Technically today is Ricardo and my 1st wedding anniversary. Given all the hinges that have occurred in the last few weeks, we knew it would be bittersweet. It is very much that and so much more.
I think it's why we chose to celebrate in Austin with our close friends and family. Austin was our first home, it's where we honeymooned (even though we lived here) and sought refuse from a brutal holiday season! We spent five nights at the Barton Springs Resort and the days after settling into a new rhythm of life before heading back to work. Those moments in our lives were incredible.
Life continued and we were very much enjoying life as newly weds. (Insert record scratch here!)
But Ricardo and I are realist. We don't sugar-coat our relationship and we believe in transparency and honestly. We don't pretend somethings when it isn't...and so as some may say, "the honeymoon was over pretty quickly."
To some that notion may seem sad or horrible. To Ricardo and I, it's exactly who we are. He sometimes drives me nuts and sometimes I drive him banana. We just had a discussion coming home how he never follows my driving instructions even after he asks me for them. Yet, we both know (he's professed it) that he's horrible with directions. But that's how it goes, we're very human. And prone to error. The analyst in me says this should get better with time and improved processes but relationships are an entity of their own! So you learn to pick your battles...is his not following my directions going to ruin our lives, statistically speaking "likely no."
Is it worth losing my marbles over? No, not really...so I let him take the road he wants to take and when he's ready for my directions, I provide them though not always as kindly as I should. We're working on the flaws...but for now they are what they are. So to some it may seem that our honeymoon is over but this is seriously how we have always been. I think with time we've become better. We've grown and while we've been given time to settle, we know we have to continue to grow and so we do both independently and together.
We are not extremely lovey-dovey publicly, it's not who we are. We are very independent people after all, but mess with my husband and a flip switches...why because it's MY husband and I love him dearly and while he doesn't need me to protect him, it's in my nature to do so. To be honest, my husband and Jesus are probably the only reasons why I've not landed myself in jail.
We decided that for our first anniversary, we'd spend it in Austin visiting friends and we'd stay where we honeymooned. Omni Hotels has been just amazing to us!
It's hard to believe that a year ago the worries of the day were a wedding license...there's tremendous buildup to the big day and like a buble bursting in air it is gone just as quickly sad it started.
I took a few moments to reflect on our wedding and this first year of marriage. The wedding itself went by so quickly. We had an amazing time. However, I hardly got a chance to talk to some of the guests we wanted to visit with. There were things that went wrong but in the end, those things don't matter. The ceremony and reception was gorgeous! There were so many who contributed all in significant ways that we're so thankful for! It was incredible.
As we checked into the hotel tonight, I had a twinge of sadness as I opened the closet. A year ago, I had hung up my dress in the closet until we could get it home. I've still to mark it and send it off to be preserved. Something I need to do soon.
I stopped to think about how life had so drastically changed and realized we'd weathered life together fairly well over this year.
