The month of April and laundry

Life as newlyweds has been pretty busy since October 16, but the month of April was by far the craziest: Campbell events, a visit from baby sister Catherine, road tripping home for Easter, and marking our sixth month of marriage. Okay, maybe that last one didn't make us any busier, but it certainly added to energy of everything.

Oh yeah, and Norton jumped out our second-story window. (He's fine.)

Eating peanut butter and playing at the park sure is tiring.

Being married for six months isn't that big of a deal, but being married for half a year is. The next six months will dissolved away even faster as we celebrate more weddings, learn new recipes, have new adventures, and eventually celebrate our first anniversary!

I'm learning that marriage means a lot more than supporting just each other. It means supporting each other's families, working together to be parents (to a dog, but same goes for kids in the future), and taking responsibility for practicalities that keep life organized, like laundry, cleaning, and grocery shopping. 

What I've learned the most over the last six months is time management. A typical day doesn't allow for a nap or three hours in front of Hulu or Facebook. In other words, shocking as this may be, marriage is not like college with a male roomie! Every day is an intentional effort to connect with Elliot, give 110% at work, be a good doggy mom to Norton, and keep up with chores at home. 

When I finally do plop on the couch in the evening, I like to look around to see a happy husband, happy puppy, and relatively clean apartment. I don't need every surface to be sterile. I just want a clean floor and a few pieces of clothes ironed. 

Side note: Another big lesson from the last six months is that I can't do everything perfectly all the time. I just have to give what time and energy I have and be happy with it. This especially applies to laundry.

The highlight of April was having Catherine visit and then finishing up that week by driving to Massachusetts to celebrate Easter (my favorite holiday) with the family. I hadn't been home since the wedding, and my grandparents' failing health and overall homesickness made our time there extra special. Being home is one big sigh of relief-- I don't have to be doing anything in particular but eat delicious food and visit the people I love.

I'm looking forward to what adventures the next six months will hold. Birthdays, new furniture, a hair cut, mini road trip-- whatever it is, it's a special event because I can share it with Elliot and we make it part of our life together.

Photo by Story Photographers