{year review}

2011 was a big year for us. It was a year of growing up and exploring the world. Here are a few things we loved about it:

 living in Ireland: learning the culture, making new friends, going to cool pubs, seeing beautiful views

 welcoming our first nephew into the world. 

exploring and soaking up Paris for a week

planning our wedding

turning 21

getting married! woo! 

honeymooning in Mexico 

interning over the summer: Exact Target for Jordan, The Boys and Girls Club for Alli

celebrating the final semester of undergrad for Jordan

falling in love with Friday Night Lights and The Hunger Games

living in a home of our own - not a dorm!

 I think 2011 may have been our favorite year yet. But as much as we loved last year, we believe it will only get better. We are excited and ready to make new memories and form our own traditions in 2012. Right now we are in a season of obedience, listening, and waiting. We are eager to see what God has planned and where he is going to call us next, and we are thankful for the lessons we will learn in the process of finding out. Now begins this new year of transition, challenges, and new beginnings. 

goodbye 2011, thank you for all that you have given us, we are truly grateful.
hello 2012, we are ready for you. 

{the roles we fall into}

Jordan and I have been reading "Saving Your Marriage Before it Starts" by Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott. We really like this book so far, and today we read the chapter about myth one: "We Expect Exactly the Same Things from Marriage."

We each have unspoken roles and rules that we need to discuss and work through together so that little annoyances and problems don't turn into major issues.

Jordan and I have dealt with this very thing in our own marriage. There are roles I naturally assume and things I just expect him to take care of because that is how I watched it being done through my own parents' marriage. What we decided to do was identify the unconscious roles we fall into.

Here is our list:

Jordan's                             Alli's
navigator                          planner/scheduler
money manager               shopper
problem solver                 cleaner
comedian                          organizer/decorator
doctor                                gift buyer
leader                                 cook
secret keeper                     hostess

Do you think this sounds like us?

We also made a list of rules we want to follow. We both came up with five rules that were important to us, and now we have 10 things written down that we have committed to as a couple. Some of them are as as simple as 'always be on time' and 'wash the dishes after they have been used', but they are still important principles that will create a less stressful life and a healthier marriage.


I highly recommend this exercise for every engaged or married couple.