THE MARRIAGE DIARIES VOL. 6

Six months (+23 days...ooops!) has passed since I woke up beside my three best friends and danced around as we got ready to head to the church so I could marry my dream guy. Six whole months has passed since I nervously walked through the double doors and down the aisle to my groom. Six months have passed since I entered into a covenant relationship with the man I'm blessed to call "husband". I had no idea what all was in store for our first six months of marriage, but I am so thankful for every single moment that The Lord used to teach  and grow us. I have been continually blown away by how God has molded Matthew into the most precious husband for me. Six months ago we started this journey called marriage and my cup overflows daily. What a blessing the Lord poured out. He is good, so so good. No matter what, He is continually good. Nothing can or ever will change that. And what a joy it is to know that!

I've always heard the saying, "marry your best friend" and each day I am seeing just how true that statement is. Marriage is the biggest blessing and greatest gift, I've ever know so far and I could not imagine not marrying someone who wasn't my best friend. Matthew and I tell each other everything and we do a lot of things together once we are off of work. From just watching TV together to running errands and just the day-to-day activities. Since the last time I wrote one of these, we bought our house and moved in. We still can't believe that we own a house and are old enough to have a mortgage, but here we are, and we are overwhelmed with so much thankfulness. Each step of life is exciting and I could not imagine doing any of it without my very best friend. 

Life lately is most days we just look at each other and can't help but laugh, saying "you're my WIFE!" and "you're my HUSBAND!" because real life still doesn't feel like real life. Each day is filled with so much goodness because this one is by my side. 

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THE MARRIAGE DIARIES VOL. 6

I CONFESS I

Joining one of my favorite bloggers, Catalyn, today!

- Monday afternoon when I got off it had started snowing. By time we went to bed Monday night it was still coming down. I was really wishing it would snow all night so we could have our first snow day at the house. 

- We still have boxes that need to be unpacked, but each night after we have cleaned up from dinner we are just exhausted and ready for bed.

- A friend from high school announced this morning on Facebook that he and his wife are having a baby. I haven't talked to him since high school and yet I still cried when I saw it. Partly because it was cute and way too sweet and partly because I can't believe we are old enough to have children (on purpose lol) and start families. 

- Thinking about having children right now at my age scares the mess out of me. I mean I can't even keep up with laundry for two people and I'm JUST now getting the hang of meal planning for two people. I can't imagine laundry and feeding another human. Maybe in 5 years I will have a different mindset.. 

- I fell asleep on the couch last night for 30 minutes and I woke up thinking I had been asleep for hours. I realized it was only 9:30...

- I found a new recipe for hamburgers that I tried last night. They kept falling apart while I was cooking them and they were really mushy. They still had good flavor, just not pretty lol. I'll be leaving the burgers up to Matthew from now on.

- I Snapchat just about every meal I fix. I love Snapchat and think it's a great way to share recipes with other people!

- I probably spend a good hour everyday looking at ideas for our house.

- I'm already planning our next vacation. Please, someone get me to warmer weather ASAP. This girl can't take this 20 degree weather much longer. 

- I had two breakfasts yesterday. There was left over bagels and scones from a meeting so I wasn't about to let it go to waste. My first breakfast was fruit though so it wasn't all bad...

- I've been getting annoyed way too easily with traffic in the afternoons when I get off.

- I've been off my blogging game a bit since we moved. I just found my laptop in a box the other day lol.

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I CONFESS I

CROCKPOT POTATO SOUP - DINNER

I made this a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it. It was really easy to make and turned out better than I thought it would!

Ingredients:

- 1 (32 oz) bag frozen hash browns

- 1 (32 oz) can chicken broth

- 1 (10 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup

- 1 (8 oz) cream cheese

- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

- 1 teaspoon basil

- 1 teaspoon garlic powder 

- 1/2 teaspoon parsley

- Bacon bits (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in crockpot

2. Stir together so that everything mixes well.

3. Place lid on crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours or until potatoes are tender. 

4. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Garnish with bacon bits and extra cheese!

As you can see I used one of my slow cooker bags. I love these things and they make clean up so much easier. Of course I still clean my crockpot after each use, but this helps with stuff sticking to the sides and with leaving an odor in the crockpot. I have a had a couple of bags tear a little, but I think it's from where I was scraping food away from the sides, but even with the small tear clean up was very quick and easy. 

Add these to your next grocery list! They are usually in the aisle with the Ziplock bags.

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CROCKPOT POTATO SOUP - DINNER

ODE TO OUR APARTMENT

Going through my drafts and I found this post. I had written it a couple of weeks ago but forgot about it, so here it is! Happy Monday, friends! 

Oh, apartment, how I have loved thee.

You were our first place. Our first home together.

Where I cooked for Matthew for the first time as a wife.

Where I spent my first six months of marriage learning how to be a wife.

Having people over, Friendsgiving. movie nights. game nights, birthdays, where we spent our 1st night as husband and wife.

Your cabinets housed my first pots, pans, and dishes. The nice salad spinner that I have yet to use.

 From deciding to never, ever, try cauliflower again to making the best roast I've ever had that my husband asks for all the time. 

Your bathroom was where we spent many mornings getting ready and evenings ending the day – sharing the sink, writing messages on the mirror, and taking up all of the counter space (with MY stuff). 

Your one bedroom had one window that looked out onto our deck surrounded by trees.

Your deck provided us a very small space to work on our dining room table makeover. It might have been a small area but we used every inch, and every inch was covered in saw dust.

You welcomed our first big purchase, furniture. We were SO excited on the day it delivered and watched the movers bring it in piece by piece, and box by box. 

Your laundry room housed our brand new washer and dyer that we are in love with, and also my husbands desk...yes his "office" was in the laundry room...moving on. 

It was with you that I spent my first married night alone. After six months of being married Matthew had his first overnight work trip.

Your kitchen was where I failed miserably and succeeded, and finally felt like I was getting somewhere in the kitchen. I learned to love being in the kitchen- in your kitchen.

It was with you that we both had to take care of each other in sickness for the first time. Where we fought. Where we loved. Where we cried (me because I'm a girl, Matthew because of a movie lol.) Where we promised we wouldn't drink cokes anymore and then turned around and drank one the next day. Where we had pizza delivered and Chinese takeout from right down the road. Where we binge watched Parenthood and where we would watch Fixer Upper ever Tuesday night. Where we got snowed in and watched How I Met Your Mother ALL day long. Where we celebrated Matthew officially becoming a CPA. Where we prayed together, laughed together, did laundry together, celebrated our first married Thanksgiving and Christmas together.

I'm sorry to say that with you I often had a case of the some days.

But it's funny. Now I look back on you fondly, a little sad to leave you behind. I know we will miss you, dear Apartment. You have served us well, and we are thankful for the Lord providing you just for us.

And we will never forget our very first place together,

To see all social media posts about our apartment search for the hashtag #CoatsApartment

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ODE TO OUR APARTMENT