two years.

On Monday Matt & I will celebrate two years of wedded bliss. I'm posting this now because we'll be in Florida starting Saturday and vacation to me, in part, means as little computer time as possible. I can't believe it's already been two years since our wedding! In ways it seems like only yesterday and in other ways (good ways) it's been much longer. The main lesson I've learned: the amount you learn about another human being by marrying them is immeasurable. Here's a small recap of that learning process since May 25, 2007:
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Five years to the day of our first meeting, we were married in Mexico in front of 29 of our closest friends and family and then spent a week relaxing in Tulum on our honeymoon. It was an amazing way to start out married life and 2 weeks I'll never forget.
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We then returned home to Iowa where we moved into the upstairs of my Grandma's house for our first little "home." Grandma loved hearing us up in the morning blending our protein shakes like clock work.
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From then on, we spent time commuting between our Iowa "apartment" and the extra room at the "Ricky Court bachelor pad" in Tennessee for Matt's job. This was a very interesting transition time as we learned how to be married while living together and apart. This sort of psuedo married life wasn't exactly ideal so we decided something had to be done...
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Sooo, in November of 2008, we picked up the only life I had ever known and moved to the suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee. This was one of the most terrifying and one of the most rewarding things I have ever done in my life.
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So, in a sense, our married life didn't truly begin until 6 months ago when, for the first time, we actually began living with each other 24/7. And that changes everything.
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So, some things I've learned in the first 2 years (or 6 months) of marriage:
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1. Sleeping schedules must be synchronized for a peaceful household.
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2. Sometimes marital roles are reversed and the husband becomes the nagging anal housekeeper and the wife becomes the laid back hippy who has to be reminded to take the trash out. But she is learning how to cook!
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3. Husbands can be taught to put the toilet seat down with diligent training early on.
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4. Laughter cures almost anything.
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5. My husband is a very willing learner and is much more willing to admit wrong than myself. He is teaching me to be a better communicator.
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6. The forming of a family is a beautiful and crazy thing to participate in as we learn to create a life for ourselves as partners instead of individuals. Two years ago I would consider Matt as being at point A and me being at point Z. As we learn to share our life I suddenly find myself somewhere around G with my sweet, flexible husband working his way to C. Compromise is a good thing :)
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7. Eating and exercise habits must be synchronized for a peaceful household.
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8. Being able to pee, walk around naked and fart in front of someone is funny and freeing.
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9. I could stare at my husband's cheek bones 3 hours a day.
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10. With time and exposure, quirks become more annoying and things you love about someone become more intense.
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11. I love my husband (and want to choke him sometimes) immeasurably more than I did when we were writing undying love poetry to each other 8 years ago and intensely more than the day I married him. And I loved him a lot.