Epilogue.

Dear Not So New Husband,

Our wedding anniversary was yesterday. But our marriage anniversary is today.

I know that this sounds elitist, weird, corny, and a bunch of other stuff that if I wasn't the one writing this, I would probably be rolling my eyes. Just hang tough. I promise I'll make my point.

Our wedding was wonderful, and I constantly want to relive it so we can spend time with all of our favorites again.

However, the work began this day. . . This is the first full day that we were an us. Since becoming an us, there are things that I am constantly amazed at by being married.

Sometimes marriage is like an old friend - someone that you're still conversing with at a dinner table, after your food has gone cold and the last of the wine has been consumed. A comfortable companion that you can share your laughs, your tears, your everything.

Sometimes marriage is like a stranger - someone you keep your distance from, constantly worrying about who this person is that shares a sink with you. A vagrant visitor that you don't recognize and worry you never will.

But this is the process. Neither of us are perfect, and I don't expect you to be perfect either. . . Although my track record can occasionally claim otherwise. . . Marriage is work and like Ben Affleck said at the Oscars [Which made me weep incredibly], its the best kind of work.

I've learned so much more about myself by being married to you. I've learned that I have things that I have pushed to the bottom of myself, that have been toxic to me, and to my relationships with others. I've learned that I am more capable of things than I ever thought possible. I've learned that I love learning. I've learned that I can actually cook.

I've learned that marriage is not a solution to being single, or the natural progression of a relationshop. Not that I thought that when I got married, but that it is so much more than anyone can hope for: In the hardest and in the best ways.

Gosh. There is such a beautiful paradox to marriage, that it is both full of simplicity and complexity.

And there is no other person I would want to explore this paradox with. Thanks for continually being more than I am, for carrying the banner of grace, and for keeping your promises from March 10, 2012 and all the days after. You carried me, loved me, and advocated for me, even when I didn't want you to.

Thank you for the first year of marriage.
Thank you for making my passions, curiosities, oddities and absurdities, your own.
Thank you for living your life in such a way that I am always proud of the man you are.
Thank you for choosing me.
And thank you for buying me a bowl of soup that December day.

I love you,
Your Not So New Wife.

Day 365.

Dear New Husband,

First, this will not be the last letter. Tomorrow is the last letter, as that's the day our marriage really began.

Second, I'm so sorry that my "Year in Review" scrapbook [Get it?! A scrapbook for our PAPER anniversary?! I'm amazed at my cleverness] wasn't finished. In my defense, I did go on an unexpected journey - so I didn't have as much time to finish it. 

I do feel bad it isn't finished. Makes me feel like I made it out of macaroni.

But this anniversary hasn't exactly gone how either of us would've planned, I think. I am jet-lagged, my present is unfinished and you are sick. 

However, when has anything ever gone as we would have liked in our marriage? This journey is definitely not anything that is the fruit of our best laid plans. We have grown, despite our plans.

I love you better today than I did one year ago.

I love you,

Your New Wife.

Day 364.

Dear New Husband,

Tomorrow is our one year anniversary.

WHAT.

A year ago, we were doing these things.

And today, I am jet lagged, doing laundry and we are going to the bakery that made our wedding cake to get a spare cake topper. Because we both know that our cake is going to taste like freezer.

Its amazing how much can change in a year/how far we have come in just a year.

Also, how weird is it to see a photo of you without a wedding ring? It's only been a year and I'm already so used to seeing that band of silver around a very important finger.

I go to bed, excited to see what the future holds - much like I did on the night of March 9, 2012.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 363.

Dear New Husband,

I. am. exhausted.

24 hours of being up.
Several thousands of miles of travel.
Horrible layover in Paris.
Being questioned in the airport [Which I loved - like being a non-promiscuous, female James Bond!].
And the woman sitting next to me on one of my flights that was coughing and vomiting. . . Ah, traveling during flu season.

What is truly not to love?

At least I caught up on all the movies I have been wanting to see. And I got to see you!

I hope you know that my lack of excitement is a reflection of how tired I am; not a reflection on how I feel about you.

If you need to remember how I feel about you, please see entries from Day 362 - Day 1.

I love you,
Your New Wife that is incredibly sleepy.

Day 362.

Dear New Husband,

My last full day here consisted of networking with others, meetings and an authentic dinner.

Granted, on our way to dinner we passed a demonstration. . . Such a weird thing for me. We live in a country of free speech and I seldom get to see things like what I saw tonight.

It's good for me to see these things - a reminder that I do have the freedoms that I forget about so regularly. The main reasons I forget about them is because my general rights as a human are not being violated. I know many Americans have a lot of problems with our country [I do too] but we are way ahead of the curve than we think we are.

This trip has been full of challenges, but they are valuable challenges. These are challenges that we need to face to grow, improve and for me to learn what it is like on the other side of the world; to learn what it is actually like implementing what I have helped create. This has been so important for me, and I'm so grateful that I've gotten the chance to be here.

And I'm so grateful to come home to you.

I love you,

Your New Wife.

Day 361.

Dear New Husband,

I can't believe my time here is almost finished. It doesn't seem like it was long enough. But then again, what is enough?

I know this trip has been hard because of the lack of internet and the terrible time difference, but you have been awesomely supportive throughout this entire endeavor. Thanks for continuing to be you, even when I'm thousands of miles away.

Also, I expected you to be so forlorn and BAM! You're more busy than I am! What gives, pal?! Only social butterfly-ing it when I'm not around, eh?!

We will talk about this upon my return, mister.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 360.

Dear New Husband,

Only 5 more days of this blog.

I'm starting to get a little sad about that. This blog has been such a great outlet and documentation of just how odd/fun/awesome/challenging being a newlywed can be. But the best is truly yet to come.

Thankful for another day here. Overwhelmed by what happens when you share a little bit of information you have with someone else. Sharing your knowledge with someone and allowing them to run with it, that's powerful stuff. Then, learning about things you would have never known otherwise. . . Life is better when it is shared.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 359.

Dear New Husband,

A very productive day as we continue to do evaluations and meet kind, yet hurting people. I can't even grasp the edge of what these people have been through. . . It makes me even more grateful for the peace in our country.

Yes, not all the friends place nice with one another. Yes, if our country was Kindergarten, then no one is following the rules or sharing their toys or not saying anything at all if they can't say anything nice.

But, you know, I don't have to worry about whether my government is trying to persecute me. I don't have to worry about being evicted from our apartment, where my next meal is coming from or if we have enough money.

We won the lottery on nothing we merited. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for the life we get to live and the simple fact that I get to share it with you.

Plus, teaching people weird words in English is incredible. You should try it sometime. You will laugh and smile for the rest of the day. Simple pleasures.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 358.

Dear New Husband,

A year ago today, I was anxiously beginning our wedding week.

And today I travel to a volatile place to hear people's stories and see a whole new way of life.

So much happens in a year, and I'm thankful for this blog; its provided my sentimental heart a way to reflect on how much we change, grow, are challenged, and can be thankful for over the last year.

Thanks for being sane and supportive a year ago, and for continuing to be sane and supportive now.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 357.

Dear New Husband,

Today was spent in the ancient city of Byblos.

And it was marvelous. I'm always overwhelmed to think about how long people have been living on the Earth. . . Deep thoughts, I know. But its amazing to think how people lived so many thousands of years ago.

And amazing to get some tourist shopping/sight-seeing in, all the while making new friends, laughing, and enjoying a gorgeous day.

Wish you were here to see all of this with your own two eyes.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 356.

Dear New Husband,

Ah, the snail's pace that work takes on some times. It seems that things are starting to crawl by just a little bit and its hard not to get frustrated or feel that the rope is unraveling.

But what I'm really thankful for is a husband that is a problem solver, and a listener. As I continue to air frustration, you listen and come up with solutions. Granted, I'm a passionate person some times and with that great passion comes the tendency to overreact; so some times your solutions are good - but mostly I'm overreacting.

Moreover, I'm thankful for a day that ends well; despite the mess and chaos, its nice to be able to go to a mall, then come to my interim home and watch a movie. Ah. Simple pleasures.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 355.

Dear New Husband,

Today, we spent all day in the office. Which meant that I actually got to Skype with you. . . Though it was 1 am at home.

Hey, you insisted that I call no matter the time. Though seeing you all sleepy was totes adorbs! [Forget I just said that. . . Yeah. Just scratch that out. 'You were cute when you woke up in the middle of the night to chat.' That's what I really meant to say]

A very productive day, indeed. Although its amazing how much we rely on email these days. How did people work remotely or from afar before email/internet? I guess they just didn't work remotely or from afar at all. . . Boy does that sound nice. Because with wifi and the hour difference, working on the things at the office from home are proving to make me want to put my head through a wall.

Email is a horrible communication tool.

THERE. I said it! Its a terrible communication tool! I don't know why people rely solely on it to chat with people; there's so many nuances and subtleties that you miss with email!!. . . I'm starting to get rant-y about something insignificant. Though I know you really love it when I do that, I'm going to refrain. And instead rant to you when I get home.

Oh, and we have a mosquito in our room. . . So it looks like I chicken pox on my face. Here's to you bloodsucker, jerk. You win this round, but I'm coming for you, you probable malaria carrier.

I love you,
Your New Wife who is thankful for makeup that covers up mosquito bites on her face.

Day 354.

Dear New Husband,

First full day in a very ancient city - but it doesn't feel that ancient at all. So many Western/American things here, its hard to believe that its an ancient city. As well as the fact that I'm 8 hours ahead of you.

At least if the end of the world comes, then I can send you an email really quick to let you know that the end is coming.

Had a pretty good day - spent about 7 US Dollars on coffee and wifi, so you can imagine how indignant I am about that. To add insult to injury, it was Starbucks coffee too. Rats.

Then, had lunch, talked over some more things with the office here and then went to the grocery store. Where Jenn and I were both indignant at prices. But, the things you do when you travel: Spend more money than you ever would at home for a box of crackers. Fortunately, the exchange rate is in our favor, but still - you know how I get riled up over these things.

After we walked/schlepped our groceries back to where we are staying, we cooked dinner. On a related note: Gas stoves are controlled by demonic forces. I'm sure of it.

Thankful that I have you to come home to.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 353.

Dear New Husband,

Made it to my destination.

Slept for four hours on the last flight of my trip. Which means that I missed the entry visa documents and scrambled to find them once I was in the airport. Whoops. First time for everything.

Then, we had a border control officer that spent 15 minutes grilling me about what I was doing there. Definitely not in Kansas anymore, Toto.

So sleepy, but so thankful to be here. And thankful for an El Huz that is always championing my dreams and goals.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 352.

Dear New Husband,

You graciously took the morning off of work to spend time with me and help me finish up packing/finish work materials before my flight left at 4 pm today. Plus, I got to have breakfast with you. Delightful.

Breakfast is one of my family's 'things'; we like breakfast. I remember visiting my grandparents in Ft. Worth as a wee young lass [Thought this blog post needed a little Scottish accent. You know. Just cause], and the morning before we left for home, we would eat breakfast at Cracker Barrel with my grandparents.

Nothing says grandparents and road trip more than Cracker Barrel.

As such, we end up doing breakfast trips before someone departs for whatever reason that may be.

So, tonight I board a plane for Paris, which then takes me to the Middle East. Funny how small the world is sometimes, right? Having breakfast with you, dinner on a plane, and then the next dinner in a Middle Eastern city.

So much smaller than we think.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 351.

Dear New Husband,

More things to accomplish for work before I leave, but I am grateful that I have colleagues that I can depend on when I really need something done that I cannot accomplish on my own. Let's all breathe a collective sigh of relief for team players, and celebrate with a stress cry.

But I'm thankful for mini-dates with you, filled with comfort food and beverages. Margaritas and Tex-Mex are probably what I love most about Texas.

Then the movie I was rooting for won the Oscars. Yeah, Argo won the Oscars - because it won best picture. Saying, overall, it was the best. Never mind the rest of those other movies Argo won the Oscars with the Best Picture win.

Plus Ben Affleck gave such a good acceptance speech. I puddle any time someone earnestly [Or is a giant nerd like the sound mixing guy] thanks their spouses and children. Kill. Me. And. My. Tender. Heart.

Thankful for this quiet last evening at home for a while, as I get quality time in with you. Especially as we discuss how awesome Jennifer Lawrence is. And how much of a weirdo Daniel Day Lewis is.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 350.

Dear New Husband,

Today was spent doing a thousand errands. Well. Not really a thousand, but it felt as though it was a thousand errands.

Preparing for my trip consists of not only doing things, such as buying play-dough and gifts [Oh the life of an international social worker], but finishing up so many work commitments and documents. I've accomplished so much, but I still will not be able to finish everything. Such is life - no one is a super hero all of the time. Even Bruce Wayne fudged it up every now and then as the caped crusader.

But I digress. Mainly because I don't want to speak ill of my favorite superhero [I mean, HE DOESN'T ACTUALLY HAVE A SUPERPOWER. AND HE IS PSYCHOLOGICALLY DAMAGED.WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE?!?!?!?!??].

Anyway, like every psychologically damaged superhero, I have my own personal sidekick. Except Robin seems like a weird name for you. Plus I've always thought Robin was a weirdo name for a sidekick anyhow. So we'll just give you the sidekick name that you've earned and I use anyways: El Huz. So grateful for you and for you joining me on this journey. Thanks for earning your sidekick title and for never being pushy like Robin.

Makes for a way less grumpy Batman.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 349.

Dear New Husband,

Our Friday night consisted of what I would like to call: Choose Your Own Adventure.

Which I was incredibly disappointed to hear that was a book series that you had never read as you were growing up. Then we went to a bookstore, only to see the disappointment dance across your face as you looked at a treasure that was a lot cooler in childhood than adulthood.

No matter, because tonight was Choose Your Own Adventure night - and it was a great night to adventure through a mall.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 348.

Dear New Husband,

Being married and working in the same office, and yes - even the same department, can be wonderful and terrible.

However, I'm happy to say that most of the time, we err on the side of wonderful. Though it presents unique challenges, i.e. Today's set of challenges [I'm being incredibly vague because I'm still not sure where those set of challenges are leading to. . .].

But I'm glad that you're still you and I'm still me and we're not bomb diffusers or professional cross word puzzle solvers. In other words, we don't have high intensity jobs.

Think about it. Professional cross word puzzle solver would be a high intensity job.

Thankful for you and that you are kind when I don't feel well and want to go to bed before 10 pm.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 347.

Dear New Husband,

Productive days at work.

Heartbreaking Oklahoma State loss.

Win some. Lose some.

Literally. But, I still love my job and I love my university. Except, really - make your free throws, y'all. Those are free points! Fundamentals. Sheesh.

Thankful for the cold chill of today, because that means that all the mountain cedar that makes me itch my face off is dead, dead, dead in the ground.

Amen.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 346.

Dear New Husband,

I am officially an MBA, intramural basketball widow. Sob sob sob!!

But not really, because both of those things are important. You know how I get right before I leave for trips - that time is fleeting and we will never get to spend time together ever again. You know how the drill works.

However, I did enjoy tonight as I lugged out the computer I had all through college and for my first year with our organization. It was bitter sweet; sweet looking through old songs, pictures, memories. Bitter because I want my 18-year-old metabolism back.

Thankful for the road that lay behind us, and the road we don't even see yet.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 345.

Dear New Husband,

A busy day, as I spent today running around the city we live in, obtaining different goods for my upcoming travels.

And then to end the day with a viewing of Identity Thief with some 'Best Palzzzz' of ours. . .

Great day.

It had its extremely frustrating points, where I longingly wished that I could punch technology in the face, and tell the workers re-siding our apartment building to take a hike, but that's beside the point.

Small stresses are nothing compared to an overall productive day followed by a fun evening!

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 344.

Dear New Husband,

Again, another quiet day. However, we did get a visit from some favorites of mine that are planning their wedding. . . A process I don't quite miss. Cake, flowers, photos, dress fittings, etc. were the fun parts. The small details that set your teeth on edge - those are not the fun parts.

But today I have reveled in small tasks such as dusting, finding a keyboard for my iPad, booking all the travel for our trip with your family this summer, and making a grilled provolone cheese & horseradish sandwich.

Da life.

Now, as we watch the season finale of Downton Abbey, I'm again thankful for our relaxing days. Especially a Sunday evening where we can peer into the fake lives of upper class, British society.

Ahhh, the life of a PBS watcher.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 343.

Dear New Husband,

Today pretty much only consisted with us taking a much needed visit to the grocery store.

And that made today all the more glorious.

Well, besides an Oklahoma State men's basketball win in Bedlam. That makes today even more glorious. Especially with all that glorious-ness coupled to old Saturday Night Live episodes on Netflix; laughing so hard, tears rolled down our faces, and our sides were stitched with deep laughs.

. . . And all God's people said: Amen for a restful Saturday.

Especially considering the impending international, crazy travel that is yet to come.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 342.

Dear New Husband,

Because we are both practical people about celebrations and the dates on which they happen, we celebrated Valentine's Day tonight with a trip to a Brazilian steakhouse.

Some might not think a Brazilian steakhouse is romantic, as the servers are wandering around the restaurant with skewers of meat. . . But let me say that romance, to me, consists of a delicious meal. And having that meal being toted to you on a skewer is just a bonus.

Plus, you got my car detailed for me for my Valentine's Day present! Hugo the Honda is looking like he dressed up for our date night. Even more exciting, it doesn't feel like I have glaucoma when I look out my windshield.

In addition to celebrating the Happy Heart Day, we celebrated the fact that I am going on a work trip to the Middle East in just 10 short days. Originally, it seemed like I wouldn't be able to go on this trip, but after much flexing from you and my boss - I'm now able to seize this wonderful opportunity.

And I'm so thankful for a husby that adamantly advocates for me to chase my passions and desires.

I love you and Happy Valentine's Day,
Your New Wife.

Day 341.

Dear New Husband,

I have to start this off by saying that we did not have Valentine's Day plans. You have Thursday night classes, and we're both way too practical to actually try to go out and celebrate on February 14th.

Despite knowing all of that, I was very saddened when I awoke to find that you had been up all night, informally introducing your body to the porcelain throne. I would be sad to find you sick, no matter what day of the year it was. Because, lets face it, out of the two of us you're the one that is winning in the immune system department; so when you get sick, its akin to finding out that Santa Claus isn't real and that there are actually calories in cupcakes.

Therefore, our Valentine's went better than was originally expected, because you were actually home on Thursday night, and we got to watch The Breakfast Club together rather than me watching it alone, with only my Girl Scout cookies to keep me company.

Thus, if I could explain tonight in a photo, it would be this one:

So, I'm sorry you're sick. But I'm not sorry we got to spend time together.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 340.

Dear New Husband,

It has been another long, yet productive day, as we both continue to crank out projects for work. And you also have the productivity of your class tonight.

In addition to that, I realized how bad I smelled thus needing to take a shower. Overshare? Maybe. But I hope everyone that admires my style, hair or me [Which lets face it - that one is pretty slim to none. I'm not delusional enough to think I have throngs of admirers. I do, after all, complain about almost everything] knows that my hair is pretty because it is washed intermittently. And my style comes from whatever is clean. And my personality comes from being raised by nerds, and realizing that if you're going to be 5'2", you better find something to offer to make up for your obvious lack of athletics.

So there you go, dear one. There's the recipe to finding another me, should I die from lack of showering or from getting into a car accident because I'm too busy smelling how dirty my hair is.

Ya welcome.

I love you,
Your New and Occasionally Hygiene Deficient Wife.

Day 339.

Dear New Husband,

Its been the kind of day where we both came home and immediately changed into our jammies.

Its been the kind of day where we both were waiting for a socially acceptable hour for us to go to bed. That socially acceptable time was only 10 pm.

We're tired chumps.

But I'm thankful to be tired, and loving our jobs. Not everyone is tired because they love what they do; we voluntarily work this hard because we are extremely passionate about our work.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 338.

Dear New Husband,

I don't know if you're still feeling sorry for me after we had to drop off the dog yesterday, or if you are just that sweet [Well, either way you're really sweet. So I guess this is a win-win situation] but you let me rent Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood off of Apple TV at the astronomical price of $4.00.

However, we had spent the two hours previous to the chick-flick watching, heckling our DVR'ed recording of The Grammy's, so I think you really didn't mind. Or maybe you do still feel genuinely sorry for me. Which, I'm sorry too - I wish things would've worked out with our little interim dog.

Thanks for being you, for being sweet, patient, loving and kind, and for always being up for pizza when I really don't want to cook anything in our fridge.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 337.

Dear New Husband,

A very difficult day indeed, as we said our sorrowful goodbyes to our interim dog.

As soon as we left from dropping him off, I proceeded to sob, and even you shed a tear or two. That four-legged, friendly, fur ball really is the sweetest and I hope someone out there sees his sweetness and brings him home to their family, and the dog that they already own. He will be missed very much, but I know this is what is best for him.

I appreciate you taking me to Ulta to buy unnecessary make up items to cheer me up. Then, you even ran errands with me at Target to accomplish things that we have been putting off for the last month or so.

Thanks for doing the best you can to cheer me up. And thanks for not thinking I'm completely insane for getting so emotional over our interim dog.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 336.

Dear New Husband,

A great date night that included finally seeing Silver Lining's Playbook. . . But somewhat sorrowful as we realized that our two weeks are up with our interim dog, we need to give our interim dog back.

He is the sweetest little thing, and I love him dearly, but he is not happy in our home. If we had another dog, he might be happy in our home - but unfortunately we don't have the time or space to get another dog; one dog took convincing enough!

I know this is the right decision for us, and for him, but that doesn't make it any more difficult. However, it eases my mind to know that some family out there is searching for a playmate for their dog and will find the perfect, sweetest, most loving dog to add to their family.

And then I proceeded to spend the rest of our evening crying and snuggling the squirmy interim dog even more close than before.

Send help.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 335.

Dear New Husband,

We try our darndest, but we really cannot will ourselves out on Friday nights.

The woes of a marriage between two introverts.

Therefore, most Fridays are spent at home. Which I, personally, enjoyed as I am still feeling under the bi-polar weather, which is laced with my allergy nemesis of cedar.

Thanks for not thinking I'm boring, and for being okay with eating dinner at CiCi's and then doing nothing. Well. You later went out with your friends, but I appreciate all the nothing-ness that you participated in this evening.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 334.

Dear New Husband,

A difficult start to our day, led to some intentional lunch time together this afternoon, which turned into more intentional time together watching old episodes of Downton Abbey after your Thursday night class.

Thank you for wanting to work things out, for trying to put your best effort forward, and wanting the best for us. Things get away from us and we, in turn, tend to neglect each other. But as soon as you realize what has happened, you always step up and make things better. This always takes courage, forgiveness, and a lot of silly memes.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 333.

Dear New Husband,

Another night at home for us. Mainly because we needed it after a bit of a rough start to the week. And more days of lots of work, and for you, lots of school work.

I feel that sometimes people can be critical of the boundaries we draw for ourselves, but I'm proud that we are able to step back and say: "We need time together" rather than forcing something that wouldn't be beneficial for our relationship.

As a social worker, I'm so proud of our self-care!

I love you and our quiet evenings together,
Your New Wife.

Day 332.

Dear New Husband,

A day that started with fever and a runny nose and ended with me feeling well enough for us to chase some deals at Macy's.

WE EVEN GOT A MALL COOKIE.

So much of my childhood [And current] pleasures revolve around cookies from the mall. Seems not much has changed, and to be honest - I like it that way. Which, I am pleased to say, you find these traits just as endearing as I do - which means they will endure being endearing for the rest of our days. Hooray!

I'm glad that I took the chance to stay at home, baby my cold/fever/sickness so I could spend some time with you picking out pillows and other fluffy items to make our home a little more comfy.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 331.

Dear New Husband,

A day that started off with a somewhat forgotten dentist appointment for me, and ended with a somewhat unexpected illness for me as well.

Just a smattering of fun that happens in our home. At least I fulfill my life long promise of always keeping you on your toes!

But I had a great time meeting you for lunch after my dentist appointment, as well as enjoying a pass through World Market as you politely say nothing as I buy more chotckies for our home. Danke, dear one.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 330.

Dear New Husband,

2 SuperBowl parties.
1 SuperBowl power outage.
2 SuperBowl stuffed gut spouses.
1 exhausted interim dog from playing with his interim friends.
1 Beyonce filled halftime show.

An immeasurable amount of fun with our pals. We should eat this much and laugh this hard every weekend.

Actually, maybe not. I don't think I could handle this much fun every weekend.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 329.

Dear New Husband,

For some reason, we never go to P.F. Chang's. Probably because we can get the same quality of stuff at a place for a lot cheaper than what they sell their Chinese food - but then again, The Chang's is selling ambiance.

However, a great date night together as we huddled around steamed dumplings and sweet desserts, talking about the joys of interim dog parenting and deciding that we should keep our interim dog for another week to decide if he can actually fit in with us.

To polish the evening off, we watched What Lies Beneath, since you had never seen it. I mean. Really. What more could you want? Ghosts, Harrison Ford, 2001 technology?!

Thanks for a great evening and for always being willing to rent a ghosty movie, even when you don't want to watch it.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 328.

Dear New Husband,

As we continue to dream dreams and plan for whatever the future holds, its always reassuring to hear that people like us, appreciate us and see talents, skills and potential in us. Pretty neat stuff.

What else is pretty neat is that I took our interim dog to the dog park today. He is an incredibly social dog and loves being around his kin-pack. Unfortunately, or fortunately - if you have a sense of humor, our interim dog does not like older gents that wear slicky track pants to the dog park, so he promptly used that man's pants as a toilet.

Fortunately, the man didn't notice. At all. Which makes me think the dude needs to go to the doctor and get that checked out. But first, he should probably change his pants.

Here's to you, four-legged friend for giving us another story to tell at parties, and another reason to love you more: Because you're such an insane weirdo.

You have already fit in, little one.

I love you,
Your New Wife, who sits by in horror as our interim dog pees on some unsuspecting stranger's leg.

Day 327.

Dear New Husband,

Today I am very thankful for our Best Palzzz that have dogs and will willingly let us bring our interim dog over to play with their dogs.

Because let's face it, the interim dog we have is lonely; he misses his play pals. Watching him with these dogs was as though we were watching another dog take possession of his body - a more happy, playful dog.

It excites me to see him so happy, but makes me a little sad to realize it might not be in his best interest to keep him all cooped up in our lonely apartment. Granted, I don't think our apartment is lonely, but he definitely thinks it is. To each his own.

As we continue to ponder what life will be like with or without the Little Sir, I'm glad that you are supportive and have been beyond supportive thus far. But I have to say, you do like that Little Sir; more than I think you would've. So congratulations on letting a little furry pal into your heart.

And no. I'm not talking about me.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 326.

Dear New Husband,

When you're used to waking up, leisurely, at 8:30 am and still making it on time to work, and then having a dog that wakes you up at 7 am, your mornings are greeted with the feelings akin to a hangover.

Needless to say, I'm so tired.

But I am thankful that you agree to walk the dog after I fruitlessly try to take him out and coax him to do his 'bidness' in just one geographical spot. Heaven forbade.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 325.

Dear New Husband,

More adventures in interim dog parenting. . . And so far, I'm happy to say that you are enjoying it. Granted, the responsible stuff of being a dog owner pretty much stinks, but I'm so glad you're coming around to how much fun a dog can be.

So much fun that we stayed at home and watched The Skulls. Nothing like a throwback to our youth, which consisted of hearing a Creed song in a movie. Oh the late 90's. What were any of us thinking? CREED??!? But I'm sure everyone will feel the same about the 2010's. . . NIKKI MINAJ?!. . . CARLY RAE JEPSEN?!?

ONE DIRECTION.

But I digress. It was a nice evening at home with you. . . As you have night classes on Wednesdays and Thursdays, these times at home are becoming fewer and fewer, which in turn makes me more and more thankful for the time we get together.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 324.

Dear New Husband,

First full day as interim pet owners. Definitely comes with a unique set of challenges, especially when I think a non-leash trained dog would have so much fun at PetSmart. . . Spoiler alert: He barked at all the dogs and slid around on the linoleum. But hey, at least we got a better leash out of the deal, right?

But who can resist a little snuggle bug  that enjoys snuggling while watching The Hunger Games?

Thanks for being open to trying out a dog. And for being open to trying 'skinny' Funfetti Cupcakes. . . They weren't horrific but definitely not as good as the real thing.

Sigh.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 323.

Dear New Husband,

Well. Today definitely did not end how either of us thought it would go.

We went to just go visit a little dog that had stolen some of our affections.

And then we brought him home for a one week trial run.

WHAT.

Thanks for being adventurous and trying out new things on a whim. Makes me appreciate you all the more.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 322.

Dear New Husband,

You spent today ticking off some of the items on the list I made to organize our home a little better. . . This list was born out of me bringing home my wedding dress from my Papa Dave's house, as well as seeing how our piles of things accumulate really quickly.

And then we went to the pharmacy to pick up some necessities for me. If anyone ever wondered how annoying having a chronic illness is, its annoying about once every other month, or every two months. And this month was unfortunately one of those annoying times. Ugh. Health insurance thinks its doing us all a favor. Supplies - it isn't. . . Okay. That's an overreaction. It does do me a favor, a lot of the times. But then it does really annoying and asinine things like today and makes me want to trip a nun or punch a gypsy.

But all was not lost, because you're wonderful and I'm stubborn and vindictive. What else is new.

Then we enjoyed an evening celebrating the birthday of one of our Best Palzzz. Where I proceeded to show the photo of the dog we're going to meet tomorrow to everyone that will look. Is this what being a mom or grandma is like? If so, man. I'm going to be great about annoying people to death with photos.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 321.

Dear New Husband,

A date night filled with sushi, Blockbuster rentals [Including a game rental that went awry. I seriously did not know that they had come out with another Wii console. Our lack of 'gaming' capabilities actually cost us. Never thought I'd see that day. . .], and conversations about dog ownership.

I appreciate you entertaining the idea of dog ownership. I know we had said that we would wait until we had a house with a yard, but man. I cannot shake the feeling of wanting a dog. I blame it on growing up with an endless parade of dogs in my home; each of my family members are suckers for those four-legged, furry pets. We just love them.

I know you are more hesitant about owning a dog, but I surely do appreciate you hearing me out, hearing the research and time I've put into it and being okay with going to go meet a furry little friend. You da best.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 320.

Dear New Husband,

Another night with you at class, another night of me planning and shopping for my gifts to you for Valentine's Day and our one year anniversary.

But seriously, that whole one year anniversary thing is coming up - that doesn't seem right. The only reason I know its right is because the ticker on this blog says '320' as in how many days we have been married, and I know that there are 365 days in a year.

I know, my higher level math is astounding. You may now pick your jaw, which has dropped in amazement, off of the floor.

I'm excited for our one year, but yet it still doesn't seem like it has been that long. Such is life!

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 319.

Dear New Husband,

A great and productive day at work, followed by debilitating illness. Well. Not really debilitating. I'm just being dramatic. As per usual.

Everyone is rejoicing in the fact that it is 70 degrees in our city - meanwhile, my sinuses are dying as they try to cope with the drastic changes in weather we have had recently. And the rest of my body is pitching a fit as well, including my stomach and what we have diagnosed as a pinched nerve in my neck. . . So let's all hear it for sitting at a desk for 8 hours and the joys that come with that. I had no idea before this that pain can radiate down your shoulder and into your armpit. The more you know!

Truly, I am thankful for a job; even if that job provides me with a strained neck and stress that manifests itself into illness.

Thanks for always taking care of me, for allowing me to be nuts, and not being too put out by my body staging a sit in to not be productive or allow me to join the rest of society. You da best.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 318.

Dear New Husband,

All I can remember about today is the discovery that I am actually an introvert.

Seriously, this is so odd to me. I took all those personality assessments and quizzes and what not, and they all told me the same thing: Extrovert. But you revealed I'm a sociable introvert: I can hold a conversation with anyone, but I really prefer to be alone.

And after a conversation that started in one location, and inevitably ended in another location, it was revealed how much I like my alone time - enough to be quantified as an introvert.

Not that I'm upset with this diagnosis. To be honest, it makes me feel a lot better about spending time alone.

So thanks for recognizing the fellow introvert in me, and suggesting that I spend some time watching Gilmore Girls. All. By. Myself. . . Bliss.

Thanks for seeing what I need before I realize I need it. And thanks for trying to encourage areas where I need to be encouraged. This is always going to be a learning process, and some days we get to be behind the learning curve.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 317.

Dear New Husband,

I took today off. Which, is a perk of having the jobs we have: Being able to take a day off after working a considerable amount the last two weeks. And I'm so glad I took today off, so I could watch the Presidential Inauguration.

I've heard a lot of grumbling about how 'We already inaugurated this President', and 'Why should we do this again' business. Well, no matter who you voted for, I think inaugurating a President is important for all of us to see, because it is amazing to see how peacefully we swear in our leaders - no rioting, no burning tires in our streets. In the places we have been and seen, this is not always the case. Thus, I'm proud to have a peaceful inauguration that shows that the democratic process in the United States is strong, even when some may not like who was sworn in.

Plus, we get to show off our national treasures: marching bands, Beyonce and Kelly Clarkson. America is the best.

Unfortunately, we ended our day with both of us getting sick. Thanks for nothing, dinner.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 316.

Dear New Husband,

WE SAVED $22 AT THE GROCERY STORE.

I am so incredibly proud of us; I'm proud of the hard work we put in to be good stewards of our money. Coupon clipping and meal planning is not for the faint hearted; its tough to put so much work into that. But I'm glad I have you to help me.

Especially when carrying 4 12-packs of Diet Coke products.

Thanks for your hard work today, even though it was NFL playoff day. And thanks for allowing me to spend money on gluten-free flower that ended up making my cookies taste like a potted plant.

Next time, I'm just getting the brownie mix.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 315.

Dear New Husband,

A great afternoon celebrating a woman's 90TH BIRTHDAY. Where we gorged ourselves on cake and family memories, while trying to envision what our lives would be like at 90.

Today was a great reminder of the legacy of family - being able to see my face and my Momma's face in the faces of others, as well as seeing the quiet characteristics and love that is boldly continued on in all members of my family.

A sweet treat for me, but it was even sweeter to end our day together with the watching of Australia.

I sing you to me. . . Even when we eat mediocre Pad Thai.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 314.

Dear New Husband,

Two weeks full of meetings and work, and I'm pleased as punch that we ended it in True Texas fashion: Margaritas by the fire.

And then with a drive to my Papa's to see my parents. Icing on the cake of the last two weeks. So happy to be finished and headed to bed early.

Cheers, y'all.

I loe you,
Your New Wife.

Day 313.

Dear New Husband,

For the first time, in quite some time, I actually got to leave work early and have an entire evening/afternoon to myself. This is in thanks to the fact that my boss, Jenn, and I are finished presenting our last two and a half years of development to our executive team and the staff members, so we're pretty finished with what we need to accomplish.

It is also in thanks to you having Thursday night class - which means I can sit at home with discs of ER, checked out FO FREE from our local library and veg out.

I love you very much, but I needed this afternoon/evening to recharge my batteries. I can be very extroverted, but I love some good introverted time. But know this: I am thankful for you, your presence, and your general 'awesomeness'; and for giving me the gift of alone time by scheduling night classes.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 312.

Dear New Husband,

My day started earlier than usual, so I am beat.

This one will be short, because I'm pretty sure I'm going to bed in the next 30 minutes but. . . Thanks for always listening to me when I'm an emotional basket case.

And thanks for asking me questions when you don't know the answers and I do - in other words, I like getting the opportunity to talk you down from your ledges, because that doesn't always happen. I'm usually the nut job, so its nice for me to have the roles reversed and have me talk you through some frustrations.

Team work, y'all!

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 311.

Dear New Husband,

My day gloriously started out like this:

I've been longing for snow for weeks - ever since it was revealed that we wouldn't get a white Christmas while at my parent's, but our home would instead. Much to our chagrin.

Even though it was a light dusting, I loved it. And I loved that you left your snow scraper in my car for me. True love: Always taking care of your wife.

Then my day consisted of pulling together PowerPoint slides for our big program presentation tomorrow. Woof.

So you can imagine my excitement when my day ended like this:

I told you that I wasn't sure I could go out on a date tonight because I knew, inevitably, I would bring some work home with me. So you brought the date to me. 

Thank you for being you and for being incredibly supportive of my goals and dreams, even when it takes time away from you and from us.

I love you,

Your New Wife.

Day 310.

Dear New Husband,

Just another Manic Monday.

But I'm pleased as punch to be spending me evening, in my pj's, watching The Big Bang Theory, and The West Wing.

I'm also pleased to find out that we both like really nerdy television.

Every pot truly has its lid.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 309.

Dear New Husband,

NFL Playoffs. Two words that I never thought I would become part of my weekend concerns. Ever.

And then I got married.

However, you diligently ran errands with me today! Those errands occurred in between two playoff games, but still - you were not overly concerned about missing the opening, nor did you try to rush us home for any reason.

THEN. You earned your keep even more by watching Downton Abbey [Which, admittedly, you enjoy], Once Upon a Time [Which, admittedly, you also enjoy] and the Golden Globes with me. The main reason we both actually wanted to watch the Golden Globes?

Tina & Amy.

Yes, I'm on a first name basis with Tina Fey & Amy Poehler - why shouldn't I be? I mean, seriously. They were awesome. I love women that show that women can be anything they want to be: funny, smart, witty, pretty, nerdy, weird, and above all - never take themselves seriously. Right on, Tina & Amy.

Though Tina & Amy were hilarious, you still diligently sat through my commentary on other's clothing choices, and listening to me weep every time someone thanked their spouse in their acceptance speech.

Just another night at home.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 308.

Dear New Husband,

Somewhere in between all of our free time that we had today and the sneak attack nap, I got stir crazy. For some reason, I had a very difficult time enjoying a day snuggled inside while it was cold and rainy outside. And then my body decided I needed a nap. Very anti-Liz.

But thanks for trying to come up with something to entertain me with, as I groaned about how I much I needed to get our of our apartment. . . Although getting out of our apartment meant going out in the cold rain. Bleh. It was a conundrum of mixed emotions. And an afternoon of killing Zombies on Plants v. Zombies.

Then we had a grand old time helping our Best Palzz break in their new house as we had dinner, drinks and lots of laughs at their new home. They truly are the best and I'm so glad we found friends that are just as ridiculous as we are. . . That made up for my unproductive, stir crazy afternoon.

All in all, we live a good life - especially if my biggest complaint is not being sure what to do with free time.

What a weirdo.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 307.

Dear New Husband,

Another busy day at the office [For me - and maybe for you too]. But I deeply enjoyed going out for margaritas after work with some of our favorite colleagues. It is so much fun to be able to have people around us that understand our job & what we do AND have an excellent sense of humor to boot! So much fun with them, celebrating Friday and celebrating my boss, Jenn, being in the United States again.

Then we were off to more good times with friends. More laughter. More food. More. More. More. And it was wonderful. I was not a huge fan of my work day, because I'm constantly feeling mildly unproductive this week at work, but I'm enjoying how much fun we have had this week after working hours.

A great beginning to our weekend - which I have been looking forward to since Monday. Now, let's sleep until we're 80. Because my coherency level is probably at the level of a 19 year old gent at his 7 am US History college class.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 306.

Dear New Husband,

Originally, we were planning on spending tonight with another night at home with another heaping bowl of leftovers. Seriously. That's the last time I'm making soup in a crock pot  Well. Maybe not the last. But seriously, we have had enough food from cooking at home this weekend to feed a small militia.

Anyway, I'm glad for the happy interruption of friends who invite us out to dinner & movie at one of the many 'movie and an eatery' establishments in our area. Because we needed all of the sore abs that came from laughing so hard at This is 40, as it has been one heck of a long week.

I've been so busy, and stressed at work that it was nice to go out and pretend to be a normal, functional member of a larger society. That stress showed up in an unexpected form as I left my iPhone [Affectionately known as Iris the iPhone] somewhere out in the lobby of the movie theater. I then proceeded to think that my phone was gone, sold, and someone somewhere had just bought the entire series of Friends using the money they got from profiting from my negligence.

But you were kind and gentle, as you always are. And you hid your annoyance very well, as you always do. So. . . You're welcome for the adventure. You signed up for the ride of a lifetime and I just want to make sure you got your money's worth.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 305.

Dear New Husband,

A busy, mind melting day as my boss and I continue to prepare for what can be described in clinical terms as a MONDO presentation.

You were so sweet as you kindly suggested that instead of eating more leftovers [Hey, we got student loans to pay off - we're eating leftovers until 2023, y'all], we go out to eat dinner and go see a movie.

Then we saw the list of movies that are currently playing. MONDO thumbs down.

Thus, we revert to an old standby: A Blockbuster movie and popcorn. With a sneak preview of leftovers.

I know you've mentioned how we've stayed in, and maybe we've lost our youth. But, lets not kid ourselves: I don't want to go out. I get home and want to curl up in bed, like a hibernating cat, and pretend there isn't a world outside. You can thank my immune system and the relenting rain for that. In all seriousness, thanks for trying to make something new happen.

And for preventing me from reaching my goal of being a grouchy curmudgeon, before I reach 70 years of age.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 304.

Dear New Husband,

Sick. Ill. Miserable. Death bed. And to top it all off, unproductive at work. Today was not my favorite, but sometimes you need days like this to remind you that life is so much better than you actually think it is.

Thanks for being supportive and continuing to be a champion of leftovers. . . And for not judging me when I fall asleep for an hour at 7 pm. Late afternoon nap?

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 303.

Dear New Husband,

This National Championship game is an accurate reflection on the type of day it has been: Monday.

The upside is that our home smells like bacon. So we have that going for us.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 302.

Dear New Husband,

A Sunday spent grocery shopping. Naturally, that meant going to three different grocery stores with coupons and pricing knowledge in hand. . . I'm now laughing at me beginning that sentence with 'Naturally'. There's probably not anything natural about bargain grocery shopping at three different grocery stores, but hey. We work for a non-profit and have an unholy amount of student loans to pay off. So. I guess that makes it natural for us to be frugal.

Anyway, I enjoy doing those things together. One of the main reasons is you are my portable human calculator, with a mind like a Swiss Army watch. I don't have to stand there with my bachelor of arts and my master's in social work, wondering what the price per unit is on a thing of pickles. Oh no - I have you, darling one.

Plus carrying all those things of soda by myself stinks.

Thanks for bargain hunting when all you really wanted to do today was watch football. And for figuring out the Tetris game that is putting our Christmas decorations back into our overflowing closet. You strengthen your man card when you put your wife first.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 301.

Dear New Husband,

A somewhat slow paced/lazy Saturday. Thanks for stepping into a day similar to the days we had off of work in between Christmas and New Years: Slow mornings filled with The West Wing, dirty bowls that once contained cereal, and folding laundry.

Its hard to believe our first 'married' Christmas is over. I feel somewhat forlorn putting Christmas decorations away each year, but this one feels even more forlorn. . . It means we're one step closer to no longer being newlyweds. I don't know what it is about the idea of newlyweds or the fact that the term newlyweds itself conjures up imagery of blissful ignorance, but I like being one of those things.

I like being a newlywed, and I have a sneaking suspicion I will really enjoy being retired. . . So I've got a lot of space in between life events that I have really been looking forward to; I suppose that explains why I'm feeling a little melodramatic about no longer being a newlywed.

Anyway, I enjoyed our evening playing games with friends, laughing over life, and word games. Such a sweet time we get to live in and such sweet lives we get a chance to be a part of. Although how anyone puts up with my jokes and antics, I'll never know.

I mean, I'm still confused how I tricked you into binding your life to mine. I mean. C'mon.

I love you,

Your New Wife.

Day 300.

Dear New Husband,

We have been married for 300 days?! Where has the time gone?

Well. If we want to answer the question is that its gone into so many different things. Currently, that time is spending a lot of quality time logging hours with Netflix as we marathon through seasons of The West Wing. But lots of our time has gone into something incredible: Life and the juxtapositions and challenges that it lugs around in its weight.

But what a ride this journey of 300 days has been - what a ride all the days before all the last 300 days have been. Though no one ever told us it would be this hard, no one ever told us how sweet it would actually be.

Thanks for the first 300! Also - can you believe I will be finished with this and we will be finished with our first year of marriage in 65 days?!

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.

I hope the cake still tastes good.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 299.

Dear New Husband,

Marathon day. A day that started in the morning and ending well into the evening. A day that consisted of miles driven from our office in the suburbs, to the downtown epicenter of a neighboring city.

Though I don't necessarily wave the banner or advocate for working 11-12 hour days [I mean, really. Life is short. Let's all have dinner in our respective home instead of in our cubicles], I enjoyed our 12 hour day because we get to talk about the gift it is to do the job we do with passionate & bright college students.

Those kids know their stuff about humanitarian aid and what is/isn't effective, and they are the ones that inspire me to keep on keepin' on. Because as glamorous as our jobs sound [Which, if I've been making it sound glamorous, then I have been LYING TO YOU] they are not glamorous. But passions, callings, and/or fulfilling vocations aren't glamorous. I mean, I'm sure Fergie has things that she has to do for her job that aren't G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S.

But I'm thankful for what we get to be a part of and that we get to invite others to be a part of this journey. There's no one else I would want to answer Q&A sessions with.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 298.

Dear New Husband,

The first official 'work day' of the New Year. . . I am now a full time employee and have consonants after my email signature now!

Which meant that I even stayed later at the office than you did. What a sign of the times. But it was nice to come home, make a quick and easy dinner, quietly read our respective books, a trip to Aldi [Which was a grim, yet incredibly frugal experience] and finish off with more episodes of The West Wing.

Though we have had a pretty relaxing Christmas vacation, its still really nice to be able to relax in our home after a long day of work - I love quiet evenings at home with you, while we debate the policy and politics behind a fictional show. My kind of life.

Thanks for always being up for being a house cat with me. We do have exciting lives, but that excitement makes me long for home even more.

I love you,
Your New Wife.

Day 297.

Dear New Husband,

We spent the first day of 2013, not eating Hoppin' John or any kind of black eyed peas - instead, we spent the day helping our Best Palzz paint their new home, and celebrating the lopsided bowl victory of my Oklahoma State Cowboys. I could not think of a better way to ring in 2013 than with paint, friends, and a harsh beat down of Purdue in a bowl game. Viva la 2013.

I truly enjoyed seeing how handy you were in the empty, paint fume-y home - its exciting for me to realize that you are incredibly knowledgable in regards to home renovations and solutions to home problems. What a delight for me to discover that your secret talent is helpful to our future. Whereas my secret talent of being able to identify any actor and what movies/television programs they acted in, as well as being able to quote obscure lines from movies is not necessarily helpful. Unless we get on a game show where those factoids are actually considered to be intelligence that would make me a MENSA member.

Thanks for always bringing something to the table, and for always wanting to serve alongside of me.

I love you,
Your New Wife.