How You Doin' (Part Two)

I told you I was committed to updating this little blog of mine. In a way I'm a little surprised myself. I had always sworn that if I got backed up I would just pick up right where I was and not back track. This certainly isn't the first time I'm going back on something I swore I would never do. You should just ask the youth leaders I had growing up about everything I said I would never do.

The thing is, with the blog I never really wanted this to be a journal. For now I feel like it's been a good spring and summer that needs to be documented. So, no...I'm not journaling. I'm simply documenting.

Early Celebrations This year marks 10 years of wedded-ness.Being that this year is the really the first whopper of an anniversary, we decided to go on an adventure sans children. It was the first time. Ever. Ever, as in since the girls entered the picture. Okay, our anniversary is not until November, but who says you can't celebrate a milestone of this magnitude for an entire year.

So we left the children in the capable and loving hands of Grammy and my niece, Victoria and headed to the rainy Northwest for a week.We had never been to Seattle, and the stars aligned in such a way that the city kind of chose us. For the record, the only time it rained was the day we left, but it was much colder than I anticipated.

We found a week away to be too long not only for what there was to do in Seattle, but it was difficult being away from the girls for that long. We divided our time between the northern Puget Sound/San Juan Islands and Seattle. Seattle has some fun and whimsical neighborhoods that we loved, and hiking up north was breathtaking. The antique stores weren't too shabby either.

The week away certainly did it's job: we were able to reconnect in a way that isn't possible when the kids are around. It's amazing how much effort is required before you remember how to have conversations without the typical interruptions and that don't revolve around the functions of life at home. I think we're sold on an annual couple's retreat. Maybe not for quite as long next time. 

My Happy Place Once again we are participating in the Great Country Farms CSA. Getting out to the country once a week where the girls have an opportunity to play after we pick produce from the fields is just about the happiest thing we've done this summer. I don't think there has been one time the girls didn't want to go.

Though they were very ready to leave this past week when we were DRENCHED by buckets of rain that lasted only while we were picking our peaches and raspberries. It started as the hayride to the fields left and stopped when we pulled up to the store coming home. It was kind of nice to have use of the heater in August.

More to come. Certainly the best is yet.

9 and Counting

Yesterday was a birthday and today is an anniversary. Ours. Me and Otter. Sometimes I feel like I'm way too young to be celebrating a ninth wedding anniversary. But that's what happens when you get married at 21. I know. That's really young. It is what it is and I don't regret it one bit. 

Otterpop and I have had a rough couple of years. We've had to deal with the stress of multiple family deaths; the birth of a new baby that nearly resulted in my death; the stress of losing my job which was a blessing, but stressful none the less; and then learning to manage life on a single income. 

I would be lying if I said the stress hasn't impacted our relationship. Don't get me wrong. We are happy. It's just that marriage is hard enough when things are good. 

But the past nine years have taught me some great lessons. Mostly that anything worth while requires work. 

And so I impart to you some lessons learned by Tera:

~ When you are hurting your spouse is often hurting just as much. Sometimes more. 

~ Pouting in silence does more harm than good. Swallowing your pride to say "sorry" will make things a whole lot better than they were.

~ Simple listening without trying to fix the problem is more often than not the best advice you can give.

~ Empathy goes a very long way.

~ The addition of children doesn't have to suck the life out of your relationship. It just takes a lot more work.

And there you have it. Now all I have to do is follow my own advise and we'll have our very own happily ever after.