Where to begin. Would you like to hear about the ups or downs, or perhaps the inbetweens first? No, no, I know something better. How about the 'then an now'? A year ago, I married a man that isn't the man I know today. Don't be alarmed, I mean that in a good way! I see Ryan in a whole new light than I did that sunny June day. And this is real love, you know why? Because I've seen it grow and it's only getting stronger. Unfortunately a common way that love grows is when one or both parties endure trial or conflict. For every hardship, disagreement, or discord there might have been, we always find our way back to why we love each other in the first place. And I'd rather take this path that endures than the one of least resistance, because I guarantee you I wouldn't love Ryan half as much as I do today. The positivities in our life have far outweighed any negative circumstance or argument we've had. We have a roof over our head, food in our fridge, awesome neighbors, amazing family, fabulous friends, fantastic church, zero debt, and the list goes on and on.
So, here's to love! We thank God for the first year we've been together. His grace has been sufficient, His joy unspeakable, and as always His love unfailing in every way towards us. He doesn't just hold our marriage together, He steers it in the direction that is best for us no matter what.
So, here's to love! We thank God for the first year we've been together. His grace has been sufficient, His joy unspeakable, and as always His love unfailing in every way towards us. He doesn't just hold our marriage together, He steers it in the direction that is best for us no matter what.
So, what does one year look like?
Q&A on our Tennessee Anniversary Trip!
First off, thank you for all your submissions! We had so many unique questions to answer. As far as our picking process, all question were chosen at random! And because we didn't want an hour long video some of the questions had to be left as honorable mention. However, all will be answered! The winner is revealed at the end of the video! The winner receives some lovely Tennessee Salt Water Taffy (in honor of our our trip to Tennessee!) as well as another extra little surprise!
Honorable mention questions
Who does the cooking and who does the cleanup?
We have a pretty solid agreement that allows a little give and take when it comes to this. If I happen to prepare most of the meal, then Ryan will take over a majority of the dishes and vice versa. We’ve come a long way in the kitchen, hahaha…we’ll leave it at that.
What is one thing that you didn’t know before you were married and you found out and it really surprised you?
I think it may be obvious that when you’re married you are pretty much around that person 24/7. However, it surprised both of us to find out what that really means. When I first moved, being around Ryan 24/7 was kind of my way of coping with being in a new environment, and eventually I eased into life and friends, work, etc. For Ryan, he felt like there was an obligation to fill each moment with something meaningful, when you really can’t.. you’ll either run out of money or creativity, or both! We eventually grew into life together, letting the normalcy of life set in, while also being intentional with making the most of our time together.
What is something you never knew about one another until being married?
Audrey: I never knew a man could fart so much.
Ryan: I knew Audrey could bake, but I didn’t know she was an amazing baker! She won 1st prize for best dessert at the church’s New Year’s Eve party! So proud of her!
How are the different backgrounds of your upbringing mingling?
This anniversary trip is a prime example of our upbringings mingling. Having grown up in the country and the youngest of five kids, our adventures were as far as our woods would take us, or a road trip no longer than 3 hours away. A bit sheltered, but open to adventure. Ryan on the other hand went to Tennessee before many a times growing up and adventure was his middle name. Ryan was in his element on this trip, and I was being introduced to advanced hiking, caving, and the Smoky Mountains for the very first time. Needless to say, the trip is over and I am spent. Ryan had to take his all or nothing mentality and pull back the reins a bit with me on this trip. However, I think Ryan was surprised and proud of how much I was physically stretched and how much I enjoyed it challenge. So those somewhat opposite upbringings have been mingling pretty well, and there are many more occasions to see it happen in the future!
Any baby planning?
We loves babies. Yes. Are we planning on having one soon? Probably not. However, we’d love to see a little one come into our lives in maybe two years. Only God knows, right?
Who is the saver, who is the spender? Or are you both equal?
Well, if we both had our way, we would both be spenders. Ryan is much more open to being a spender. He hates the idea of window shopping. Since being married, I take care of the budget, and keep track of what is going on with our finances. Ryan definitely is aware of the budget though, and he understands when we gotta cut back in certain areas.
What is your favorite thing to do together?
Pretty sure we love having a game night or hang out with friends at the apartment. That’s definitely number one. I personally just love sharing a meal together with Ryan. Yeah we do it everyday, but it’s the time when we get to just talk and exchange thoughts about the day.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your first year of marriage?
We would give it a 6.5 . We have had days that were 10’s and days that were more like a 3. So we have a long way to go, but we are optimistic that it will only get better.
What revelations from God and wisdom from others have helped you through this first year?
We both agree that we have been learning first hand the selflessness it takes to make a marriage work. Our Pastors have been a huge help in sharing their personal experiences of marriage with us, and it has been a huge encouragement. More than anything we appreciate their support. It’s within their compassionate hearts we find peace and wisdom to understand each other better. We’ve gleaned a lot from the advice that marriage isn’t 50/50.. it’s 100/100. We give everything for the other, not to get anything out of it, but out of the love we have for each other.
What vehicle would best describe your first year of marriage?
A 2001 Honda Civic. Because that was a brand new Honda model at the time. It was more powerful. The style was completely new to Honda. It had new amenities. However, it had a lot of bugs to be worked out. But at the end of the day, it’s still a Honda, it’s still gonna outlast most of the other cars on the road. ((this is all Ryan's answer by the way..lol))
Is marriage everything you thought it'd be?
No, it's not. It's a lot more work, but it is also a lot more rewarding than we thought it would be. Being a team in this marriage has really showed us the value of trust and sacrificial love.
How do you encourage each other?
My personal love language is words of affirmation and quality time. I tell Ryan in any way possible how thankful I am for all he does for our family. It might be a phone call during lunch, a text message, or even just at the dinner table. And I especially love writing a little sticky love note that he can see on his way out the door. As for Ryan, he does the same (just with less sticky notes). He takes the time to see the areas of my life that are truly the most important to me, and verbally build me up, because he knows that's how I receive encourage/love the best. To hear him say he supports me in something I am passionate about just makes my day!
Best date night so far?
When we were in Baton Rouge and stopped at Whole Foods, and perused the cheese section and came upon a whole bunch of samples of crazy cheeses we’ve never heard of . We picked up some different fruit and wine, and had a little cheese tasting in the living room. And we watched a little romantic comedy to end out the night. I think because it was just on a whim was what made it so great.
Worst date night so far?
It wasn’t the worst, it was just ended on a sour note. In fact it would be in the running for best date night if didn’t end so abruptly. And that was when Ryan had planned a night in, in which he made me dinner, had flowers and wine, and top it off, he had made a whole fort in the living room out of sheets and blankets. Although, if anyone you know the story already, you’ll know that while it was cozy underneath the little fort, one of the forts ‘supports’ (a rather large book) came crashing down on Ryan’s head, causing it to bleed! I was hysterical at first, and Ryan was just laughing. Date night was officially over at that point. But we did laugh about it later, just never saw that one coming.
We have a pretty solid agreement that allows a little give and take when it comes to this. If I happen to prepare most of the meal, then Ryan will take over a majority of the dishes and vice versa. We’ve come a long way in the kitchen, hahaha…we’ll leave it at that.
What is one thing that you didn’t know before you were married and you found out and it really surprised you?
I think it may be obvious that when you’re married you are pretty much around that person 24/7. However, it surprised both of us to find out what that really means. When I first moved, being around Ryan 24/7 was kind of my way of coping with being in a new environment, and eventually I eased into life and friends, work, etc. For Ryan, he felt like there was an obligation to fill each moment with something meaningful, when you really can’t.. you’ll either run out of money or creativity, or both! We eventually grew into life together, letting the normalcy of life set in, while also being intentional with making the most of our time together.
What is something you never knew about one another until being married?
Audrey: I never knew a man could fart so much.
Ryan: I knew Audrey could bake, but I didn’t know she was an amazing baker! She won 1st prize for best dessert at the church’s New Year’s Eve party! So proud of her!
How are the different backgrounds of your upbringing mingling?
This anniversary trip is a prime example of our upbringings mingling. Having grown up in the country and the youngest of five kids, our adventures were as far as our woods would take us, or a road trip no longer than 3 hours away. A bit sheltered, but open to adventure. Ryan on the other hand went to Tennessee before many a times growing up and adventure was his middle name. Ryan was in his element on this trip, and I was being introduced to advanced hiking, caving, and the Smoky Mountains for the very first time. Needless to say, the trip is over and I am spent. Ryan had to take his all or nothing mentality and pull back the reins a bit with me on this trip. However, I think Ryan was surprised and proud of how much I was physically stretched and how much I enjoyed it challenge. So those somewhat opposite upbringings have been mingling pretty well, and there are many more occasions to see it happen in the future!
Any baby planning?
We loves babies. Yes. Are we planning on having one soon? Probably not. However, we’d love to see a little one come into our lives in maybe two years. Only God knows, right?
Who is the saver, who is the spender? Or are you both equal?
Well, if we both had our way, we would both be spenders. Ryan is much more open to being a spender. He hates the idea of window shopping. Since being married, I take care of the budget, and keep track of what is going on with our finances. Ryan definitely is aware of the budget though, and he understands when we gotta cut back in certain areas.
What is your favorite thing to do together?
Pretty sure we love having a game night or hang out with friends at the apartment. That’s definitely number one. I personally just love sharing a meal together with Ryan. Yeah we do it everyday, but it’s the time when we get to just talk and exchange thoughts about the day.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your first year of marriage?
We would give it a 6.5 . We have had days that were 10’s and days that were more like a 3. So we have a long way to go, but we are optimistic that it will only get better.
What revelations from God and wisdom from others have helped you through this first year?
We both agree that we have been learning first hand the selflessness it takes to make a marriage work. Our Pastors have been a huge help in sharing their personal experiences of marriage with us, and it has been a huge encouragement. More than anything we appreciate their support. It’s within their compassionate hearts we find peace and wisdom to understand each other better. We’ve gleaned a lot from the advice that marriage isn’t 50/50.. it’s 100/100. We give everything for the other, not to get anything out of it, but out of the love we have for each other.
What vehicle would best describe your first year of marriage?
A 2001 Honda Civic. Because that was a brand new Honda model at the time. It was more powerful. The style was completely new to Honda. It had new amenities. However, it had a lot of bugs to be worked out. But at the end of the day, it’s still a Honda, it’s still gonna outlast most of the other cars on the road. ((this is all Ryan's answer by the way..lol))
Is marriage everything you thought it'd be?
No, it's not. It's a lot more work, but it is also a lot more rewarding than we thought it would be. Being a team in this marriage has really showed us the value of trust and sacrificial love.
How do you encourage each other?
My personal love language is words of affirmation and quality time. I tell Ryan in any way possible how thankful I am for all he does for our family. It might be a phone call during lunch, a text message, or even just at the dinner table. And I especially love writing a little sticky love note that he can see on his way out the door. As for Ryan, he does the same (just with less sticky notes). He takes the time to see the areas of my life that are truly the most important to me, and verbally build me up, because he knows that's how I receive encourage/love the best. To hear him say he supports me in something I am passionate about just makes my day!
Best date night so far?
When we were in Baton Rouge and stopped at Whole Foods, and perused the cheese section and came upon a whole bunch of samples of crazy cheeses we’ve never heard of . We picked up some different fruit and wine, and had a little cheese tasting in the living room. And we watched a little romantic comedy to end out the night. I think because it was just on a whim was what made it so great.
Worst date night so far?
It wasn’t the worst, it was just ended on a sour note. In fact it would be in the running for best date night if didn’t end so abruptly. And that was when Ryan had planned a night in, in which he made me dinner, had flowers and wine, and top it off, he had made a whole fort in the living room out of sheets and blankets. Although, if anyone you know the story already, you’ll know that while it was cozy underneath the little fort, one of the forts ‘supports’ (a rather large book) came crashing down on Ryan’s head, causing it to bleed! I was hysterical at first, and Ryan was just laughing. Date night was officially over at that point. But we did laugh about it later, just never saw that one coming.