Six Years of Marriage, Many Years of Love

Some of y'all may have seen this post on Amanda's page, but I had to bring it back to life today since it's such a special day today. ((AND YES, I realize yesterday's was similar to this, but I don't care #sorrynotsorry!))

Thanks right, y'all, as of about 3:00 (ish) today, Hubby and I are married for 6 years. Amanda was there from the beginning of it all! I know it doesn't seem like a lot, but after being together for eight years and married for (almost) 6, I feel pretty accomplished. I feel better this year about our relationship than I did last year- that's for sure! I know a lot of my favorite bloggers either just got married or are planning a marriage, so today I wanted to share some things from Josh and myself. *and yes, Josh did help me write these! Isn't he the greatest?*

// Communication. We talk about our day. I tell him everyone I talk to, and he tells me about his day. We never run out of things to say. This is so important for any relationship. For a while there, we stopped talking. I mean we would talk, but it would be about normal household stuff. We weren't joking, or laughing, or telling each other how we feel. I cannot stress enough that your partner needs to know how you’re feeling. Don’t assume they know you’re mad. Don’t assume anything. If you don’t like a certain meal, tell them. Whatever it is… just tell your partner. Things that get left unsaid tend to sit and boil until the point of no return, and by then you’re so mad at your partner it’s just madness.

// Religion. Let’s be clear, I’m not telling you that you have to have religion in your house or not. That’s totally up to you. We’re not here to force certain beliefs down anyone’s throats. I will say having an understanding in our house that we do believe in God and that we do pray daily (as a family) has helped us a lot. In the past eight years, Josh and I have been though a lot together. From evictions, to new jobs, kids, one or both of us getting fired. You name it, we’ve probably been there. And sure, if something comes up these days at least one of us will have a brief freak out moment. (Usually me, and usually via twitter). Sorry, sad but true. But, after the freak out has passed we sit and pray together and it always works out for the best. It might not be the result we wanted or expected, but in the end it worked.

// Jokes. We still laugh at each other. I call Josh a Goober all the time (to which he replies with calling me a peanut). He knows it makes me laugh because a goober is a peanut. We have little inside jokes that we know most people don't understand, but that's why they're special. Because they're ours. Mostly Josh laughs at the stupid way I pronounce certain words, and I laugh at his obsession for WWE.

Us, 2014

// Share the chores. Let’s face it, y’all: we’re not all super human. We all need help, and we all need to know when to ask for help. Sharing house-hold chores makes everything so much easier. Sure, I may not like the way he loads the dishwasher, but he does it and I’m not about to complain and risk that going away! We have a balance.

// Raising the kids. If you remember my post “A Letter to New Moms”, raising kids is not an easy task and there’s no rule book to it. So taking two people and trying to figure out this whole kid thing is, well, amusing really. Sure, we both lose our cool and lose our patience with the kids but that’s bound to happen with anyone. The beauty of our marriage is we both agree on what we should (and shouldn't) do with the kids.

Us, Wedding Day 2008

What would you include in this list? What would you remove? I'd love to hear your thoughts! I think marriage is like raising kids. There's no right or wrong way to do it, and it's always a learning process. Things are always going to change. You have to be willing to adapt to those changes and work with your partner. It is a partnership after all.