There's a first for everything

I just roasted my very first, whole- skin and bones on- chicken and am a smidge on the grossed-out side about what I handled...ew. It better taste amazing!

There have been so many firsts lately that I'm a little worn out with them. I just got married in June, and we "saved ourselves," so there was that first (and it was pretty great for a first, I think). Then there's the whole first home, first real job out of college (or jobs as is my case), first attempt at painting a room, first burned dinner, first successful dinner, first interview... onandon it goes. Some days I wish I weren't so 23 and inexperienced.

I just graduated with a degree in music, and I am really missing college on so many levels. I miss being around my dear friends and coming home to 4 girls who are happy to see me. I miss all the opportunities I had to sing... and the shape my voice was in from singing 6-8 hours every day. I miss not having to cook, although I'd be lying if I said I missed the caf. :0) I miss the young energy of the people around me. My friends were always so eager to go out and make some fun, and it's hard to find people like that now. I don't think I'm having a "quarter life crisis," but all this change can be exhausting.

I absolutely LOVE being married, however! My husband is the sweetest, most loving man I've ever met. He has been so patient, and God bless him, eaten everything I've made without complaint (well... mostly). We've had a blast being together all the time and enjoying each other's company. There are things that surprise me sometimes, and irritate me, but the last 8 months have been such a special time, and I know I'll treasure it.

We just spent our first Valentine's Day together as a married couple and decided to do a "Trash the Dress" photography session to celebrate. We donned our wedding attire and ran through the ocean, climbed trees, played at our park, and generally found ways to turn that nice, white hem black while our friend followed us around with his Canon. It was awesome!

I decided awhile ago that I'm not going to save my dress. I've known about 20 couples who've tied the knot over the last year (it happens when you go to a small, private school) and seen the pressure some of the poor girls are under to wear their mom's dress, and decided not to do that to my daughter. Also, as much as I love my dress, it's not really worth all that closet space. I got it for $200 at a David's Bridal sale about a year before the wedding. It was a size 16. In the coming months, I lost about 35 pounds and had to have it taken in to a 10, and it kind of ended up puckering under the bust. It looked fine for the wedding day, and I felt like a princess, but the poor dress can't handle any more alterations! My mom is very crafty and is going to help turn it into a quilt.

I'm a bit of a romantic (yeah, understatement...) and loved going to my closet and unzipping the garment cover to look at my dress in the months leading up to the wedding. I would finger the embroidery and daydream about the Big Day. I would love to save those bits of the dress to feel and remember what a wonderful Day it was.

Sometimes it's surreal to look around our home and see the wedding album on the table, our bed made (that we share!) our "grown-up" furniture, our china, and our bills. When did we become adults? Weird.

Change is tiring, but it's not bad. Life goes through seasons. It's so easy to get caught up reminiscing about how lovely the previous season was, but I hope I don't spend all my time reminiscing. I hope I look around me once in awhile and remember to appreciate the season I'm living. Each season is different, each season is a gift, and each season is beautiful.