I'm an expert.

Considering I've been married 4 weeks this Friday, I'm basically makes me an expert.
I would be selfish if I didn't share what I learned in my expertise.

(this was walking up to him before he saw me for the first time)

1) Marriage is nothing like I expected. Okay, not nothing, but it's much different then I thought it would be. I thought everything would feel so new and exciting. Don't take that the wrong way. Marriage is amazing- it's better than I could have dreamed. I'm in love with it and my husband. But it doesn't feel new. It just feels natural...like we've been married for years, not weeks. It doesn't feel magical, it just feels real. I think I prefer it that way.

2) Two people= two different ways of doing things. Everything. Two different ways of doing dishes. One sleeps with fan on, other with fan off. One cuts pineapple one way, the other does another way. Different opinions on what's better to spend more money on, or go for the less expensive item. Basically, two different ways to do everything. It's not a bad thing. It's a good thing. It helps us to be more well rounded. We are the perfect match. We have opposite talents, and combining them we can learn a lot from each other. It's better to accept the differences and get used to each other than trying to change each other, even though they have the potential to become irritating. For example, Clint's perfectionism can bug me a tiny bit sometimes, but I also love it. If I want something done perfectly, I'll ask him to do it!

3) You can never say "I love you" too much. Clint and I prefer to share these words close to a million times a day. We mean it every time, and it never gets old.

4) Don't settle for enough. We like to make sure the other happy, not just alive and breathing. We do this by asking questions that go a little like this: "Do you know that I love you?" "Can I do anything for you?" "Are you happy?" You're shaking your head at the cheese factor but try it, it works. It makes me feel loved when Clint wants to take good care of me and makes sure I feel loved. Afterall, we all just wanted to be loved and appreciated right? This is a huge tip I'd give for newlyweds...or long-time-marrieds....or never marrieds...or dating....or will date someday...okay, it's for everyone.

5) The way to a man's heart really is through his stomach. I'm not a huge fan of cooking on my own, but knowing how much Clint loves when I cook, makes all the work and mess (my least favorite part) worth it.

6) Everything I cook isn't going to be Clint's new favorite want-to-jump-over-the-moon food. Now I realize everything I cook isn't going to be the best he's ever had, although I'd love for that to happen. And It's okay if he needs to add salt, I guess. ;)

7) We make a great team. Okay so this kind of goes along with number 2, but that doesn't make it any less true. For serious, I think we are the most perfectly matched couple in the universe. ever. Our friends, family, bishop, random strangers...pretty much everyone agrees. They can see how well matched we are and above all, how much we love each other. I feel like with our different talents and strengths, we will be the perfect tag teamers for raising our little runts one day. We balance each other out so well. We worry about opposite things. This works great since we're always able to calm the other down since it's something the other doesn't worry about. The truth is he worries too much and I don't worry enough. It's hard to put into words, I just know he's my perfect puzzle piece.

Well that's basically all you need to know friends. Actually if you just know number 3, you'll be just fine. Add in number 4 too. There you have it.

Also, see Monday's post for details on free sponsorship for this month! everyone wins! :)