7QT #9 On the First 6 Months of Marriage

As of April 5th we've been married for SIX MONTHS!  Time flies by when you're having fun (and trying to make a thesis deadline...).  So here's #7QT on the first 6 months of married life :)

--- 1 ---

NFP ain't no daisies and roses all the time 
but it sure is awesome.

I have mentioned before that I've been teaching Theology of the Body and promoting Natural Family Planning for the past three years, but it's like a whole new ball game now that we are living it.  Call it "street cred", call it "life experience", but being able to share our journey with others while also continuing to learn has been incredible.  We started teaching NFP together back in January, and it is awesome to not only share the science of NFP, but also witness how it strengthens our marriage.  Plus, let's face it: NFP can be challenging sometimes.  And once we start having little baby Johnstons running around, I'm sure our challenges with NFP will be different than they are right now.  But at the end of the day NFP is really helping us to keep God as part of the conversation and discernment about our family plans.  

Thank you Jesus for all 'dem baby stickers.

--- 2 ---

Double Beds Are NOT for Married Couples... 
and other life lessons.

Seriously though.  Learning to sleep next to another person is hard enough, but when both tend to sprawl out (OK maybe it's just me..), ain't nobody getting sleep in a double bed.  Thankfully, we were able to upgrade to a Queen at the end of November.  But more than sleeping arrangements, I'm realizing that marriage is a great way to grow in humility and charity...even if I'm reluctant to do so. 

--- 3 ---

Sometimes we won't like each other.  
And that's OK.

I love this clip from Pope Francis' General Audience.  "Sometimes plates fly!  Seriously!... But there's no need to call in the United Nations..."  :)  Plates don't fly in our casa (maybe a few pillows...) but there are definitely moments where, like any normal couple, we just don't like each other very much.  But that's OK as long as we continue to get real comfortable with the words "I'm sorry," and "I was wrong," and of course, "I love you."

Nerf guns are also helpful.

--- 4 ---

Laughter is a must.

My Valentine's Day gift from Michael:
A homemade cake in honor of St. Valentine's martyrdom.

Marriage is hilarious. Sometimes we just have to laugh at ourselves (or each other... lovingly).  Laughter is a must in married life.  I'm very grateful we have this in our home.  

--- 5 ---

It really does take Three to Get Married

It doesn't matter how many JPII quotes we know.  It doesn't matter how many books we've read, or even how great we are at NFP.  If Christ is not at the center of our family then there's no point.  Lord knows we aren't perfect, and we could certainly be better at prayer... but we're getting there.  God has given us a great gift in this Sacrament, and as a priest told me during confession, "Your husband's soul has been entrusted to you, and yours to his."  Whoa.  No joke.  Our main job is to help one another become saints, and we're going to need God's help (and the intercession of all the Saints!) to help us do this :).  

--- 6 ---

Complementarity is a Beautiful Thing

Honeymooning in Rome: Oct 2013

And I'm not just talking about the male/female dynamic.  We balance each other out and we learn from one another.  I have a tendency to worry, Michael knows how to stay cool and reassure me that everything will work out.  Michael's extremely talented in the "Fix-It" department, and I'm... really good at cheering him on :).  I don't want to sound like I don't have anything to contribute to the relationship; I'm just more and more aware of the fact that there are plenty of situations where, if it were just me, I would have hit level 10 crisis mode, but Michael has been there to help us work through it together.  We're a team.  I look forward to seeing how this teamwork plays out when we become parents :)

--- 7 ---

This is only the beginning.

My sister-in-law made us a DVD with pictures from the last 4 years of our relationship with this song in the background.  The song is beautiful, and seeing our journey summed up in 4 minutes was definitely something to warm the heart.  The best part of the last six months?  It's only the beginning.  God led us to one another, and His hand continues to move in our lives in a really beautiful way.  We might not understand the timing of everything at the time, but God continues to prove His faithfulness in our lives.  If God can do all that He has in the past 4 years... I can't imagine what excellent adventures are ahead for us!

And of course, we continue to ask for your prayers :)  6 months down, many many decades to go!

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