Let's Have a Redeux

Jarred and I have been married for 8 months today.  I didn't even think about it until this morning when I signed onto my newlywed forum and saw my anniversary ticker.

In celebration of our first 8 months of married life, I wanted to repost something I first wrote on M + J Hooray.

I wrote this piece when I was in a bad place.  Not in my marriage, but just life in general.  I was upset about living in an apartment, upset about money, upset about school.  The one shiny spot in life was Jarred.

So I invite you to relive this with me.  The post has different meaning now because I am in a very different place in life at the moment.  I am happy with what we have.  I'm thankful for my creativeness to make our home not just our 'temporary-we'll-be-out-of-here-tomorrow' home.  I'm thankful that Jarred makes the money he does.  As long as we are able to pay the bills and live, what else can we ask for?  I'm thankful I was a finance major and hated it so much because it made me realize that money and jobs aren't everything and that true happiness is.

Most of all, I'm thankful to still have Jarred by my side.  I know I can be a true witch sometimes, but I'm thankful that we have the relationship where he can just roll his eyes at my attitude and call me silly, then tickle me and everything's okay again.

Amid

Amid the mess in our home and the chaos that is our lives, I'm glad we chose to slow dance at midnight.

Amid financial and personal struggles, I'm glad we still choose to be happy with what we have, or at least try to be.

Amid the bags of forgotten craft supplies, I'm glad you still applaud my DIY decorating efforts.

Amid our scarce collection of photographs, I'm glad we decide we'd rather experience life than hide behind a camera. We have our sweet memories which are better anyway.

Amid test papers and binders full of notes and stressful homework, I'm glad to be getting this degree not for me, but for us.

Amid all the rantings and ravings of parents of the world, I'm glad we know it really only takes two people who love each other to make a family. 'Us' is all we need for now.

Amid arguments, disagreements and spats, I'm glad all it takes is a silly face or gesture to get us laughing.

Amid heating pads, medicine bottles, and boxes of tissues; matted hair, unbrushed teeth, and runny noses, I'm glad we realize that yes, we really did agree to "in sickness and in health".

Amid everything else, I'm glad you will always be the constant factor in my life.

Thanks for such a kickin' life so far, Sweets!