LOVE & Marriage: Obstacles and Triumphs

There is something about the holidays that motivates me to blog. It must be the fabulous idea of sitting cozy on the couch listening to the crackling fire enjoying a hot cup of coffee while putting my thoughts on "paper". I'm not sure how many people care to read my rambling thoughts but I figured for people who don't care for blogging/bloggers, don't blog.
                                         
It's been two years since I started this blog and clearly, I have not kept up with it. These past two years have been a whirlwind, WHEW! From vacations to fun family events to celebrations with some amazing friends, Brian and I are thoroughly enjoying this ride they call "marriage". That's not to say we haven't had our struggles. Everyone says your first year of marriage is the hardest, I disagree. I'd say it's your second year because that is truly when the "honeymoon" stage fades and the realization of "forever" kicks in. Not to say that forever doesn't sound absolutely incredibly wonderful but that's a lot of pressure! However, Brian and I are figuring it out one day at a time through our humor, tears, laughter and sometimes straight up fights. With that said, my husband is my very best friend (and a damn good man). He knows the real me and still tells me how madly in love he is with me. When someone knows the real you and is still in love with you, that's a true soul mate. It is easy to get comfortable with each other and lose the spark and lack in the effort but date nights are what keeps our spark sparkling! Whether it's a steak dinner at a nice restaurant or a steak dinner off the grill in our backyard with an ice cold beer, this is something Brian and I so cherish. I am by no means an expert but Brian and I have been together for 6 years, married for two of them, and I have definitely learned a few things about maintaining a fun, wildly, romantic marriage.

1. Make time for each other. There's always going to be a birthday, a celebration or a get together and sometimes you just have to say NO. Me and my girlfriends have this understanding and I greatly appreciate them for that. We are all somewhat newly weds and sometimes a weekend of vegging on the couch with a Dexter marathon and Chili's to-go is just what the doctor ordered!

2. Show affection. I won't elaborate on this but women AND men, you both know what the other needs.

3. Speak to each other as if you were still in the first 6 months of dating. I know for a lot of women patience isn't our strong suit, especially when it comes to our husbands' lack of detail BUT men are not women. They don't care about wrinkly sheets and color coordination. "Please" and "thank you" go a long way. And men, no matter how many days, years or decades you've been with your special gal, gushy love notes left on the mirror or random phone calls/texts just to say "I love you", NEVER get old, neither do compliments ;).

4. Remember each others' strengths when all you are focusing on is their weaknesses. WHY can't my husband keep his laundry under control and organized?! or WHY is my wife overly sensitive?! Instead, WOW! My husband always surprises me with cleaning the kitchen or WOW! My wife always remembers my important events and gives 110%! Don't forget what each of you bring to the table and just how well you compliment each other.

5. Compromising is KEY. If my husband can watch Bravo with me, the TV is his all Saturday during football season and for Thunder games. Sharing the boob tube is minimal compared to some but you get the idea.

So there you have it. My five rules of thumb to maintain a happy marriage. That's not to say that there are days, sometimes weeks, when this all goes to the wind. But hey, A for effort right? Feel free to share any of your "secrets to a happy marriage". Thanks for viewing!