new year, new changes

The relationship aspect of marriage is wonderful. Getting used to cooking every night, all of the dishes each meal creates, and this haunting tower of dirty laundry is not so wonderful! Amy, Jolyn, how do you guys DO it?!?! My meal creativity is running low, it seems the dishwasher is always running, and I'm struggling to complete LAST week's load of laundry while the bedroom hamper is now full and waiting for a wash! Perhaps it's more difficult now because we're still trying to unpack boxes and put things away. The house isn't completely put together yet, so that's another thing I feel I'm always two steps behind on.

One thing Josh and I are excited to do once life calms down a little bit is get back into our community. We're looking for a place to invest some time into through volunteer work. It will be really great to start that up in the near future.

We're having a New Year's party for a few of our friends tonight, and I'm really excited! I guess this is kind of easing back into social life. I got a great cheese dip recipe from Jineane that I'm anxious to try out, and other people are bringing snacks and such too. The apartment is really starting to look nice! We need to get some more wall art and such, but it's becoming such a home! It's amazing how wonderful it is to have a place to call your own.

sleepover

I think it will be nice to blog again so I can keep up with people who aren't always in the area. I am absolutely cherishing this brand new marriage. I've had middle aged people who are cynics by time tell me that it will fade, I'll chop off all my hair, we'll hate each other in no time, etc etc and all that nonsense.

Josh and I are having SO MUCH FUN!

Last night we cozied up on the couch and ate Christmas goodies while watching Dead Poet's Society. It's one of my favorites, and he'd never seen it before. After the movie, we crawled into bed and started chatting. We talked about the movie, our theories on certain concepts of it, and how much the story line resembles the Messianic story. Then we started laughing out heads off over stories from junior high and high school. We shared stories that showed our naive side, our nerdiness, how we'd changed, and even some serious stories about how we'd been shaped by events in our past.

"This feels kind of like a sleepover, doesn't it?"
"I was thinking the same exact thing!!!!"
"You know those sleepovers where you stay up late talking in bed till your voice is hoarse and you're so tired? Then you look at the time and think, 'Wow, we better go to bed!'"
"I loved those! Especially where you built a fort with sheets!"
"Oh my forts were the absolute BEST....."

We continued laughing and talking about sleepovers, forts, and other things.

Then he grabbed my hand.
"You're my best friend."

I think I'd be very happy if everyday with my husband felt like a sleepover with your best friend. :-)

Unity

I thought I had known togetherness and communion with Josh when he was my fiance. But it's nothing compared to the incredible sense of unity we feel now. On the last night of our honeymoon we laid in bed chatting together. We agreed that already, we'd felt so much closer together than before. It's this mysterious thing that I felt as soon as we were pronounced married, and I've only felt it growing more and more every day.

I can't explain the concept of "one flesh."

I just know now how real it is. And it's wonderful.

resurface

I've been abandoning this blog because I just haven't had a whole lot of time lately. It's been very interesting....

I am going to graduate. I think. There's just a little bit left to finish, and I think I can do it.

I'm waiting to hear back today about an amazing job opportunity. It would be a dream job for me--amazing and humbling. I'm so anxious. Just to have an interview made me feel honored and even if I'm not selected for the position, I may opt to volunteer there after the New Year begins.

I'm getting married this Saturday. I will be Mrs. Joshua Miser. When I went to a Dr.'s appointment and scheduled a follow-up for six months out, the receptionist put my married name on my appointment card. "Kelly Miser."

Wow.

I don't know if I'll ever get used to that!

But I can't even begin to say how excited I am right now, so I won't even try. :-)

This Saturday...

It's gonna be sweet.

my parents

I seriously have the best dad EVER.

I'm struggling soooo hard to graduate and get married and move and stay physically healthy all at the same time. He sees my stress and instead of pounding over my head what a dumb decision trying to do all this at once was, he's been nothing but an encouragement to me.

Every morning, I wake up and find a new piece of paper on the kitchen table. The first day, it was of a runner crossing the finish line. Yesterday, it was a picture of "The Little Engine that Could." This morning, I found a cartoon character charging ahead with determination.

I've been hanging every single one on the refrigerator and I intend on keeping them as a memory.

My mom has also been amazing in her own ways too! She has totally stepped in and taken on my wedding plans for me. And I LOVE IT. She doesn't even ask anymore... she just sees and does. It is such a relief to know that someone else thought of the garland or the fake snow, and that she decorated the wreaths and flower girl baskets for me. I would have NEVER gotten around to those things. She leaves me notes of questions about things still to be done and reminders of things left to do. (Like this morning. Marriage license? Yeah... totally forgot about it. Seriously.)

If it weren't for my parents love and support, I would NOT graduate this year and I would have a half assembled wedding and a completely broken down body and emotions. But because of them.... I can see the end in sight. I'm not there yet. There's still a LOT of work to accomplish. But because of them, I know I'm going to make it.

I really love my parents. <3