Changes since the "I do's"

Josh and I are coming up on our 1 year wedding anniversary! Reflecting on the last 12 months has helped me to realize that a lot has changed since saying “I do.” There is something about getting that “Mrs.” title that shakes things up a bit and introduces changes into your life.

·         The bills double. Sure, this may be a given because you are combining the bills of two people, but did you consider the number of bills the two of you will take on apart from the ones you are already carrying with you? I know before we got married I thought the only new bills would be our rent and utilities. I went through the budget this morning, I discovered just how many bills we accumulated. Just consider the different insurances you will have to take out policies for!

·         Your priorities/wants shift. The things you used to want to do or spend money on when you were responsible for yourself no longer take precedents over the things you and your spouse both want. When you were single it may have been no big deal to swing through the drive-through while spending the day blowing some money shopping. But now that money could go towards a vacation or nice date night. And it’s not only with money either. Some things that seemed important, like bar hopping with friends on a Friday, don’t seem to live up to the perfection that is staying in with your spouse to rent a movie and gorge on pizza.

·         You stop sweating the small stuff. Glasses break. Floors get dirty. Dinner doesn’t turn out. You have bad hair days. The dog wakes you up at 3am. It happens, move forward and laugh if you can.

·         It’s no longer about you. When you say “I do” the focus shifts. You are no longer a separate entity; you have just become a “we.” Embrace the “we.” Work together, compromise, and be respectful.

·         Submission kind of matters. If you are anything like me the word “submit” makes you cringe. I used to think what a joke it was to expect a woman to submit to her husband. Never in a million years did I think I would ever fall into that “trap.” I am independent, strong-willed, and stubborn. Submission was never on my agenda. But I learned as my marriage began that there is a time and place for me to display those qualities, but it is not with my husband. God designed a marriage with the husband as the head of the household for a reason, and I learned this past year that submission is not bad. It’s a part of God’s design and I have decided to make it a priority. I’m certainly not an expert at submitting to husband, but I am improving. And to be honest, giving up the need to be in control and dominating is really nice.

Here's me laughing as Josh recites his vows.

·         You’re going to laugh a whole lot more. If you thought your spouse was funny while you were dating, marriage ushers you into a comedy show for the rest of your life. Josh is hilarious, and the one liners he would drop while we were dating are NOTHING compared to the stand-up act I get to sit front row in every day.

Bottom line, marriage is awesome and I cannot wait to see what the coming year has in store for us!