A Month in the Making

I'm not really sure what the title of this post means, but it seemed appropriate. Sometimes the title just rolls from my mind, through my fingers, and onto the keyboard without making much sense.

Jason and I have been married for 4 months, 6 days, and about 45 minutes.We've experienced a lot of craziness in that amount of time. Just to give a brief overview, this is how our lives have looked over the past few months:

We thought we may be moving to a different city. We thought we might be moving to a different home in Birmingham. We thought we'd stay where we are. We really thought we might be moving to a different city. We decided to stay where we are. While we were figuring out where we were going to live, Jason changed jobs within the same company he already worked for, so now he works a full-time job and a more than part-time job as well (rather than two over-part-time jobs). We've been to six cities in four different states, not including our honeymoon. We've celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a New Year, all in different places.

It's been crazy. 

Thanksgiving in Daytona Beach, FL (Jason's hometown)

A fun little trip to Disney World in Orlando

Christmas in Destin, FL with my family

Bringing in 2013 from our couch

We spent New Year's Day in Atlanta visiting the Coke Factory

We took a little weekend getaway to Nashville earlier in January

In the midst of all of the craziness, we've also been learning A LOT. We've been learning how to live together, how to like each other since we now live together :), how to show love to each other (even when it's hard), what our roles in marriage look like Biblically and what that means practically, how our roles within our families have changed, and how to just live life day-to-day as a married couple.

I'll be honest, it hasn't been all easy. In fact, the first three months were rough at times...not rough ALL the time, but at certain times. We've had handfuls of people tell us that the first year of marriage is the hardest. Jason asks me about once every two weeks why people say that to us so often, and my only real answer for him is because it must be true.

I will say this though...through the ups and downs, the arguments and sweet moments, the traveling and the nights at home, the craziness and the simple silences, I've learned to see God's grace so much clearer than I could before.

Since I've been a believer, I've prayed that someday my future husband (I didn't know Jason then) and I would quickly grow to be united mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Since we got married, I have gotten so frustrated because I just didn't see that happened at the beginning of our marriage and I didn't understand why God didn't want that for us.

But then, almost like it was overnight, things started to change. I honestly don't think that Jason or I have done anything to change, but God definitely opened our eyes and changed our hearts. Over the last month or so, I've began to see God's grace all over the place, or at least that's how it feels. Jason and I regularly pray that God would do something in us/in our marriage that is so insane and radical that it's evident that only He could accomplish it, and I truly believe that has happened...or is beginning to happen.

I know I've got a long way to go, and I pray that by the grace of God I'm given many many  more years to grow, but I believe that God has allowed certain opportunities and circumstances to come into our lives that have taught me about my role as a wife and how that affects every other facet of my life (my job, my family, my home, my friendships, etc.). The biggest thing that God has begun teaching me though, is that my identity and my role in this world doesn't start externally with my  marriage, it starts internally with my relationship with Him.

I guess the title to this post does make sense when I consider the past month or so. These last few weeks have been so sweet, not only as a newlywed, but as a believer. I hope that it's the foundation and the making of a life in which I am ever-growing in Him.

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Evolution of Engagement

Welp, it's official - Jason and I are no longer neighbors.

Last night as he was locking the door to 1662 B for the last time, I really wanted to be sad. I think that I was sad inside but as much as I wanted to embrace that emotion, there was something holding me back. I think that the joy of moving forward and getting one step closer to "my" apartment becoming "our" apartment was overriding any sadness that I was feeling.

That's a good thing, right?

Jason turning in his keys.

Anywhoo...

Busy weekend take three will start this afternoon. I feel like I've been moving and cleaning and washing and cleaning for two weeks! There is something really satisfying about knowing that I'll walk into a clean apartment this evening, so the work that we've been putting in for the last few weeks is paying off.

Like I said, one step closer to "my" becoming "our".

Wednesday night I made one of the Sansom/Morales household staples for dinner: Buffalo Chicken

Crock pot Buffalo Chicken:
Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1/4 c. chili sauce
• 1 packed Hidden Valley dry ranch dressing

Directions

1. Spray the inside of the crock pot with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place raw chicken inside the crock pot.
3. Top with chili sauce and sprinkle dry ranch dressing on top.
4.  Set crock pot to 8 hours on low.
5. After it's cooked, shred chicken. Buffalo chicken can be served a variety of ways (sandwich, plain, salad, etc.)

Jason at his Buff Chick as a sandwich with corn on the cob. I ate mine plain with a little shredded cheese and salsa on top. I made a salad with feta cheese and balsamic vinegar to go on the side.

It's Friday, so the rambling will be kept to a minimum. I hope you all enjoy this weekend and I'll write again on Monday!

“GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.” - Habakkuk 3:19