I can’t quite put into words just how surreal it is to be coming up on our one year anniversary (officially the 7th). The days and months have flown in a fantastic blur. We took an evening with our unbelievably talented wedding photographer, Katie Noble, for a fun, playful, and colorful anniversary shoot (photos to come later). In the meantime, I wanted to share a little glimpse of our first year together with a few questions we answered separately:
1. What is one piece of marriage advice you followed?
L: I’m honestly not sure where I heard this, but I was told to never assume E is a mind-reader. I can’t sit in silence while I hope he gets how I’m feeling. I have to talk to him if I want him to understand. So even in times when something may be difficult to verbalize, I make the effort to explain. And he’s a great listener.
E: Little acts of kindness go a long way. I can remember being told before our wedding that I shouldn’t forget to do the little things that I used to do when we were dating. Randomly picking up flowers for Les, offering to go get sushi together or surprising her with a gift simply because I know she would appreciate it. It’s the little things that count the most, especially the unexpected ones.
2. What is one thing you learned about the other person?
L: He spends a lot of time on his hair. That’s one habit I somehow missed in our years of dating. So sharing a bathroom has brought it to light. Everything else about his “getting dressed” process is speedy, but those curly locks require a little TLC.
E: We are very different. I knew this before we got married, of course, but it’s not the same until you live together–day in and day out–that you discover little intricacies and differences that you hadn’t noticed or seen before. I’m still baffled by how she is so productive in the mornings. Les will wake up at six just to get things done. I, on the other hand, can sleep ’til noon and not think twice.
3. What has been the best meal in your new home?
L: This is harder than it should be. I’m such a snacker that I rarely want to eat a full meal, even if I’ve just made it. The dish that stands out to me, though, is Butternut Squash Soup—I’m ready to break out the Ninja for another round of that perfect fall recipe.
E: We certainly have had some really great meals in
our home as newlyweds and I can’t narrow it down to just one; instead, I’ve come up
with my favorite dish for each meal of the day. Breakfast in bed is always my
favorite: poached eggs with chicken apple sausage, toast with jam, and a homemade mocha latte. On one occasion, for lunch, Les concocted a crabmeat grilled cheese with avocado on
sourdough bread (so good). And finally, for dinner, my favorite meal was a
balsamic glazed chicken with black rice fritters in an olive oil and balsamic
sauce. These three favorites are why I created the hashtag #newlywedfifteen.
4. What is one unexpected thing about marriage?
L: Married life didn’t feel strange. And that in itself was unexpected. I thought it would seem foreign or even a bit awkward at first—sharing space, money and possessions. But the transition from engagement to marriage happened pretty immediately. It felt like we’d been doing this all along.
E: It was a lot easier to get adjusted to living
together than expected. The change to sharing everything from our home,
finances and other responsibilities seemed so natural and normal, which was
especially odd for both of us as we tend to be very independent people.
p.s. if you haven’t seen our other wedding posts, click through for the inspiration, fashion, ceremony, reception, and favorite moments.
