We live in a world of sin and imperfection. I am a child of God striving each day to live out my calling. Welcome to my blog where you get the inside scoop of this Child of God's life!
"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity." - 1 Timothy 4:12

Friday, January 23, 2015

1st Year of Marriage: What I Have Learned Each Month

I keep thinking of things that I am learning and feeling in my first year of marriage and I have decided to write them down each month. So this blog will continually be edited. I don't know if other married couples months are like these too, but this is what we have experienced, well at least from my point of view. This is life being shared constantly with another person. They say the first year is the hardest but they also say you're honeymooners....hmmm that's confusing, well so is this first year of all things new and together.

1st Month: November 22 - December 21

  • This is a complete and total whirlwind
  • The honeymoon isn't long enough, the real world begins again
  • In a lot of ways it doesn't feel too different from engaged life
  • Family holidays are exhausting. They are when you're single too, but trying to remember who your spouse already knows and who he doesn't and then there is the juggling of schedules to get all of the different traditions included and experienced.
  • It is really, really hard to go to work, because that means you have leave your spouse, and that's just not fair. There should a 6 week marital leave just like maternity leave. It would be incredible and helpful. Ok maybe 6 weeks of only having to work part time....
  • There should be a handbook out there on how to change your name and what order to do it in, and then a checklist for every possible place you need to change your name. (I'm still not sure I got them all).
We took this picture on our Honeymoon, but it is a good portrayal of month one. There was a lot of hand holding.



2nd Month: December 22 - January 21
  • This apartment really is too small.
  • You start to notice all the little things that are annoying that the bliss of engagement and the wedding covered up. 
  • Emotions, oh my goodness the emotions. 
  • Oh look more holidays....and you have to work... :( 
  • Because of the emotions....am I pregnant...no definitely not, but it sure would explain this...nope I'm just emotional again!
  • Date night....just about as sacred as the Sabbath, at least for our marriage.
  • I think we need lives....we have friends right? We should probably see them, but I don't want to share you, even though you're driving me nuts....
  • It's your turn to take the dog out....please....please.....fine I'll do it...
  • Can we go back to the honeymoon? It was so much easier.
  • So we're broke until Friday....because of those receipts that I keep telling you are important to give me....
  • I love you, I really do.....stupid emotions, are making me crazy.
  • Whew we survived month 2. 
This is a picture from our first Christmas in our apartment. Ranger wouldn't hold still so this was the best we could do, without him having demon eyes.


3rd Month: January 22 - February 21

This month was so, so much better. There were way less emotions and more time spent enjoying each other's company. There was more hand holding and cuddling. I think Ranger even noticed the difference because he sure was cuddly too. We had our first married Valentine's during this time, and we decided to celebrate this year. I got Adam a thin blue line ring, he loves it and wears it every day. It is really pretty, if I do say so myself. Adam got me a hoodie that says, "World's Best Youth Pastor" that's so sweet! Way better than flowers and definitely better than not celebrating at all. Adam also made dinner that night, yummy steaks. We have decided to give up going out to eat for lent, so that will be interesting. Adam was sick a couple times this month but he seems to be on the mend now. We celebrated our three months of marriage by going to the Humane Society to meet the dog that God laid on my heart. I sure hope Ranger is ready for a sister because month number 4 of marriage is bringing a new dog into our lives!

This is a Dragon Fish, I bought him for Adam. He sure has made our fish tank more lively

This is the most recent picture of Ranger. He posed for this picture. If you can't tell I'm kind of obsessed with my dog, but don't take a lot of pictures with my husband!


4th Month - February 22 - March 21
I actually forgot to write the 4th month post so now I'm having to remember back to this point. Let's see, we did not get the 2nd dog. I was heartbroken for like a whole week. I really felt like we were supposed to get her and then she wanted nothing to do with Ranger and it was really sad. But now I'm glad his puppy eyes are the only ones that cut me deep, he's so stinking cute! We went on a Mission Trip to Little Rock, Arkansas with some of the youth during this time. It was a good break from our normal routine. We've also made plans to move and have started packing. And Adam really, really hates his job, which is painful for both of us. My parents came up to see us and Adam made steak. It was a good time together.

This picture was from State Boys Basketball. We lost but it was a fun game.


Look I actually took pictures of my husband!!! These are all from the Mission Trip
In the above picture he is holding something like $250,000 in cash at the Arkansas State Capitol building.

The above picture here he is playing at the really cool Science Museum in Little Rock, That part was about pulleys and how they work.

In this picture we were working at a Habitat for Humanity site, clearing out the fence line and painting. He is working hard with those clippers.

I actually failed on this mission trip to take any pictures with me in them, but I  took all three of these pics so I was there lol.


5th Month - March 22 - April 21
Well we arrived home safely from the mission trip. Adam put in his 3 week notice at work. I turned 26. We moved into our new house. We've had a lot of company, now that we have space to have them. It has been fun. Adam is now home every night, that is taking some getting used to. He started a new job at the Hillsboro Co-op and he really seems to be loving it. I got to do some Prom hair which was fun. We had a new cousin born on my Dad's side of the family, and Adam and I now have our first nephew from his side of the family. I feel like this month was a whole lot of life changing, but it has all been for the good. Oh yeah, Easter was in there too. If you can't tell these posts are less about actual marriage and more about our life, the newness is wearing off and now its just us doing life together each day! :)

In this picture I am holding Delaney, my newest cousin. Her birthday is really close to mine!

This is the picture of the cousins at Easter in Blackwell. My friend Dana is to my right, her husband was traveling so she came with me since mine was asleep. Actually in this picture I am on the phone with Adam.

This is Zack, he is one of my youth and he came to church in his tux the morning after Prom. I was impressed so he made it into the blog, he also skipped school the day we moved and helped us the whole day. He is kind of awesome.

This is our nephew Logan Ryan Utt! Isn't he perfect? I'm so happy to be an aunt. I have been a friend aunt for quite awhile but I've been looking forward to being an aunt for a long time! Welcome to the world Logan! :)



Well it is currently August 5th and I haven't updated anything since April. So here is to going back and trying to remember.



6th Month April 22-May 21
April 27th -


If that wasn't enough for a whole month of marriage....

We celebrated Mother's Day by telling our parents we are expecting. This will be grandbaby #2 for Adam's parents and #1 for mine.




Needless to say they were both surprised and very excited. 

Ranger told the world about the baby


My first group of students graduated. That was pretty emotional for me. I have a relatively small group and 5 of them graduated all at once. I am super proud of them and excited to see what all they do in the future.

We finished up all things school related and all of our Wednesday night programs officially ended. So our life slowed down.... or so it seemed.



Month 7: May 22-June 21

This month started off very emotional. We thought we were having a miscarriage and then we were blessed with a beautiful heartbeat. You can read through that weekend in these blog posts. Might Be a Miscarriage and Heartbeat

I definitely struggled through feeling nauseous all the time, and my energy was very low until week two or three of the second trimester.

We had VBS at the church.

It was science themed. It actually wasn't horrible. :P

I drove kids to and from Middle School Camp but didn't stay for the week.

And somewhere in there my parents spent a lot of time with us working on our house. They said it was their vacation....now I understand why I don't fully understand that word! :P But seriously they're the best. 


Month 8 June 22- July 21
Well I started this month by taking an awesome group of youngins to Day Camp at Horizon. They're so cute. I didn't realize just how much a  group of girls around age 6 could talk but I promise they can all the way there and all the way home.

Jessica and Paige helped me take the kids to Day Camp!


Adam worked his first Harvest it actually started earlier than this but this is where I'm going to put it. Wheat harvest clothing made me incredibly nauseous. I would get the washer ready for him and he had to put his own clothes in it because it was way too much to  actually do it myself. There were a few nights when he would get home and his skin was almost black from all the dust. Gross!!! But the paycheck was nice. And it was nice to see my husband actually enjoying his job even if he was beyond exhausted.

Father's Day

Adam was working Harvest so we had to celebrate without him.


Family Reunion on my Mom's Side

Adam was working Harvest. But Nicole got to come!


We brought Autumn home to live with us during this time.

We even squeezed in a short day vacation!


Autumn and I went to camp for Performing Arts Camp Week. She was an Assistant Counselor for Junior High and I had to do PAC without Adam this year. Sad day. But it all went well. I was so exhausted that I crashed at my parent's house before driving home.

PAC 2015


Then Autumn and I went to the Kansas Christian Ashram in Sterling. This was a totally new experience but we loved it. Autumn finally let God in and let go of a lot of the hurt from her life. It was magical. We were once again beyond exhausted but we drove home for our 24 hour turn around before High School Camp

Adam and Ranger had to spend a lot of quality time together because us girls were gone a lot.

Ranger had his first birthday. I can't believe how fast that went. I know its only going to be worse with this baby.

Ranger & Chloe eating their Birthday cake! Ranger is in the back eating his cake off the floor.


Month 9: July 22 - August 21

High School Camp was an incredible week.

Followed by the Mann Family Reunion. That was awesome too

Adam and Autumn got to join us at the Reunion

I have a cousin who is due in November. Look at those baby bumps!!


We had a Norwex party and got a whole lot of free stuff! 

Mom and Dad came back up twice to do more work.

Gender Sono didn't reveal the gender but we did get to see our little one move around a lot which made this momma cry.


And we are officially caught up...for now.

This blog post is supposed to be more about what I have learned about marriage and myself and my husband than necessarily what has kept us busy.

But busy has be overwhelming us and it seems like the rest is all just running together. But I do have to say that the Adam and I have grown together in remarkable ways since April. Before April I often found myself wondering what in the world I had gotten myself into when I said I do. But I can't imagine doing the past few months with anyone else. He takes care of me, reminds me how to laugh, and holds me through the insane emotions of change and pregnancy. He talks to the baby (which is super cute) and it seems as if we actually notice each other these days. We aren't just going through the emotions. We may have fast tracked this marriage but God knew what he was doing. We are growing together! :)
These are the most recent pics  of Adam and I! They're from the reunion, I just love those smiles, they're so real now!!! :)


2 comments:

Breenah A said...

The second month describes a LOT of marriage.

Unknown said...

Loved your blog, it reminded me of our first year. It does get even better. You two are so cute and will make great parents! Love you. After we get moved and settled this month, we are going to take a road trip and come see you. DeLores and Jim