Orange Roof on the Avenue: One Whole Year!

A year ago this Sunday, I married my best friend in the entire world. Sounds so cliché, doesn’t it? But it’s one of the truest things I have ever spoken.

The past year of marriage has proved to be more challenging than I imagined it would be. Both of us being incredibly independent and stubborn first-borns, we have had to swallow our pride and learn to operate as a single unit; a partnership. We’ve had our first married knit-picky argument (I believe it occurred in the car on the way home from the Charlotte airport after our honeymoon. We didn’t waste much time there. The honeymoon was over, literally :). We’ve had our first (and second and third...) married blow-out screaming match (complete with my dramatic displays of tears). We’ve learned to live together under one roof, and I have adjusted to going to sleep with the tv on every night and David is learning to share the covers. We’ve had to compromise on everything from combining checking accounts to what the thermostat should be set at, to whose turn it is to unload the dishwasher. I’ve had to realize that as much as I don’t understand it, golf is how David prefers to spend his time & money. And he has come to the realization that nothing can make me giddy like the joy of a new purse. We’ve both had to come to the realization that is no longer about “me.” It is now about “us,” day-in and day-out. David’s had to deal with my scatter-brainededness (I know this isn’t a word, but I think it should be) and I’ve had to work around his stickler ways. It’s been a year of growing pains.

This past year of marriage has also been much more rewarding than I could have ever dreamed of. I know it may sound odd, but we’ve become so much closer over the past 12 months. I feel as though I now know David in an entirely different way (and lucky for him, I still like him. I am pretty sure he still likes me, too). We’ve improved on our communication with each other, and are now able to share thoughts and feelings in a much better way. We have laughed A LOT. We make sure to take time for each other and enjoy the quiet moments together as much as the boisterous ones. David has taken care of me when I am sick. I try to make sure he always has clean socks. We have built each other up when the other has been feeling down. We listen to one another and cheer one another on. We’ve been fortunate enough to travel this year to the Dominican Republic, New Orleans, Northern Michigan, and Las Vegas and have had great times experiencing new places and things together. We have grown together in our faith and have put our trust in God to take care of us, make us stronger man & wife, and to guide us to each day live the vows we made to each other.