It's nice being a newlywed.

We have been married for two weeks.  People keep asking us if we feel different.  My answer is that I feel like we're a better version of us, but we're the same us...if that makes sense at all.  

We lived together for almost a year and a half before getting married - something I believe, despite what many think, that every couple should do.  The divorce rate is simply too high, and people's expectations too varied, to walk into a marriage with no idea of how you will be when you live in the same space.  We were lucky - we were ten times better once we moved into the same place together.  I know others who were the complete opposite, and some have even divorced because of it.  I have a friend who thought she was ready to marry her long term boyfriend, and yet, after they'd lived together for only three or four months, it became clear that they weren't right for each other - thank goodness they tried it.

All the things that existed in the "us" before getting married just seem sweeter now.  Going on a date seems sweeter.  Sharing things seems sweeter.  Cooking dinner for each other seems sweeter.  

After the wedding and saying goodbye to the friends who were in town, we got back to our norm - work for both of us.  My book club meeting.  Magnolia events with the ladies.  Golfing with Zac for Wes.  Nighttime TV shows.  But all the little normal things have a tiny silver lining.  A tiny hint of sweetness in your mouth all the time. 

Life threw us some curve balls with all the wedding planning and families being all over the world, but we feel like everything has worked out better than we could have planned it anyway - most couples have their wedding and honeymoon, and then it's immediately back to real life, fun over.  Not us.  We began celebrating in the summer with my extended family, and then had the October wedding, and now we get to look ahead to our December travels, a second wedding, and honeymoon there.  Spreading it over a few months is making it so enjoyable...

This is a huge wedding month for people I know - there are at least 5 friends of mine who got married/are getting married this month.  I hope all of those couples love being newlyweds as much as we do.  And even more, I hope we all loving being not-so-newlyweds in the future, never losing sight of how wonderful it is to have a partner to experience everything in life with - a teammate to tackle anything and everything.  

Speaking of tackling, I need to tackle some shopping and some housework.  Housewife duties.  Being married does NOT mean you suddenly like cleaning bathrooms, I assure you.