Our first year of marriage had the good, the bad and the ugly, but it definitely wasn't the horrible roller coaster many people said it would be. After our honeymoon on Punta Cana Island in the Dominana Republica, I started a new job at the Raleigh Rescue Mission in the Children's Development Center. (Oh what I wouldn't do now to be pulling into work with Starbucks coffee for me, hot chocolate for Emma and go set up circle time!!) and I also was a nanny on Saturdays.
Scott worked at the Wal Mart Distribution Center on Saturday, Sunday and Monday 2nd shift. So we saw each other at 5pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Saturday morning I was off to nanny and Sunday we drove to worship and teach Sunday School at Providence BC.
What I remember most from that first year was how much we tried to make those weeknights together really special. We often had dinner together at a restaurant or I would try to cook a meal (poor Scott ate burned tomato soup a couple times I think. It was tomato soup from a can, too- how did I mess that up??)
Our favorite thing to do, more than anything else in the whole wide world, was go fishing. Sometimes, especially Friday nights, we would stay at Falls Lake until 1 or 2 am bringing in catfish. We always built a fire and brought chairs and a cooler full of cold drinks and some snacks. Then when we'd arrive home so early in the morning we had to wash our clothes right away (chicken livers mixed with a camp-fire smell is not so good). One time I prepared some "Hobos" which is beef, potato and onion wrapped up tightly in tinfoil and then you bury it in the coals for a good hour. It was good, but hard to eat by fire-light. I love all those times I fell asleep next to the campfire and occasionally heard Scott's line break and hear the soft 'Dangit!'. Musta been a big 'un!
One month, I saved up my vacation day and made some spending money by selling some Mary Kay products to Emma and Aldona (Oh I don't miss selling Mary Kay) and took off a Friday without telling Scott. On Thursday night I packed up our beach gear and Friday morning I woke Scott up at 5 am and told him to get in the car. He was bewildered but saw the twinkle in my eye, so he got in the car and fell back asleep for the 2 hour drive to the beach. We had an amazing day getting sunburned, eating sandwiches and potato salad and then going bowling when the sun went down. Man, I can't wait to do that again some day!!!
I remember our worst knock-down drag out fight ( I have NO idea what we were arguing about) (probably the Tupperware argument) but it was right before Scott had to go to work at the DC and we didn't have time to resolve it or even cool down enough to say "I'm sorry" "I love you". We were both steaming angry when Scott drove away, and I just sat down on the kitchen floor and sobbed. 15 minutes later I was still bawling and I heard the garage door opening. Scott had called his boss and told him that he needed to stay home with his wife. Gosh if I wasn't crying BEFORE all that, I sure was now! We didn't even talk about the argument anymore- we just said our apologies and spent the rest of the day watching movies on the couch and then went to Chili's to have our favorite meal: Bleu Cheese Bacon Burger for Scott and Chipotle chicken fingers with a big side of mashed potatoes for me.
The first year was also a year of getting to know each other's families. My favorite times with the Hands has been at the beach when we are all together. Howard is cooking on the grill, Debbie is making cole slaw and sweet tea, Grace is being so adorable walking around with her pink blanket, and Jason, Shanna, Scott and I are playing the 5th round of Hand and Foot at 9:30 and they are teasing me because I get intermittent explosive disorder around 9 pm (not really, but it's nice of them to call it that instead of 'bratiness'). I also love holidays at the Hand house. I wish I'd realized then how much I would miss them- I would have done a lot of things differently.
Scott got to know my family, too. Our first Christmas Eve as a married couple, Scott got off work early in the morning around 1am and pulled up- the next morning he was introduced to the beautiful spectacle that my mom creates for Christmas morning. I was so glad that Scott got along so well with John and Briggie- I have the most adorable picture of Scott holding Hannah at Christmas- but I had no idea that he and brother John would get along so well. I swear, when we go fishing or go to the beach all together I feel like a widow because they are either playing out in the ocean on a kayak or seeing having some fishing contest while at Caveness Farms!
It is nice to love your husbands family so much and know that your own family loves your husband, too.
So all in all, our first year was great! I learned so much about myself but learned more about the wife I wanted to be- and I also learned more about Scott (when he tells you to lock the doors at night and you DON'T, he really will get mad like he said)
I love you Scott! I can't believe it just keeps getting better and better!
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