We “survived” our FIRST YEAR OF MARRIAGE! HOLY COW {no pun intended}! 😉
Time sure does fly when you’re having fun! No joke, true story.
For starters, it was our third year living on the farm + I would say it was the best year yet. We finally felt like our farmhouse was mostly “put together” (minus my constant obsession of changing our decor) + the farm + our garden flourished (thanks to my hubby of course). We did a ton of traveling + kept super busy with family + friends (when I mean “busy,” I mean BUSY). In reality, marriage, life + kids are perfectly imperfect + there is never enough time in a day to enjoy all that life has to offer.
SO! Rather than listing everything we have done or accomplished this past year, simply because you would be reading a novel, I want to provide you with a bit of “wisdom” (take that term with a grain of salt) from what I’ve learned + experienced this past year. Trust me, I’ve learned a lot!
COMPROMISE.
Compromise is KEY in our relationship. Compromising was not simple + did not happen overnight, but throughout years with stressful careers, the farm, arguments + making up we quickly learned what made each other tick. Yes, we argue about silly/pointless things that typically get blown out of proportion. And yes, he drives me crazy, especially when I know he’s right + I’m wrong. But at the end of the day, he is my home, my everything, + my world. He is truly the best thing that has ever happened to me {next to online shopping of course} + if compromising about silly things is what it takes to keep him in my life then SIGN ME UP!
Sometimes you got to “give a little” to “get a little,” so I suggest giving AS MUCH as you can because you will gain so much more!
TRAVEL.
Travel, travel, + then travel some more. Of course, we are limited to specific times that we can travel because of the farm, but we take full advantage when that time comes. Experiencing new places together has been some of our most memorable moments together. It is during our travels that we have learned so much more about one another than I could have dreamed. Sometimes more than I wanted to learn, but we won’t go there! For instance, we quickly learned who’s better at navigating (that would be me of course) or how well we communicate when we are on a one lane road with a 100ft drop off to our right (no joke, true story). {Fortunately, we travel great together!}
Trust me, we are judged by so many people about the amount of traveling we do (no joke), but it’s just “our thing.” In the Midwest everyone is “expected” to get pregnant immediately after they get married {the one downfall about living in the Midwest}. We constantly get asked, “when are you going to have a baby,” my response, “we are too busy having fun.” We are only young once, so we want to enjoy our youth as long as possible.
– If you are wondering, yes, of course, we want children together someday. But, until that day comes we are going to keep on enjoying one another + savor every moment we get to watch Luke become a wonderful little man. –
Adventuring + gaining new experiences with one another is a huge part of growing in your relationship. It is also an important part of getting to know yourself + your special someone more than you could have ever thought.
NEVER TAKE LIFE TOO SERIOUSLY.
You only live once, so take advantage of the time you have + don’t take every comment or fight too seriously. {I know “YOLO” is so cliché, but living your life with that mentality (some of the time) is so much more stress-free.}
From the bottom of my heart, my husband has been my rock since the day I met him. He is the most loving, truthful, romantic person I know. BUT! He will be the first one to tell you that he isn’t scared to tell me I’m being a BI**H {I will be the first to admit, I can be a BI**H + I need to know when I’m being one}. Of course, know that he doesn’t mean anything by it, he is simply telling me how I’m acting + that I need to “check myself before I wreck myself.” hahaha… It is because of this that we are as close as we are + why I respect him so much. I ALWAYS want to be the BEST ME, + I refuse to settle for any less. And I’m thankful that he is there to help me through this silly thing called ‘life’!
When life gives you lemons, make fruit punch. In other words… make the most out of the time you are given + don’t linger in regret or anger + do not create a mountain out of a molehill.
MAKE TIME.
I cannot emphasize enough how IMPORTANT it is to make time for one another.
Life on the farm means never knowing how long your day will be or where it may take you, but we always find time for one another. Seeing him when I get home at night is the best part of my day. Why you ask? Well, every night at supper he asks me “How was your day” + I always reply “It was fine.” I then proceed to ask him “What did you have for lunch,” I know, dumb question, but I’m truly intrigued by what he eats for lunch every day {I live vicariously through the delicious meals my mother-in-law makes for him}. So, even if it’s only for a few short minutes, we make time to listen + enjoy the presence of one another.
Of course, we love every second we are able to spend time with Luke, but it is crucial that you make time for each other. Date nights are a necessity in our relationship. Even if it’s just grabbing dinner + drinks GET OUT of the house! COMMUNICATION is extremely crucial in every relationship, not only romantic relationships.
So, I encourage you to make time + communicate in your relationship because it will help your relationship flourish.
HAVE FUN.
You only get one life to live so LIVE it to the FULLEST + spend it with your best friend! Take advantage of the time you have together now because you will never get that back. Laugh until your cheeks hurt or until you pee your pants, whatever comes first. 🙂
Even as busy as we are with life, Luke + the farm we always make time to have fun. Sometimes fun means cracking open a beer + playing cards. Whatever it is you enjoy go for it!
Simply ENJOY life with your special someone, no matter where you are.
APPRECIATE.
Make sure to appreciate one another. For me, time is limited being married to a farmer, so I truly appreciate our time spent together. Just like any other couple, we have our UPS + downs, our GOODTIMES, our bad times, our times when I secretly want to claw his eyes out {not really, but it has come close}. But at the end of the day, we love + appreciate one another + everything that the other has to offer. This, of course, can be hard to see sometimes if you are going through a “rough patch,” (trust me, we all go through those) but know that appreciating one another is a necessity in a healthy + happy relationship.
So appreciate your special someone every second you are together.
Lastly, always kiss goodnight.
#MarriedLifeBliss #OneYearintheBooks #FarmWife #ANF