Life as a Wife

Happy anniversary to me and the Mr.! Wow! I cannot believe it has been 3 years already! Time really does fly! It has been a joy being the Mrs. and James makes it so easy for me to feel that way. As I look back on our 3 years, there have definitely been times of challenge and conflict. But there's a whole lot of love and reconciliation as well. And I see God at work every single time.

In my first year of marriage, "Failure" was the thought that came up a lot. I had NO idea how to cook, clean or maintain a home. To make things harder, we had black floors and a fluffy dog whose fur fell like endless confetti (and continues to fall at this very moment!) Our home was cluttered and I was always anxious about cleaning. When it came to meal times, hello ramen noodles! I had no idea what I was doing. I felt unprepared, ashamed and that I failed as a wife. But God knew what He was doing when he paired me up with James, the most laid-back, low maintenance guy I have ever met. Not only does he love ramen noodles, he also enjoys eating my homecooked "meals" (which in reality are more like experiments...) He never complained once about my lack of apron skills and he encouraged me each time I stepped into the kitchen. With the support of hubby, easy recipes from Pinterest, and the lovely neighbors who shared with me their cooking secrets, my confidence slowly grew. I still cannot say that I cook daily... and a part of me is still sad to admit that. But I am getting there! I guess I am proud to say that we only carry small packages of ramen in our pantry, not the bulk sized boxes like before! You know, just to make sure we do not go into relapse. One baby step at a time, right?

Honestly, the years are blending together. I cannot remember the specifics that happened each year, but I remember being challenged constantly in our communications with one another. The way we show appreciation, the way we show respect, the way we deal with conflicts, even the way we parent our furry baby! I think all that refining has really grown us as a couple. As I recall the difficulties that came our way, I see even more clearly of God's grace and how He truly is the one who sustains us (especially in a marriage of 2 very flawed and broken individuals.)

I am so grateful that I get to learn and grow with my best friend. I love all the little things James does for me. Kissing me on the forehead every morning before he leaves for work, holding my hand on our family walks with Ninja, praying over me when I'm sick or scared, or jumping out of bed at 3 a.m. because his wife is terrorized by a house centipede in the living room.

So yeah, life as a wife is pretty great and I am very blessed to have James in my life. I look forward to celebrating many more anniversaries with my favorite guy. But for now, happy 3 years to us!