happy day

Today is a happy day indeed because it's our anniversary!

This kid and I have been married for two whole years! I remember the days when I never thought I'd turn 16 or get married (because those days just seemed so far away), and now I've been married for two years. Time really does fly when you're having fun :)

When it's with the right person in the right place, marriage really is the best thing ever. I definitely recommend it ;)

There are a few difficult things about marriage, but mostly just good things :) One of my best friends recently asked me what the best and hardest parts of marriage have been thus far . . . so today I will share what I said to her :)

I think the hardest part about marriage is learning how to become one. 

You spend your whole life up to that point finding out who you are--the way you like things, and the ways you don't. By the time you get married, you pretty much have those things figured out for yourself. But in your mind, it's not so much "This is the way I do things." Instead, you think "This is the right way to do things."

Marriage teaches you the distinction between those two thoughts.

When two people come together in marriage, you learn really quick that there are multiple ways of doing things, and you're not always choosing between right and wrong. Sometimes it's a choice between two different-but-equal options. And sometimes those are the worst kinds of decisions, because you are both so sure that your way is right. 

For instance . . . On our first Thanksgiving together, Russ told me about one of his family's Thanksgiving traditions. I liked the idea, so we adopted it. Basically, it's a turkey that starts out with no feathers, but then you write down things you're thankful for on feathers and add them to the turkey throughout November. Since I had never seen his family's turkey, I made big, long feathers for the turkey; that is what I drew on turkeys when I was a kid. But in Russ's family, they had much smaller feathers, so when he saw the feathers I had made, he didn't like them, and for a little bit, it was kind of a big deal. 

When you look at the grand scheme of things, all we were fighting about was long feathers vs. short feathers. Neither one is inherently wrong or right; we just both had our own perceptions of which was right. 

But it's those little things where you differ that can cause contention and difficulties. It's hard giving up your ways and your opinions . . . but coming together as one creates such a deep level of love and unity. Finding that place where you can both be happy with your decisions is very rewarding. Becoming one isn't always the easiest part of marriage, but it's definitely a wonderful part of marriage when you figure it out :)

I think the best part about marriage is having someone you can share your soul with.

I've always said I'm an open book. Ask me anything, and I'll most likely answer.

But that goes so much deeper with Russ. I've given my whole heart to him, and he's given his whole heart to me, so I trust him with everything. I trust him with my hopes, dreams, and ambitions. I trust him with my fears, failures, and imperfections.

When we were dating, I used to tell Russ that I loved all of him: the good, the bad, and the ugly. I told him that he could tell me anything about himself, and I would still love him. And it's true. He has shared parts of himself with me that he withholds from everyone else, but I still love him and see the goodness above anything else.

He has shared his soul with me, and I have shared mine with him. And that sharing brings us closer to one another. It's amazing how sharing your imperfections with someone, and then having them love you in spite of those imperfections, strengthens the love you have for each other.

I'm so grateful that I've had these two years with Russ. He brings me more joy than I knew I could ever have, and he loves me more than I ever imagined being loved. He isn't perfect, but he's perfect for me, and I'm so excited and happy that I get to keep him forever. He's the greatest :)