One wonderful, fantastic, blissful year

I can't believe we've been married for a whole year. Sunday was our first anniversary and we marked the occasion with a trip to our favorite candy store, a fancy dinner out, and a drive by the chapel where we were married.

I couldn't let the occasion pass without concluding my impromptu series of posts highlighting what I've learned about being married.

2 months
4 months
6 months
10 months

Looking back over the whole year, here are a few things I've learned.

1. We feel most like ourselves when we are together. This shouldn't come as a surprise - I mean, we married each other for a reason - but I think it's an important thing to note. There is great freedom in being with someone who doesn't ask you to be anything but yourself. We have our differences, our preferences, our quirks, but we accept and cherish those in each other.

2. There is nothing like a spouse to show you a true picture of yourself. This goes hand-in-hand with #1. We love each other for who we are, but that doesn't mean we don't challenge each other to grow. We see each others' flaws more clearly than anyone else - the real challenge is expressing that to each other in a way that is loving and encouraging so we grow as a result.

3. It's really exciting to dream about our future together. The future can be a scary place, but we are so blessed to be going through it together. A wise woman once told me that the world can be a lonely place, so God designed marriage to give us a partner to go through life with. As I think about the months and years ahead, I have to say, God was right on. What a blessing to know that no matter what the future brings our way, we will be in it together.

4. We have a lot to learn from each other. I have learned to lift weights and work out in other ways besides hopping on the elliptical machine. Alex has become a political junkie and is often more up-to-date on the latest news than I am. I have learned to like tomatoes (chopped up, in salads and sauces, but hey, it's a start). And those are just a few examples, and I'm sure there are many, many more to come.

5. We love being married to each other. Sometimes it almost feels too good to be true, but we have memories of an incredible wedding celebration with family and friends, and the pictures and video to prove it :)

And the headline reads...

"Office reaches record temperatures during climax of midwest heat wave"

Okay, that's not seriously a headline from a newspaper, but that is seriously the headline of my Monday. The air conditioning went out at our office Friday evening, so we put a call and email into the landlord and had faith it would be fixed by Monday and not sit baking all weekend as temperatures stuck well above 90.

Well our faith was sadly misplaced, and I came to work to find the office sitting at a cozy 83 degrees. I have now been here for almost 5 hours and it's reached a sweltering 87 degrees. That's 87 degree INSIDE the office. Bummer.

The good news is, Mr. Fix-the-AC is on his way and should be here within the hour. Bad news is I can't leave to work from home until he arrives. Wish me luck :)