6 Thoughts After 2 Months of Marriage

July 27 marked two months of my marriage into the Ortiz family!

During the last two months, Eric and I have moved in to our first apartment, paid our first bills, survived our first sickness, and almost completed two rounds of summer classes. I have also survived the SUPER FUN task of changing my name (seriously...why is this so painfully tedious). Eric and I are learning how to make decisions together and we are always working to improve our communication.

As I have reflected on our two months together, a few things have really been on my heart. I have compiled six of the main highlights to our young marriage. After reading mine, be sure to comment on your lessons learned through relationships and marriage!

1. Shopping together for things we need is a very fun responsibility.

 Eric's family came to visit and while doing some laundry, we found out that our laundry detergent was just fabric softener.

Eric and I have had the chance to begin our life together with some strong financial guidance (see thought #7) and our budget is something we work hard to stick to (well, Eric works a little harder than me to stick to the budget, but he does keep me in check).

One of my favorite things to do is to create our shopping list, once I have planned out the dinners I want to cook for the next week or so and once we have decided what lunch/breakfast foods we need.

Eric uses Harris Teeter's website and Food Lion's website to plug in what we need and figure out how much we should expect to spend and where it may be best for us to buy what we need. Shopping with such a rigid plan is not something I am used to and it has been very beneficial in keeping me from throwing every other item in the basket (I WANT ALL THE FOOD).

2. Cooking meals for my husband is more rewarding than I had imagined!

Dinner with Shannon and Tucker Carringer, the coolest example of a married couple ever who also let us live with them for a few weeks before we moved in to our apartment.

One of my wedding gifts from my parents was "The Joy of Cooking," and I have really taken to checking that book to answer as many kitchen/cooking questions I may have. It had become my kitchen bible.

Prior to our marriage, I was not affluent in kitchen-things and I all but ran away when my mom asked me to watch something on the stove for just a minute. Now that I am in a position where I feel like I kind of have to cook (not that Eric doesn't cook, just that one of us is going to have to do it) I am really enjoying the responsibility.

So far, I have made pork chops, Mediterranean chicken, broiled fish (broiling was not my best moment), spaghetti, chicken parmigiana, homemade brownies and hot chocolate (with the help of my fabulous sister-in-law), and some other small things! I am constantly flipping through "The Joy of Cooking" for other sensible meals to try out for week night meals, and hopefully soon I will have some time on the weekend to attempt more challenging dishes!

I also want to reiterate that Eric does cook, his specialties are breakfast and chicken wings :)

3. Having a constant place that I share with my husband makes classwork easier.

A photo of our lovely apartment and a mug set given to us by Eric's Aunt Linda.

Anyone in college can understand the struggle of finding a good study spot, sometimes this hunt wastes a good chunk of valuable work time. Thankfully, I never have to worry about finding a quiet spot in a dorm or in the library again - I have a home to study in!

And even better, I already share this home with my favorite study partner, so there is no need to plan when and where to meet to get our classwork done. Not only is our apartment a comfortable place to be, we also have coffee and snacks (that are already paid for) within feet of us!

4. We truly have a wonderful support system.

Our fabulous wedding party!

 

Without the family and friends that have decided to stand with us as we settle into this new stage of life, I know I would not feel as confident about our first year of marriage stretched out ahead of us.

Without our mom's and grandma's available to call to answer my MANY questions about what to do in the kitchen, I know we would waste money on unnecessary groceries and eating out. Without our dad's available to answer our random apartment and car questions, I know someone would have taken advantage of our ignorance at this point.

It is because of God's grace and the help of our friends/family that Eric and I can stand together to face the challenges of everyday life.

5. Marriage does not equal maturity.

  Photo from our BFF Austin's 21st birthday celebration.

I know this one may sound pretty obvious and ignorant, but a small part of me hoped that at least a few of my childish tendencies would have just disappeared on the ride to the wedding. Unfortunately they did not just disappear, and while some things may be easier for me to side step, some of my immaturity just rears its many ugly heads at the absolute worst of times.

Our marriage has truly become a catalyst for growth. Eric and I both have to choose to put down our petty weapons and choose to love each other through the moments of hurtful comments and inconsiderate actions. I know that because of our marriage, we will both continue to grow in our respect of each other and in turn transfer that respect to the world around us.

6. We are building our own way of life from the very beginning, and I am thankful for that.

Wedding photo of us on the bench at Campbell University where we shared our first kiss.

Eric and I began our marriage before either of us had lived alone, before either of us had decided on the brands we would obsess over, and way before either of us had developed our own routines for the day.

In choosing to marry young, we will have the chance to develop our habits around each other. We can figure out, together, just how we want to tackle the different challenges of life.
 
One of our earliest decisions was to go through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University this summer, and I think it was one of the best decisions we have made yet (aside from choosing to say "I do"). Because of this decision, we are learning how to manage our money in a way that will keep us financially stable for life and will allow us to truly honor God in our financial decisions.

As we prepare for our final year of college, Eric and I will have many challenges to overcome and many decisions to make - but I trust that we are on the right path to stay on top of whatever life chooses to throw at us!