Day 51.

Dear New Husband,

What a date night. It started out so classy at a nice hibachi restaurant. Then, we discussed how much we loved donuts. So we walked to a nearby grocery store, only to discover it was too fancy of an establishment for donuts.

But they were not too fancy to have my favorite tea and Fat Free Half & Half. . . So thanks for letting me grocery shop on our date.

And then I insisted we drive into the bustling city (Although, after 8:30, its not quite bustling anymore) for donuts. Then, we feasted on saturated fats and sugar. Bon appetite.

Thank you for the best date night - random, sweet, and full of hilarity. It was truly one of my favorite evenings that we've spent together, because it just was. No rhyme or reason, I just liked it. I know I badger you constantly about "Well, why did you like it?!" Now you can badger me with the same question and I will answer simply: "Just because."

I love you,
Your New Wife who loves fancy evenings ending with simple treats.

Day 50.

Dear New Husband,

I hate change. And I hate not having enough space to keep all of our beloved belongings that we probably don't need any more.

Sigh. I was bound for an emotional meltdown, you know. I hadn't had one in a while. We should hang up one of those "Accident Free for 'X' number of days" signs. Except it would say "Emotional Meltdown Free for, etc. etc." Although we probably would be erasing it at least once a month. And the whole "All of our closets look like an excerpt from Hoarders" thing is driving me up the wall. What's worse is that I am realizing all of my stuff that we have to move into here. Such is life. Besides, I can put up with anything for 3 months!. . . Suddenly feeling very envious of all those who get married and move into a house immediately. I want to force them to share less than 800 square feet with another person.

But thanks for not listening to me when I insisted that we throw/give away/sell all of our possessions so we could have more space in our apartment. Because, again, we're moving in 3 months. That's it. A drop in the bucket of time we'll spend together. So thanks for letting me sob horrifically. And being apparently fine with the fact that you married an overly organized Type A insane person.

I love you,
Your New Wife that is wondering if you can have a garage sale with an apartment.

Day 49.

Dear New Husband,

We just finished watching The Cutting Edge; a family favorite o' mine. I appreciate you letting me talk you into an early 90's movie that you've never seen and the premise on Netflix sounds weird. But lets face it, movies on Netflix are mostly terrible. Except for The Cutting Edge, Two Headed Shark Attack and Dr. Zhivago.

But I appreciate all you've been doing today, while I type up more and more notes for my final exam. Our home looks so tidy as you find nooks and crannies to put all the things that haven't settled in the dust of moving.

And, as always, I thoroughly enjoy being your constant date to weddings. Being married and going to weddings might be my new favorite thing. . . Maybe we should start to crash weddings. Especially at where we got married so we can have the cake and food all over again. I really do think about those shrimp quesadillas at least once a day.

You are so dear to me and I am enjoying this day - all the laughter, the sweetness, the us-ness of this day is so wonderful.

I love you,
Your New Wife who always has the best date to events: Her New Husband.

Day 48.

Dear New Husband,

Alright, alright, alright. Top Golf was fun. Not that I didn't think it wasn't going to be fun - but I hate not being the best at something. Marriage really is showing me the areas that I need work. And tonight, that area is competitive spirit, with a defiant need to show everyone else up.

Blame it on being the youngest, blame it on being short, blame it on whatever you want. I think it has everything to do with me having a competitive nature about stuff that truly does not matter. So thanks for continually being patient with me and encouraging me to try again, no matter how many times I 'wiffed' the golf club.

I just enjoyed cracking jokes with you, having a slow evening, spent on our own time. I just love being able for us to call shots on what we do together without a care in the world. It truly is a pleasure to have a slow moving life with you.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 47.

Dear New Husband,

I am so pleased that I became too infirm (I really should not try to be competitive and keep up with you for lifting weights. My back feels like Quasimodo's) for our date plans tonight. Though I fully expect us to try and go again, I enjoyed watching a movie and episode or two of another crime drama; calling our own playbooks: "That one is the killer! NO THAT ONE!!" Really. I don't know why we haven't been drafted by the local law enforcement. We could make a killing. . . Pun intended?

And I enjoyed that Blackmon and Weeden went in the first round, as did Wilson, and that we have yet another reason to dislike Boise State. Thanks, Tampa Bay.

Is it college football season yet?

But as much as I love the NFL draft, fighting crime from our couch and getting half priced pizza because the Rangers ran up the score against another team, again, I truly enjoy these nights with you. I love slow evenings - moving at our own paces and enjoying each other's company. Even if it means I'm slathered in Annie's Cheddar Bunnies, Aleve and a heating pad.

I love you,
Your New Wife who is way too competitive for her own good; because it gives her back problems.

Day 46.

Dear New Husband,

Again, on Wednesdays I always feel like I come up with an empty letter. Mainly because Wednesdays are truly my busiest day and I don't really get to see you and hear about your day until 9:30 or whenever we get out of home group. We don't get our normal work jokes or leisure evenings on Wednesdays.

I did, however, hear a Cake song today that reminded me of me and you. . . And you're probably looking up the lyrics thinking "Huhwhaaaa?" Just wait. Listen to the song first. The joke comes after the YouTube link.

I had a nice laugh for a really long time - though I had definitely heard this song before (Cake was a favorite band in high school), taking into consideration how outlandish it was made me so thankful that one of the only things you expect out of me is that I make the bed every morning. I'm thankful that you had guys in your life that were realistic and told you what it would really be like to live with a girl and that our hair gets everywhere. But I'm incredibly thankful you have dudes that don't expect a woman like Cake does. I think that's the whole point of the song. Just took me 10 years to figure it out.

You have to admit though, I do have fingernails that shine like justice. Sadly, somehow, I don't have a machete. . .

2 month anniversary gift?

I love you,
Your New Wife who probably shouldn't be allowed around a machete. Or any kind of sharp object. Not even a letter opener. Or a thumb tack.

Day 45.

Dear New Husband,

I'm getting over the top excited for our potential road trip plans! Mad Libs, beef jerky, license plate tag, explorations! What's not to love? 

I think what I'm most excited about is the fact that we will have worked so hard to save for it; what an accomplishment in and of itself. I hope that we can continue to dream big (Although a roadtrip isn't that big of a deal and isn't the biggest vacation dreams we have) and save our hard earned monies to have such fun adventures together. 

So here's to making plans and following through with them; to loving each other well, to valuing and making time for our independence with friends and being completely present for our time together and finding endless opportunities to entertain ourselves. Such as making up dance moves to the Bones and Crossing Jordan theme songs. And to not thinking every time we see a door ajar that a crime scene is waiting in the wings.

I love you,

Your New Wife that enjoys evenings with friends, but enjoys ending her nights with her new husband.

Day 44.

Dear New Husband,

What. A. Day. Budgeting and realizing how much money we actually don't have. Sigh. In the words of Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids: "Help me, I'm poooor."

But the good news is that I hear this is normal for newly married couples. So here's to creativity. And Pinterest. I hope we continue to see this as an opportunity to find new things to do and to love on coupons. But lets not turn into those crazy couponers that hoard laundry detergent or cat food. That's just creepy.

And here's to hoping you can come with me as I jet halfway across the world in less than a month. Because I would miss you far too much for those almost 3 weeks. And then Paul & Linda McCartney would definitely have us beat at nights spent apart. So remember, we can't let the McCartney's beat us. 

No sir (Pun intended?). No way.

I love you,

Your New Wife who has an unexplained obsession with competing with the McCartney's.

Day 43.

Dear New Husband,

I hope you realize how lucky you are. I can quote Star Wars/Lord of the Rings like a dude, talk college football like a dude, I'm intelligent but not on a Sheldon level and I look really good in a dress.

You get that I'm a catch, right?

I'm only saying this because you looked at me like I was nuts when I said: "You know how lucky you are to have a wife who writes you a letter every day, right?"

Just a quick reminder that I'm awesome. In case you forget.

I love you,

Your New Wife who knows she has an awesome new El Huz.

Day 42.

Dear New Husband,

In an effort to breathe more spontaneity into our relationship, we went to Top Golf. Then the wait was 2 hours so we went to Downtown McKinney. 

Nothing against you, but I feel that Downtown McKinney was WAAAAY more enjoyable. I'm not above going to Top Golf, but perusing through stores, looking at people's past trinkets and treasure troves and sampling red pepper jelly on white crackers, while strolling hand in hand sipping Peach Mango tea was delightful.

There are few things I love more than exploring and experiencing new places with you - Just getting to be our own tour guides, stroll at our own pace. Laughing at ourselves and the weird things people buy. These are moments of a slow Saturday that I treasure so dearly.

I love you,

Your New Wife who loves the dance you do every time you hear the "Bones" theme song.

Day 41.

Dear New Husband,

I'm still trying to give you an alliterated, cutesy nickname. So far, this hasn't been going very well. All I seem to come up with is El Huz; which is neither an alliteration nor is it even in your native language. Or a real word (Please notice I put that its not our native language first. I am not normal). I think I've just seen that 30 Rock episode too many times where Jack looks just like that Spanish soap opera actor.

I sweetly enjoyed an evening out with you; perhaps not our best evening out, but I cherish it all the same. But I am really ready not to live in a city where 10.9 bajillion people live and drive their cars.

I love you dearly and look forward to future date nights without bad drivers and sleepy eyes and tired bodies.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 40.

Dear New Husband,

While you were off playing soccer, I sat at home and reorganized our kitchen to accommodate the behemoth of a birthday present you got me!

And then I sobbed through the last half of The Young Victoria and ate more Oreos than a normal person should in one sitting.

I know most girls watch a love story and identify with the female heroine; reading way into the plot and subtext, saying that she and her beloved are that couple. But really, give us titles and tiaras and I'd say we'd get pretty close to Victoria and Albert. I mean, I consider myself to be a plucky, cheeky, punchy lady. And yet somehow, an unsuspectingly sweet man got convinced he couldn't live a day without me. I still don't know how I pulled that trick off.

I don't want to be too bold, but I would bet my brand new stand mixer that you would take a bullet for me

And then I would call you stupid through my sobs. See example below.

I love you,

Your New Wife that hopes you never die. Ever.

Day 39.

Dear New Husband,

I feel like I don't have anything to write to you on Wednesdays because I really don't get any quality time with you. Definitely our busiest day.

But, I want to thank you for realizing that your wife loves treats. And you picked up Annie's Cheddar Bunnies without me even asking. And you splurged for name brand Oreos! You must really love me. And everyday, I'm extremely grateful that you do the dishes. Even when I don't say it or show it, you are willingly doing, ever since day one, the job I hate most: Washing dishes and putting away clean dishes. That's some serious lovin'.

I love you,

Your New Wife who appreciates impromptu grocery store runs that yield her favorite snacks.

Day 38.

Dear New Husband,

I like showing off my brain to you. I know how I lectured you about how you don't need to show off for me - but that's because you're smart AND athletic. When you're 5'2", you have more showing off to do!

But thank you for wanting to come see me get a certificate and eat some fruit and smoked gouda. I appreciate your constant support and your willingness to sacrifice 'you and me' time, so your compulsive overachieving wife can put hours of hard work into an MSW. And you even don't look at me like I'm nuts when, after a 2 hour ceremony, I say: "Wanna go work out?" What a saint.

You're the best and I look forward to returning the favor when you go back to school! I'm so excited to buy you school supplies and tons of things to organize all your school work with!. . . Too much? Too bad.

I love you,

Your New Wife.

Day 37.

Dear New Husband,

God bless the crockpot.

God bless crescent rolls for being able for me to stuff anything into them and call it good, i.e. marshmallows and chocolate chips.

God bless Gold's Gym with treadmills that let me watch Frasier and BBC News.

God bless you for letting me use our Crate & Barrel monies to buy a fancy slap chop.

I'm so thankful that we insisted on watching "Christmas at Downton Abbey." Even though we were expecting it to be a Christmas special interview with the cast. I've never been so glad to be proved incorrect. And I'm so thankful you jimmy-rigged an old computer screen so I can watch Bones.

You're the best and I love the little things that make up our evenings together.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 36.

Dear New Husband,

What a sweet treat of a day. I enjoy spending lazy Sundays with you. And I'm so thankful that while I'm laboring over a paper, you pick up my slack around the apartment, i.e. making lunch, hanging house organization accessories in the laundry room, etc etc. The list could go on and on. You are certainly earning your keep!

I know sometimes lazy days drive you batty, but I'm so grateful that you chose today to be lazy with me. Because, as I have said before, its the uneventful days that I cherish most with you and enjoy our slow life together.

Now lets be old and watch Downton Abbey and go to bed at 10 pm.

I love you,

Your New Wife.

Day 35.

Dear New Husband,

We went to our first wedding since our wedding. I have to say, it struck such a sweet chord with me about how lucky I am to get to be with you. I know how much I love you; heck, I'm writing a letter to you ever day so you know all the things I love about you and our new life together. But there is something so profound and resounding to watch others make a marriage covenant to each other; the same we have made to one another. I get an amazing reminder that somehow, I got to marry you.

Even today, remembering how I felt 35 days ago - it was happy shock. I couldn't believe that someone actually picked me. I hope that every day, I show you how thankful I am that you chose me to spend your life with. And that every day I show you that the greatest adventure I could ever have doesn't lie overseas or in a distant city, it lies in being your wife and partner in life.

Even if I don't eat bananas before a race and whine at 6:45 in the morning. I'm just not adventurous before noon.

I love you,

Your New Wife who is so glad she married someone way more athletic than her.

Day 34.

Dear New Husband,

I think it is so darling that you needed a 'you' date with me. Buffalo Wild Wings - complete with beer and wings. I guess I shouldn't call that darling. But the only synonyms I can come up with are "precious", "cute", etc. All of these adjectives describe puppies and baby otters, not a 'you' date at Buffalo Wild Wings.

But you bring up a great point. When we go out to eat, we go to my favorite places. As a woman, that appeals to me so much and I feel so woo-ed by this. But I understand that we don't go out very often and not that you don't enjoy the places we frequent, but Bee-Dubs helps you feel woo-ed. I get it. So endearing.

I adore that I get to love you and eat messy chicken with you and drink lite beer while discussing the glory that is college football.

Don't miss me too much while I'm off being a girl, celebrating our sweet friend's last fling before the ring.

I love you,

Your New Wife.

Day 33.

Dear New Husband,

Thank you for not being that controlling, overbearing, stereotypical male (Although, if you were that way, we would have not been wed 33 days ago. Nor would we have dated) that doesn't let me spend our money on hanging with such sweet girlfriends. But you let me spend money on snacks and treats and carbonated brown sugar and on a ticket to watch Leo and Kate fall in love in 3D.

I'm so thankful that you encourage me to do these things and you know the importance of me getting that 'girl' time that you definitely can't provide. Granted, you could've taken me to see Titanic in 3D, but I appreciate it so much more with girls.

Plus, when I come home after watching a very sappy and mushy movie for 3 and a half hours how much I have missed you and am excited to recite over and over while holding you tight: "Please don't die. Ever."

I love you,

Your New Wife who is so glad that you are not booked on a transatlantic ocean liner. Ever.

Day 32.

Dear New Husband,

I think Wednesdays might be my least favorite day. I feel rushed at the end of the day when I finally get to see you. And talk to you in person - rather than via text, Google chat, smoke signal, carrier pigeon, etc. But, such is life. Trying to put our relationship and communicating and connectedness with each other in front of the stress of everyday existence.

Some days, thats an easy task. That's mostly on days that are at the end of our weeks. But that's only 2 days out of 7! And then we have date night. That's only 3 out of 7! So we fumble around, realizing what is important and what we can put on the back burner. Right now, that's easy. But one day, in 15 years, when we have littles that will be a whole different story. I pray we can continually put our relationship with each other first, instead of letting it fall in the cracks. Not that we do that currently, but I hope we can keep up this behavior!

I love you,

Your New Wife who thinks the most useless things are important. Except for graduate school. That's not useless. Nor do I give it importance. Paradox.

Day 31.

Dear New Husband,

One whole month! Hard to believe, because it only feels like a week since we said the two most famous last words: "I Do."

I loved getting asked at lunch today: "What have you learned in the last month?" Because it basically helped me prep for today's letter. But so far, in 31 days of wedded bliss, I have learned so much about expectations: Having them, managing them, etc. And that our definitions for abstract things are different. Shocking, right?

And that sharing a Queen bed with someone is so difficult, especially when I want all the space I can garner. Blame it on being the youngest, blame it on sleeping by myself in a full bed for 7 years, but it is what it is. And I'm trying. But maybe for our 1 year we can invest in a King. Eh, eh?

But I hope you know that there is no one else I would rather figure all of this out with. And there is no one else I would rather annoy with my perpendicular sleeping habits. And after a month. . . I wanna marry you all over again.

I love you,

Your New Wife who would let you chase her all the way to Tennessee.

Day 30.

Dear New Husband,

Melting Pot for dinner - Check.

You putting together shelves for all my graduate school books - Check.

Us watching the new Twilight and me being on the verge of sobbing watching the wedding scene - Check.

1 month anniversary tomorrow - Check.

Feeling like the most special and loved woman in the world - Check.

I love you,

Your New Wife who feels more loved today than yesterday.

Day 29.

Dear New Husband,

Happy Birthday to me!! I get to be married to you and you get to give me a KitchenAid stand mixer! Seriously, you're outdoing yourself here, husby. You really need to use coupons and/or take us to Ikea Food for the next date night. At this rate, I really do expect any of the following for the next time you give me a gift: Puppy/dog, car, iPad or Apple shares.

As we celebrate my birthday, I'm so glad we can celebrate such an important holiday of Easter together. And we can enjoy being at home together, relishing in the salacious scandal of another day at Downton Abbey.

You are so gracious and thoughtful - there is no one else I would rather spend the end of my birthday with than you. Enjoying the last bit of the sweetness of birthday cake and relishing in how blessed I am to celebrate all of life's happiness with you.

I love you,

Your New Wife who is slathered in chocolate icing and prepping for a sugar coma.

Day 28.

Dear New Husband,

What a great Saturday spent apart!

I feel like that sounds weird and perhaps slightly insensitive and cold. But I think a misconception many people have is that you spend every waking moment with your spouse and never need a moment alone again.

But the individual-ness and the together-ness must both be balanced and enjoyed. These are things you already know, but I know I need to write it down so I remember how necessary it truly is.

I am so enjoying seeing you become a part of my family. And enjoying that you love my family's kooky and zoo-y sense of humor as much as I do while we're laughing so hard we're crying whilst playing Apples to Apples.

I love you,

Your New Wife.

Day 27.

Dear New Husband,

I enjoyed spending time with you and my family today. Strolling around outside - not a place to be or a care in the world.

Today was so relaxing and I enjoy you getting to be a part of my family and celebrating important holidays with us. Such as my birthday. And Easter too. . . Do I need to go back and put Easter first? I think that's okay. That's not sacrilegious, right?

You are the best and I am enjoying these uneventful days with you!

I love you,

Your New Wife.

Day 26.

Dear New Husband,

How do I make it a point to bring Mad Libs and then not have any writing utensils?! Lame pants.

But I still throughly enjoyed our road trip today; solid quality time to just be together - whether talking or not talking. I cherish those moments so much with you and I'm so glad I get them with you.

And now I'm going to crash into a King sized bed. Because I want to savor not having to share a Queen. Because now I can sleep with the knowledge that you are nearby without feeling you nearby :)

I love you,

Your New Wife who sleeps like she lives: Spastically.

Day 25.

Dear New Husband,

I apologize that I become a giant baby. . . Well wait. I am 5'2". I hardly think you can count that as giant. How about 'overgrown' baby? That sounds better. Anyway, I am sorry I become an overgrown baby when I stub my baby of a toe on the wheel of your suitcase. I wanted to slap a kitten. And thanks for not being too annoyed when you brought me a band aid and I said: "That band-aid is too big for my baby toe." How atrocious.

I'm glad you found my note to you in your sock drawer. You know how horrible I am at keeping surprises secret. Because if you had packed your things to go visit my parents without looking in your sock drawer, I would've made up awkwardly random reasons for you to rummage in your sock drawer. And that just would've been uncomfortable for the both of us.

I'm so excited to have a mini-roadtrip with you this weekend (Don't worry, I already packed the Mad Libs) and to show you my most favorite of museums. And for you to meet the Layla dog. I'm clenching this as a win for us to get a dog. I've already told her that she has to be on her best behavior so we can win you over to the dog lover side. My sister-in-law has even said she may even spring for a new collar for Layla, just to win you over. The jig is up pal, you might as well raise the white flag now.

I love you,

Your New Wife who loves leaving you sweet notes, in your sock drawer, regarding otters and how much she loves you.

Day 24.

Dear New Husband,

I know all the enrollment nonsense with graduate school has got me in a funk; I'm incredibly bummed that I'm going to be missing our home group for the entire summer. But you have been encouraging and let me rant - two things a woman needs. Especially this woman.

As we continue to navigate new changes, which will occur for the rest of our lives, I hope we can always remember that we are each others cheering section and on the same side. And a few new treats from Ikea put salve on the frustration of botched enrollment.

I love you,

Your New Wife who is so pleased with how her birthday week is going.

PS - I really cannot tell you how glad I am to be sitting next to you on the couch, watching Downton Abbey. Mrs. O'Brien is suuuuuuuspect!

Day 23.

Dear New Husband,

You know how I know you love me? You spent the evening celebrating birthday week with me, complete with dinner at a wine bar and listening to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's Brass Quintet, instead of eating wings, drinking brewski's (Is that still a thing? Brewski's?) and watching the end of the madness of March. What a hunk.

I'm so glad I married a man that looks at sweet baby-faced, 18-year-old college students who are so awkward and you're just as endeared as I am to them. I almost wanted to adopt that 18-year-old college Freshman at the concert tonight. . . That would've been too far, right?

No, seriously. Would it have been? I'm seriously contemplating this.

No. No. Boundaries. Too far, Liz. Too far.

I love you,

Your New Wife who may have an adopted 18-year-old boy for you to come home to instead of an adopted 3-year-old dog.

Day 22.

Dear New Husband,

We have successfully budgeted for March and the beginning of April and we have successfully grocery shopped for the beginning of April. I feel empowered. Like we could take Dallas down, one manufacturer coupon at a time.

Thank you for taking care of me when I was hangry (That's when I'm so hungry, I'm angry/irritable) and for actually loving Downton Abbey as much as I do. In fact, right now, per your suggestion you're at Target, buying Season 2 so we can watch it tonight. Even though you don't like Gilmore Girls as much as I do, I'll take your love of Downton Abbey. Because right now, I feel so blessed that you appreciate PBS Masterpiece Theater and British Dramas as much as I do. You're the best. And I hope you know, everyday, that I think that.

I love you,

Your New Wife that will probably faint if you end up liking Doctor Who.