Day 112.

Dear New Husband,

You really pulled your weight 'round these parts today. Not that you usually don't, but seriously. While I was off studying, trying to remember why I wanted a Masters in Social Work anyways, you took a test, got a side dish for us to take to hang out with our friends tonight, and picked up in the bedroom.

Stop showing off.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 111.

Dear New Husband,

So you're out hanging with the dudes. I'm at home watching Gilmore Girls and eating smoked gouda.

As much as I enjoy pretending that I'm single and have a copious amount of time to myself, it's pretty boring here without you. And no one to scare while I have on teeth whitening strips. And no one to comment to about "Hey, isn't Gilmore Girls just hilarious? Aren't you glad you married a wife who loves this show?"

Don't get me wrong, I love my alone time, but I love you more.

I love you,

Your New Wife.

Day 110.

Dear New Husband,

Sometimes it feels like we have an unending list of things we have in common and sometimes it feels like I have no clue who you are. I think "Dang. Who is this dude that gave me a ring and smooches me?"

But despite us mindlessly trying to figure out who the ever changing person is that we joined our life to, I hope that we can always remember that we are on each other's team - that it isn't you vs. me.

It's us vs. coupons.
It's us vs. budget spread sheets.
It's us vs. everything.

I'm always on your team, even when I don't feel like it.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 109.

Dear New Husband,

A very late evening, watching the sun go down over the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington as we sweat profusely with some of our all time favorites. What a great evening. Made even greater by seeing the Rangers pull out a 'W' over the Tigers

Thanks for a wonderful evening of $1 hot dogs and kettle corn. You're my favorite. Even when you're sweaty.

I love you,

Your New Wife.

Day 108.

Dear New Husband,

Sorry we had a really odd conglomeration of foods for dinner. But hey. Payday is Friday. And I didn't really want to put any effort forward because I have worked myself way too much this week.

Don't be fooled. Finding you polos and writing programs is actually really exhausting. Especially finding new polos. Bird-doggin' the sales. Fightin' off the old ladies. It's all in a days work.

So thanks for the chocolate milkshake and the chicken broth. I promise I'll learn how to take vitamins one of these days. But for now, I'll just continue to have you get me milkshakes.

I love you,
Your New Wife who doesn't understand summer colds.

Day 107.

Dear New Husband,

What a treat to have you working from home today so you could do work, but really help me with some chores around here that needed to get done. There are few simple pleasures in life I enjoy more than clean sheets. Mmmhmm. . . That's weird right? Then just scratch that last part out.

I love buying you 'thoughtful' gifts with all the money we don't really have. But it is a treat that I get to surprise you with new work shirts. I mean, don't get me wrong. I love you and most of what I love is your brains, your humor, your heart for others, etc. But honey baby sugar lump. Your nice work shirts are the pits. So I'm happy to scope out deals for you and find out you look good in nice, but decently priced shirts.

Plus, I love making a frozen yogurt run with you and talking about economy and social work. What a non-profit power couple we are. Look out Beyonce and Jay-Z, there's a new power-couple!. . . Or at least I'm delusional enough to think we're the Beyonce and Jay-Z of the non-profit world.

I love you,

Your New Wife.

Day 106.

Dear New Husband,

What a day/weekend we have had! As per usual, I love getting to have you as my date to weddings. And as per usual, weddings always inspire me to love you more [Which everyday, I don't think is any more possible] than the day before. And to realize how fun/funny you are. I hope that's my friends that brings that side out to you. Because they bring that side out in me.

You are such a trooper driving our car back by your lonesome, so I could get in some quality girl time. YU da best [I told you these jokes wouldn't stop. And one jumped out when you least expected it!] and I hope you know that every day. Remind me, lovingly, if I slack off.

I love you,

Your New Wife who is pleased she has a New Husband that learned how to Wobble

Day 105.

Dear New Husband,

You got to experience me at one of my best times: Dilated eyes. I know. You don't have to tell me. Those magnificent, plastic, stunner shade sunglasses made you fall in love with me all over again. Believe me, I could tell by what I could make out of your eyes that you were staring at me; full of love and excitement that you married such a fine lady.

You're welcome.

I love you,

Your New Wife.

Day 104.

Dear New Husband,

What a humdinger of a day. As we are endlessly trying to figure out what in the heck we are doing, and how exactly we are married to each other and how we work that out on a daily basis, I'm reminded of this gem, and how a picture can say more than all the words I have in my vocabulary:

I love you,

Your New Wife who knows she got the best guy on the planet.

Day 103.

Dear New Husband,

I really am not the biggest fan of professional sports. The love of the game and the vigor of playing for fun [Instead of the Benjamins] tends to get lost in translation with pro sports. For example, all anyone was talking about after the Heat just won was what a d-bag Bronny-Bron is. . . I mean, really? I just can't seem to get invested when I know they're being paid ridiculous money.

But tonight was fun. And making fun of the raptor Chris Bosh was fun. Endlessly entertaining you with all of the funny things I could think of to write on Twitter - now that's true wuv.

I love you,
Your New Wife who will probably never get emotionally invested with the NBA. Mainly because David Stern freaks her the heck out.

Day 102.

Dear New Husband,

We are the most entertaining people I know. Fortunately, we both get each others sense of humor and seldom few others get it. But that's okay. Because things are so much better when they're inside jokes.

As always, you are the best. I don't know how many times I say that phrase but know I mean it from the bottom to the tippy top of my heart. 

Because no one encourages me to floss like you do.

I love you,

Your New Wife.

Day 101.

Dear New Husband,

What a busy day we've had! In between you being altruistic and helping move in some new coworkers and me making dinner and watching so much House, I feel as though I have barely seen you today!

But the good news is that you sleep next to me. Sucker. I enjoyed beating you at Wii Bowling as this is probably the only time I will ever be able to say that I beat you at any kind of game. I'll give myself a high five for that.

As we continue to sort out what it looks like to be part of both of our families, as well as be part of the family that consists of you and me, I look forward to it. It is painful and it is difficult to not be able to do every holiday with both of our families, but that's part of being an us. I'm not a fan of change or not spending time with my family, but I'm a fan of us. And I'm a fan of working through difficult things with you.

I love you,

Your New Wife.

Day 100.

Dear New Husband,

100 days of mawwage! We did it!. . . Except that makes it sound like we accomplished a huge feat. When in all actuality, we didn't really. We are just living everyday life. And learning what its actually like to be married to one another.

We've spent a lot of time together and apart lately [I know that sounds like the largest oxymoron ever] but I have really enjoyed it. We've turned into an agoraphobic, anti-social couple lately [Which I really like, despite how bad that it is for us. . . But we can quit being shut-ins anytime! Its not a problem. I like being inside when its the temperature of the sun outside] and so its good that we've spent some time socializing without one another. Reminding us that we actually have social skills. Although somehow we seem to have zero social skills when we're together. This does not bode well.

But I love you and being married to you all the same - anti-social habits at all. Besides, neither of us have started a manifesto, so I think we're okay.

I love you,
Your New Shut-in Wife.

Day 99.

Dear New Husband,

I can't believe how much I've learned about you in these last 99 days. And how much I've learned about communication. Woof. Its a good thing social workers dedicate themselves to being life long learners and I love to learn, otherwise I would've been some kind of cheesed off:

"WHAT. What do you mean this changes over time and I learn something different everyday until I drop dead?! I cry uncle"


Okay, maybe that's not true, but that's the inner monologue I would probably have.

So we spent today like we do every relaxing day - with a mini House marathon, pool time and realizing some people didn't get the memo that smoking is bad for your health, and enjoying time together. You are a delight and I am enjoying learning how to communicate with you.

Tomorrow, we're trying smoke signals as a form of communication. Burn ban be damned. So clear your schedule and bring a fire extinguisher truck.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 98.

Dear New Husband,

We have a new place to live! We have a new place to live! And we get an extra bedroom and bathroom for cheaper than our current 1 bedroom/bath. But I'm so excited for us - this is such a positive move for us and I know it will be for the best. Because, I know this is really weird, but bear with me - money doesn't grow on trees. Soooo weird, right? I was just as flabbergasted as you are right now.

And I made kettle corn at home! And we watched Psycho! Granted, its not the most romantic of films to watch on a night in with your boo, but you had never seen it and you know my affinity for classic movies, especially Alfred Hitchcock.

Such a great day with you and I am so proud of how we worked so well together today to find a new home for us. You're the best partner in decisions for me and I am so proud of how we are working together in a positive way.

I love you,

Your New Wife.

Day 97.

Dear New Husband,

We successfully had two of our favorites over tonight and we fed them and entertained them! Tiger pumps. All around. High fiving a million angels. Am I right?

But seriously. I'm not the cooking-domesticated-make pie because a friend is coming over. I'm more of the "Make a cocktail because a friend is coming over" or "Open a new bottle of wine" type. . . Not sure what that says about me. Its probably because I've seen Steel Magnolias way too many times to mention and I made my very best friends in a very small college town and in the somewhat small town I grew up in, but I digress. However, with your help and encouragement, I feel like I can do anything!

Like have people over and make fruit dip.

So thanks for helping me entertain this evening. If it weren't for you, we probably just would've had booze. And the evening would've ended very early.

I love you,

Your New Wife.

Day 96.

Dear New Husband,

I am so thankful I got a night with gal pals in our home. I enjoy entertaining on a small level. Meaning, if all of our friends came over, I think I would become slightly Scarlett O'Hara about the whole thing and need a couch to faint on. But I'm so glad you happily excused yourself and had a man date at Buffalo Wild Wings with the NBA Finals.

Again, I'm always so thankful that you know I need time with my gender and you need time with your gender. Or just doing things that your gender does. Not that you don't enjoy helping me decorate or anything. . . Who are we kidding here?

You are faithful, loving, kind, and gracious. And its a treat to send you away to watch the NBA Finals.

That came out weird, but I hope you still find the sentiment in there.

I love you,

Your New Wife.

Day 95.

Dear New Husband,

Thank you for cutting up the peanut butter cup bars I made for the surprise baby shower tonight.

Cold dessert treats + Wimpy arms = Help me.

And for not being too disappointed that all of the treats were for others, not just for us. But it paid off since now we have about 10 leftover for you to eat. And yes, you get to eat them all. Because they are incredibly unhealthy and as you carry the weight of working out in this relationship, so you get to eat all the bad/good stuff. Maybe that should be my motivation for working out more. . . Its as though a light has just dawned on me. Is that why everyone works out? So they can eat all the fatty foods they want? I feel as though I have been had.

Anyway, thanks for always being the hunk that helps me open finnicky lids and jars and cut up complex dessert treats.

I love you,
Your Wimpy New Wife Who Hates the Gym.

Day 94.

Dear New Husband,

You are currently headed back home after playing intramural basketball. . . Which I still think is weird. I'm still glad that I hitched my life to someone who is way more athletically inclined than I am. Does playing Wii bowling on a very mediocre level count as some kind of athletic power?

Thanks for not being too upset that I am continually dirty-ing up the kitchen to make treats and meals. Today was an epic dirty-ing of the kitchen as I made peanut butter cup bars for a baby shower. I mean, we aren't even going to eat any of this - well not most, and you cleaned all the dishes up. What a hunk.

You're the best. Around. And thanks for the Diet Dr. Pepper. You're speaking another love language of mine: Diet Dr. Pepper in mass quantities.

I love you,

Your New Wife.

Day 93.

Dear New Husband,

I made my own taco seasoning today. . . Turns out that you don't need as much of the natural ingredients as you do the whole packet of the store bought stuff. Apologies for making your nose run. Who knew cumin and chili powder, with a dash of red pepper flakes produced such a kick?

But I appreciate your willingness to eat whatever I somehow manage to put together. And you let me convince you to get cloth napkins and a pastry knife. I still don't know how I did that. Plus I got a nice, schmancy pillow out of the deal? What the heck?!

You're still the best and I hope everyone knows it.

I love you,

Your Very Un-Domesticated New Wife.

Day 92.

Dear New Husband,

What a great weekend we have had. Despite the fact that I am pretty sure I am coming down with a severe case of jet lag. And a cold.

On our 3 month anniversary, it seems only fitting that we're eating pizza and you're mixing me up some more Airborne. This is what real life and love is like, and there is no one else I would want to spend my real life with than the man that I really love.

I love you,

Your Potentially Hypochondriac New Wife who is going to bed before 8 pm. 

Day 91.

Dear New Husband,

I'm writing this to you earlier than usual because:

1. We're going away for the evening to rest, relax and rejuvenate. Aka, have a night away from laundry and all the other things we need to take care of since coming back.

2. Neither of us can stay awake past 9 pm.

I'm so excited that you had this wonderful idea to celebrate our 3 month anniversary by having an evening away from our responsibilities. Way to speak my love language, El Huz.

Marriage high five. I look forward to an evening out with you. As per usual.

I love you,

Your New Wife. 

Day 90.

Dear New Husband,

First date night since we've been back! Raise the roof! What? The roof is on fire-ya? Let it burn!!!

. . . This over the top display of ridiculous should be a very large indication to you about how excited I was to go out on a date. And so we did go out on a date - Studio Movie Grill. A tried and true destination for fun. Except for when we see bad movies. But Snow White & the Hunstman was actually pretty decent. Way more creepy/weird and dark than either of us anticipated, but still entertaining. PLUS, I got to dress up. Something I haven't done in almost 3 weeks. Granted, I don't normally dress up but when that isn't an option, you sort of start to miss it. 

But I had a great time with you - as per usual. However, as our jet lag is still at large it is only a little after 9 pm and you are already ready for bed. . . . Quitter.

I love you,

Your New Still Jet-Lagged Wife.

Day 89.

Dear New Husband,

First full day back in the USA! We celebrated by getting up at 5 am [Here's to you, jet lag], watching Psych and eating breakfast from Whataburger, and having hot dogs and chips for dinner. Not sure there is anything more American than that. . . I mean, you even went into work today. What an American work ethic. Here's to you, El Huz.

I still cannot believe we spent almost 2 hours in Super Target today. I'm going to blame it on the fact that it is Super Target and I don't know how to stay focused in there, and that we went in unprepared: No list. But, we somehow managed to buy things we needed and something we didn't [$16 season of House, I'm looking at you. And I'm gleefully looking at you].

Despite the fact that we will both probably be asleep as soon as I press publish on this, I hope you know how I treasure our life together. I know that things are not perfect, and that they never will be. But as we continue to strive to be the best we can be for the other person, know that I always know I fell in love with the best guy I've ever known. . . Even though I get confused and annoyed about which suitcases need to be stored where and in where.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 88.

Dear New Husband,

How weird is it that we were in Paris this morning and now we are back to our apartment in Texas? Nutso! I'll never get over technology. I mean, we pretty much time traveled today! We went BACK IN TIME. What the what?! It could be the intense lack of sleep, or the fact that my body thinks its currently 4 am, talking but we did time travel today. And we got on demand videos on our flight from Paris to the states.

I feel like we won the airline lottery. First with Turkish Airlines awesomeness and then the 10 hour flight back to 'Merica. Maybe this will make up for all the crappy domestic flights we have been in our combined years of life. . . Probably not. Despite these niceties, international travel is not for the faint hearted. So next time I try to dream international dreams, gently remind me of how tired I am at this point.

Except don't do that because all of the tired is so incredibly worth it.

I am so exhausted and so happy to be falling asleep in our bed, in our apartment, next to you.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 87.

Dear New Husband,

We drug our luggage through Paris trains, wandered around a town square with said luggage and found our hotel. Then, we explored the city of light. . . I had the best day with you.

I got to see so many things I had waited my whole life to see, and I feel extremely blessed that I got to share all of these amazing things with you. And I hope you know that I am beyond serious when I say we have to come back, because 3 days just isn't enough in this city with you. Eating macaroons next to the Eiffel Tower, seeing Notre Dame, seeing Shakespeare and Company Bookstore [Despite it being somewhat of a let down]. . . So many amazing things to see and do.

And I got to see a Frenchman playing the accordion! How lucky can a girl get?

I enjoyed this trip so much - so many things that leave an impression on us as we continue to figure out what it means to be married and what directions we want to head in. Just know we need to head in a vacation direction in Paris. Just FYI.

I love you,
Your New Wife who is fascinated by our hotel room's psychadellic bathtub.

Day 86.

Dear New Husband,

We're still in Paris! I loved you ordering me a chocolate croissant, and getting to see some of the city with you and Jenn today. But what I enjoyed more was seeing you, again, put on your social work lens in the debriefing this morning. You have such a great perspective because this program isn't yours. Meaning, you have an outsiders perspective with an insiders perspective. . . That makes sense, right?

And what I didn't enjoy was spilling coffee all over your MacBook. You were somehow not livid/irate/ready to call me a cotton-headed ninnymuggins. I appreciate that you didn't fly off the handle. Mainly because I think that you have the absolute confidence that you can fix what I did. Marriage high five.

Now here's to eating melted cheese, potatoes, meat and vegetables. Viva le France!

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 85.

Dear New Husband,

We are in Paris! And you and Jenn ordered us McDonald's in broken French! I'm so happy!

I think this is pretty much all the energy I have to write for this letter today. Mainly because watching Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee coverage in French is calling my name. And the other reason is because I am le tired. . . That's French, right?

I love you,
Your Very Un-French New Wife.

Day 84.

Dear New Husband,

Today we went hiking in the mountains. And it was painfully obvious to myself and everyone within a mile radius that I never have hiked in a mountain ever. I grew up on prairie land! Its a miracle I even know what mountains look like. But you were unfailing sweet to me as I promised I would pop a lung and die on a mountain. . . But that would be a pretty sweet way to go, no?

And now, I am laying in my twin bed, cursing the Chinese food we had for dinner. . . Woof. Ready to go back to my processed foods. Well, we get up in just a few short hours to catch a 3:45 am plane to Turkey on our way to Paris. Excited for more new experiences. But not excited for waking up at 1 am. Although, I don't know who is. Not sure I want to meet those people. Because I just know there would be no way for us to be friends.

Ever.

I love you,
Your New Wife who likes mountains. And obviously needs to work out more.

Day 83.

Dear New Husband,

An evening of snack-dinners [Which, for the record, is totally one of my favorite things] and watching Friends. I hope I'm slowly wearing you down that you start to realize how awesome Friends is and that you have been missing out on some solid humor. Not just a girly show my friend!

I enjoyed us going to a slice of America here to a pretty American coffee shop. Thanks again for offering me some of your cookie and me practically eating half of it. You should know by now that offering a treat to your wife is pretty much giving the whole treat to her. I have no portion control for treats. Sorry I'm not sorry.

I can't believe our time here is so close to closing. Then we're off to Paris. So please start hauling out and practicing your rusty high school French, si vous please.

I love you,
Your New Wife.