1st year Reflections

Its hard to believe it's been a year. This is going to be an honest post. With my thoughts about the first year, the things we went through, and other things.

I am a very organized OCD individual. Kenneth has lived on his own since college. He always tells a funny story about one day he was talking to his mom and came back with clothes from the laundry and took his laundry basket and dumped them all into the drawer. His roommate at the time asked if he wanted to borrow the iron he was using, and his mom heard it and started cracking up! So having to deal with glasses on the tables, clothes thrown on the floor, and things of the like was a real adjustment for me. It was hard for me to get used to it, and that caused some fights.

Our first month was probably very blissful. We were very much on a high of getting married and didn't know any different. October was also filled with many activities for us to do on the weekends.

A big part of the first year up and downs I think stems from me working two jobs. I would wake up at 5:40, and leave by 6:40. Kenneth would stay home till 12 and then he was heading into work. I would get home around 3:00 and have to either head straight over to kroger or I was able to get dinner ready before I headed out. I then wouldn't get home till 10:30 and then had to worry about dinner, or laundry or cleaning, which would leave me up till 11:30 or so. This caused major frustration at the beginning because I would come home and everything was just as I left it. After talking it over with him, he started helping me. The laundry started to get done, dishes in the dishwasher, and the place became vacuumed. Those few things made my life easier.

We have gotten into a routine. A routine that's going to be changing again once we move into our new place because now he only has 30 minutes for lunch and won't be able to come see me. But he does get off at 3:30 on Fridays now if he wants to flex out! Which he is allowed to do 3 times a month!! :) I'm going to keep preparing meals, but it will only be me eating now. Eating at 8 is just to late most days. And I'm going to try to make one meal a week he can eat off of for his lunch hour. Something that will change on a weekly basis. Like this week is BBQ pork sandwich, with apples and caramel dip!

I'm learning to let things go, and granted it hasn't happened as quickly as I have wanted it to, just being around him, and knowing that words I say hurt him, has taught me to watch how I approach things, what all is being said, and how I go about being a person.

We never did get around to taking a 1 year trip, but we had several vacations this year. We are also planning on heading to Columbia in November, and even going to Sandals Jamaica in the spring!

We are finally getting caught up to a comfort spot financially. I spent most of my savings on the wedding, and even had to pay my parents back for everything that wasn't part of the budget they set. Which only really covered the food and the site. Everything else I paid for. Kenneth had been living off his credit card for a little while thanks to him not working a better job than Kroger. Add to that my ring, furniture, and rent, its amazing we stayed afloat. At the beginning of the year we opened a savings account and all my Kroger paychecks went to that. That has helped for sure start saving for a house or my schooling expenses.

That sums up this first year. It was a rocky road for sure, but I wouldn't trade things. He is more thoughtful than I first gave him credit for. And even though I was very stubborn when we first started 'dating' I'm so thankful I warmed up to him.