As of today Chad and I have been together for 3 years, 8 months, and 2 days. Isn't that just adorable?! ;P Since we've been married I've discovered so much but I don't feel like 2 months of marriage allots for any advice giving, instead I'd like to share with you what I've learned so far:
1. Everyone that told me I had to look cute while sleeping were jerks. When I was engaged I got new "pj's" as gifts and advice from excited new brides on how wonderful it was to have cute sleepwear and be adorable for your husband. OK, newsflash, he's sleeping too! Why does it matter what I look like if he's asleep as well?? If he's staring at me while I'm asleep that's a whole new set of issues. After a few nights of these "pj's" I had to give them up. I was cold most of the time, things were falling out, and major static cling plagued me night after night. Even though I'm married I still deserve the right to wear mixed matched pj's with my hair pulled up in a pineapple-shaped bun. If he can't handle that then he shouldn't have married me. (thankfully he can!)
2. Gosh I'm selfish! When I was single all I had to think about was myself: my goals, my dreams, what I wanted for dinner, how I wanted my house to look, etc. Now it's not just about me and that's really difficult.
3. I want to be around him all the time. We were long distance for 3 years and went 3 or 4 months without seeing each other. I could handle it but now a normal work day is too long. I can't get enough of him! I seriously love being around him and I hope that never changes.
4. Girlfriends are still necessary. I've learned that my husband is not my girlfriend and he won't want to watch chick flicks with me or go shopping all the time. I'm away from all my girlfriends and gosh I miss them. They are a crucial part of my life and I really wish they were around.
5. Getting a puppy right away was a bad idea. Let's get something straight, I love Aspen like crazy!!! But getting her 2 weeks after we got married has been tough. We missed out on just us time and its really been like having a baby. Before we do anything we have to think about her and it's a huge responsibility. I kind of wished we would have waited or had gotten a puppy before marriage. None-the-less she's our little lovey and I can't imagine life without her.
6. Meshing two lives together is rough. Bringing two different lives, opinions, dreams, and everything else together and making it work smoothly is a job in itself.
7. I really really love him. Let's get serious for a moment, I hate my living situation. I hate being in Ohio, being away from our friends and family, our house, the backyard, the weather, the town, etc. The only things that I like are Chad, Aspen, and our Church. The way our life is right now is so far away from what I imagined and frankly it's miserable however, I'd rather be here with him than in California without him. He's my world and I can't imagine life without him. I love him so much and will always want to be where he is.
8. God is a big deal. I guess this is kind of a no brainer but it's so true. I thought it was hard to follow God's plan when it's just me but now it's even more crucial that we listen to God and grow together because if we don't we'll fall apart.
9. Expectations are huge....huge. OMG! I had no idea how many expectations I had for marriage until I was in one. I found it was so important for me to state my expectations and for him to state his even for the littlest things so that we were on the same page.
10. It's the best thing ever! It's true. I absolutely love it! It's amazing being able to be married to my best friend. It's the biggest blessing and really there are no words for how awesome it is!!
Love you, Chad!
Maddie
My favorite show for as long as I can remember has been The Golden Girls. I love the dynamics between these 4 sassy ladies and their love for one another. They were the first ones to introduce me to the idea of framily (friends+family) and the beauty of roommates. I'd like to take a moment to celebrate the awesomeness of roommates...
Having roommates has been one of the biggest blessing of my life! Obviously I'm married now so I have the coolest roommate of all but let's face it, he's a boy and there is a big difference between boy roommates and girl roommates. My first roommate was the typical college freshman roommate, aka I didn't like her. We never really talked and she would do her homework at 2 am with the desk light shining in my face but enough about her, let's get to the good stuff!
My first roommates were Kayt and Kelsey. We moved in together the summer before my senior year of college. Our apartment was this strange little place that used to be an attic which meant it was hellishly hot during the summer and arctic cold during the winter but the weird quirks of the place were what attracted us to living there. The three of us were the epitome of roommate perfection (besides The Golden Girls, of course). I think all three of us were shocked at how well we got along. I mean, 3 women living under one roof is a recipe for drama but there never was any. We did have spats from time to time but nothing major. In that year we lived together we truly became a family and the day we moved out it was almost like a piece of me was gone (dramatic but true). They were my Golden Girls and I'm determined to live with them again someday!
Moving out led me to moving in with Abi! I only lived with her for a semester but she totally prepared me for marriage, I swear we were a married couple. We'd watch Jeopardy together, confide in each other, and pick up groceries for one another. We lived in Family-Grad housing on campus which was awesome but had its quirks as well. We lived with a lot of exchange students to we'd hear ethnic music and drums at 4 in the morning. We'd hear drills, laughing, yelling, and lots of car alarms as well. The kicker was we lived in the basement apartment so we could hear our upstairs neighbors peeing....lovely. We never complained though, we'd just laugh it off and chalk it up to the college experience. That semester was so amazing and living with her was such a blessing. She is one of my best friends because of it and I seriously miss living with her!!
My next roommates will be one, or all, of the fab 5 (you know who you are). I'm determined for that to happen so get ready ladies.
Living with roommates has given me some of the best experiences and memories of my life! It was filled with midnight frozen yogurt runs, Say Yes to the Dress marathons, and girlfriends who become sisters. All I can say is I hope everyone can experience living with roommates. It's just the best!
Thank you for being a friend,
Maddie
If you have not discovered that magic of the slow cooker, aka the Crock Pot, you need to do so. I find slow cooker meals make large quantities so it's perfect for lots of leftovers or parties. The best part? It cooks the meal for you!
I discovered this soup recipe and OH EMM GEE it's divine! It's creamy, thick, and full of flavor and it's perfect for this cold weather...
Crock Pot Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
8-10 cups turkey or chicken stock, divided
8 oz. uncooked wild rice (I used 4 oz. wild rice and 4 oz. of brown rice just to mix it up)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, diced
2 carrots, diced (when I make this soup again I'd add about 4 carrots)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chicken soup base (like Better Than Bouillon)
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half or cream
2 cups diced cooked turkey (I just used the carving block turkey in the deli section)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (or one tablespoon dried parsley flakes)
salt and pepper to taste
Add eight cups of stock and the
uncooked wild rice to a crock pot set to high. In a large skillet over
medium heat, add the olive oil and saute onion, celery and carrots until
onion is transparent, about 10 minutes. Season with the black pepper,
and add the sauteed veggies to the crock pot. Stir in the chicken soup
base. Cook on high for 3-4 hours (or on low for 6-8 hours) until the
wild rice and veggies are sufficiently tender.
In the same skillet over medium heat,
melt 1/2 stick of butter. Whisk in the flour, and cook for a minute or
two. Gradually add the half-and-half or cream, whisking constantly. You
may wish to thin this mixture out with an additional cup of stock at
this point. Once thickened and completely smooth, add the white sauce to
the crock pot and stir to combine. Add the turkey and the parsley (and
perhaps another cup of stock if you prefer a thinner soup), and cook on
high for another 15-20 minutes until heated through. Taste to correct
seasonings before serving.
This soup is probably one of my favorite things I've ever made so it's really worth a try. Enjoy!
Maddie
I realized its been a while since I've updated you on our lives here in the Buckeye state. The reason for that is really not much is going on but I'll try my best to think of something...
First off, marriage is awesome! I highly recommend it. Being married is truly like getting to be with your best friend all the time. After being long distance for 3 years we are definitely taking advantage of finally living in the same place and it's so cool to interact on a daily basis. We've gotten connected to the young marrieds group at our church and it's great to make friends that are in the same season of life that we are in.
Aspen is 12 weeks old now and is so curious and biting everything! She's actually a really good puppy though and loves being around people which we're very relieved about. She's pretty much up for anything and isn't scared of much, which again we're very happy about because we want her to be a super social dog. Next week we start obedience school and I'm so excited! Our goal for her is to basically be a bombproof dog. We want her to be exposed to a lot and to take her anywhere with ease. The biggest issue we're seeing is she likes to chase cars when we're on walks so we want to break that habit fast!
Chad is doing great, working away as usual. He's making great strides at work and I'm so proud and happy for his success! He turned in the first draft of his thesis and he'll be done with his masters soon and I know he'll be very relieved when that's finished lol. He's definitely over the education system. Of course, baseball (and church softball) season is right around the corner so I think that's putting a little extra spring in his step!
I'm doing alright. The move has been more difficult than I thought it would be and I'm really struggling with all the changes. Being with Chad and Aspen is a dream but the fact that I'm not where I really want to be is extremely hard. Moving to a new state, being away from all of my friends and family, and adjusting to the changes of marriage is pretty overwhelming. I'm really trying to give it all to God and to remember He has an amazing plan for all of this but I'm sure you can imagine how difficult that is. I'm just taking it day by day and trying to see the blessings of it all.
We're both so sick of this cold weather and can't wait for it to warm up so we can get out and explore along with starting on some of these house projects. The big things on our list are get a dog pen for Aspen, start my garden :) and begin painting the bedrooms. We're both really excited to give this house some lovin'!
That's all I can think of right now so I hope that suffices. I promise I'll keep you updated more often! Love ya'll!
Maddie
Chad's family has a tradition of having breakfast for dinner. My family never did this so at first I found it a little strange but I began to embrace this fun concept and now we have breakfast for dinner quite often! The first time I attempted this tradition I made the yummiest ham, egg, and potato bake that I could probably eat every day, it is so yummy!! Here's the recipe!
Ham, Egg, and Potato Bake
600g (about 3 large) potatoes
75g (1 cup) grated tasty cheddar cheese
44g (1/2 cup) grated parmesan cheese
150g shaved ham, finely chopped
1/2 medium onion, grated
4 large eggs (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
250ml (1 cup) cream
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Thoroughly
grease a 19cm or 20cm diameter pan. (We previously recommended using a spring form pan for neat and easy serving, but some people found that
their pan leaked. Only use a spring form pan if you are sure that it is leak proof).
Line the base of the pan with baking paper. If your pan isn't non-stick, line the side of the pan also. ©
Peel and halve potatoes. Boil potatoes until tender, drain. Allow potatoes to cool then cut into 1cm thick slices.
Combine cheeses in a bowl.
Cover the base of the prepared pan with a layer of potato slices. Season with salt and pepper.
Top with half the ham and onion. Sprinkle
with about one third of the combined cheeses. Continue layering
ingredients (seasoning each layer of potatoes), finishing with a layer
of cheese.
Use a whisk or fork to beat the eggs and cream until well combined. Gently pour the mixture over ingredients in pan.
Bake for about 50-60 minutes, until the top
is golden brown and the egg mixture has set. Cover the bake with aluminum foil if the top begins to over brown before the egg mixture has
set.
Remove from oven and set aside for 5-10 minutes before removing from pan. Cut into wedges to serve.
Enjoy!
Maddie
Granted, my life isn't super hectic right now but I have found a way to stay on top of one of the most important parts of life....dinner. In our family food is no joking matter. For example, when I was a little sprout I went to the doctors for routine booster shots and my Nana bought me a snow cone maker for taking them like a champ. Our family rewards with food, always appreciates a good meal, and never misses a feeding! Being married I started to get a little overwhelmed with the excitement of being able to try tons of amazing recipes from Pinterest and my cookbook library. Meal planning is what saved me from drowning in the land of slow cooker meals and cauliflower pizza crusts.
Once a week I pick 2 or 3 new recipes from my collection, anymore than that I find too overwhelming and I end up buying ingredients that I'll never use again. The rest of the week I make recipes I either know by heart or can create from what I already have in the pantry. After I go shopping I sit down and create the menu for the week. The new recipes I disperse throughout the week and intertwine the easier recipes between them; one day is usually designated leftover day because let's face it, no one wants to cook all the time. I'm lucky because the previous owners made a chalkboard door in our kitchen that is also magnetic so I can put the recipes up to be seen for the entire week, however meal planning doesn't need to be that visually fancy. Putting the meals in a planner, on a piece of paper, or creating your own menu board are all great options.
The biggest tip I have for meal planning is to keep your pantry stocked! Keeping a healthy amount of spices, broths, herbs, can goods, and all of those base flavors allows you to make all kinds of recipes with ease. Another thing I do is buy frozen veggies. They have the same nutrients as fresh and are cheaper, which is great since being on budget is key. Of course having a big stock of fresh fruits and veggies is important as well. Lastly, I buy in bulk. Once or twice a month I go crazy at the store and basically buy it out! I hate having to go to the store all the time for one or two things.
I hope these meal planning tips add a little peace to your life and you find them just as helpful as I have. Love ya'll!
Maddie
Chad is not a breakfast person and usually eats a granola bar or two on the way to work. I'm not quite sure how he does this because if I don't have a bagel or a bowl of cereal I turn into a grumpy, tired, mess of a girl who is less than pleasant to be around. Anyway, it's hard to send my husband off to work with granola bars that, although relatively healthy, have lots of unnecessary sugars and preservatives. So I decided to find an alternative that was equally yummy without all that junk his body doesn't need. Well, I think I found it...
Healthy Breakfast Cookies
1 1/2 cups uncooked oatmeal
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
**I added walnuts for an extra crunch
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix vanilla extract and cinnamon into the
applesauce. Blend applesauce mixture with all other ingredients. Drop
rounded cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet or parchment paper (use parchment paper if you can. I greased a cookie sheet and it made the bottoms a little soggy). Use
the bottom of a glass or your hand to press the rounds down flat. Bake
20-30 minutes or until golden (They don't expand in the oven so feel free to go big!) Remove from oven and let cool.
The beauty of this recipe is that it is completely interchangeable with different spices, dried fruits, nuts, shredded carrots, or adding extras like flax seed, chia seeds, or some dark chocolate!
Maddie
