write a post about the things I’ve learned in two months of marriage.

1. Your life pre-marriage does not end. 

This can be one of the bad things about a wedding.  In the words of one of my bridesmaids, “If you’re not careful, in can turn into sort of a funeral.”  While my wedding was no funeral, I was worried that because I was getting married that nothing would be the same anymore.  The morning of my wedding, I had a panic attack saying goodbye to my dog because I felt like I was never going to see him again.  {If you’ve read my blog at all, you know I am obsessed with my dog.}

Fast forward two months and I’ve already visited him several times.  The same with the rest of the things in my life.

My old room is still there.

My family is still the same and we are still just as close.

I still talk to my friends.

My life did not end, it just expanded.  I added a wonderful new part, but that doesn’t mean everything pre-wedding went away.

2.  Your differences do not magically go away.

I am the polar opposite of my husband.  He is in medschool to be a doctor.  I want to be a writer.  That pretty much says it all.  He can stay up late studying and run on five hours of sleep and a cup of coffee.  I can not.  He is incredibly outgoing and I am forever introverted. 

The list of our differences go on and on, and for some reason I thought that once we got married, all of those would somehow merge into all of these awesome things that we had in common. 

They did not.

If you are different before you get married, you will be different after you get married.  Not that this is a bad thing.  I happen to think that being different is a wonderful thing.  Opposites attract and all of that, right?  It just takes a little extra work, but what doesn’t?

3. You will not transform into Martha Stewart.

This one is kind of a bummer.  My mom is the most domestic person I know, so I thought that surely once I got married, I would magically inherit all of that.

False.

My house is still not unpacked.

When I clean, you can’t even tell the next day.

I’ve ruined many a dinner already.

But you know what?  I'm learning.

And I’m having a heck of a good time doing so.

4.  You are still your own person.

I am still me.  I still want the same things I did before I walked down the aisle.  I still want to chase after my dream of being a writer.  I still want to make a difference in the world.  Getting married did not mean I had to give up those dreams.  It meant that I live with someone who supports my dreams everyday, and I get to do the same for him.  Yes, we are growing as a couple.  But I’m still growing as a person, too.

I love being married.  I love eating dinner with my best friend every night.  I love getting to laugh with him everyday, knowing I get to do this for the rest of my life.  It’s a really, really cool feeling.

Marriage has already been really hard.  It has already been really great.  It has already taught me so much about myself.  I can’t imagine how much I will have learned by next year, or five years from now, or in twenty years.  But for now, I’m loving it.  I’m enjoying everyday of this amazing gift God has given to me.

It really is wonderful.  

xo, 
Chels

we're MARRIED!

Crazy, right?! 

I think so too. 

After three and a half years of long distance dating, I finally married the love of my life.  It was, hands down, the most amazing day of my life.  My family made it into the most perfect day in all of history.  Seriously, you guys.  They did so much.  I have never felt so loved.  The day turned out to be exactly what I wanted it to be.  It was such a reflection of me and of Chris and of our relationship.

And let me just tell you . . . coming together with all of your family and your closest friends to make a promise to the God who created the universe that you will be one with your best friend for your entire life . . .

There are no words.

It was magical.  And beautiful.  And whimsical.  And will forever be remembered as the best day.

So now, real life starts!  It’s odd not wedding planning and marking things off of my to do list like a crazy person twenty-four hours a day, but I am loving it.  It’s been amazing to be with Chris this much and to not have to plan the next time we will see each other.  It feels like I’ve been holding my breath for a long time, and I can finally breath now. 

One of my New Year resolutions was to blog more, so be watching, because I have a lot to say!

Here are some pictures from the greatest night ever.  

xo. 

Me and my mom pretty much handmade my entire wedding. (And I only say pretty much to be modest.  We hot glued an entire wedding, people!)  This was the day before, setting up for the reception.  I don't think our expressions need any explanation.  

Jeb seeing me in my wedding dress.  I think his expression says it all. 

Taking some pictures before the ceremony with Dylan.  He is, hands down, the world's greatest brother and helped make my wedding incredible.  Love him. 

Just about to go to my wedding and stuff.  No big.  

Reenacting the picture from "Bridesmaids" with my best friends in the world.  This was hilarious to take. 

As soon as I get the actual picture from this, I will post it.  

1.  My dad preformed the ceremony.  How many girls can say that?!  I'm so lucky. 

2.  See that gorgeous background?  Yep, we hot glued that. 

Father-Daughter Dance.  Why yes, I did do the Dougie with my dad.  Funny you should ask. 

This picture pretty much sums up how I feel about the whole day. 

I'll put up more pictures once I get them! 

xo, 

Chelsea