What You Never Learned in College.....

Brian & I met at Miami University, a rather idealic place that we both hold dear to our heart. My parents thought it resembled "summer camp" but truth be told it was a very challenging academic school. Little did we know that after meeting so conveniently the day after spring break of Brian's senior year would lead us on a life time of adventures..I couldn't resist a man in camoflauge (we were both at our fraturnity/sorority date party - "Camando"! So after earning our respective degrees and growing up in Oxford, Ohio we embarked on like after college, the real world!
A lot has happened in the last couple years, we moved various times, I from Cincinnati to Columbus, Brian living his transiant life in Chicago & Minneapolis, me moving in with my "not-so" sister-in-law's house (Brian and I weren't married at the time..thank you Christy!) and then us rejoining eachother in East Lansing for Brian to again go back to college, in East Lansing. It has been a trip! We laugh now, because we feel like we are playing house! We are so blessed but sometimes it all feels very surreal, life moves at quick paces sometimes.
Which leads me to today. Buying out 2nd house in Traverse City has been quite a learning experience. Experts always talk about how they should "teach life skills" in college, life balancing your check book, etc, etc. But instead we learn as we go, as we have with homeownership & marriage! And with these, come lessons on love and life. Here are a few lessons I have learned (and maybe Brian too) that I didn't learn in college. This post is a result of Brian & I replacing our god aweful gold/brass light fixtures last night:)....ceiling fans are next-watch out!
Lessons:
#1: Owning an old house is like watching a scary movie...sometimes you just want to keep your eyes closed and be oblivious to what you are watching. Keeping that ugly wallpaper just might be worth it so you don't have to see the problems that lie beneath! Take everything in stride!
#2: After a couple "team" projects (ie. installing blinds, carrying christmas trees into your house, moving, etc.) you learn eachothers strengths and weakness and eventually learn to just laugh (at the situation, at eachother, yourself..whichever is more theraputic). Laughing is key to happiness.
#3: Finances & marriage enough said. But seriously, life is not about how much money you make or what possessions you have, but having without (struggling through law school , etc.) makes us very thankful for all we have now! Be thankful everyday.
#4: Comunication & Understanding: I know everyone always says communication is key and I think it is..but understanding is too. In marriage you won't always agree but to be able to come to an unstanding of the other person is just as important. Whether its about the simplest subjects, like what to eat for dinner or the most complex (imput your subject here)...being able to "agree to disagree", "hash it out" is important-expecially when you are married to a lawyer-I swear he took a class in law school-how to cross examine your wife :)....I swear! :) hehe just kidding babe!
#5: AND the most important one...marriage is AWESOME, because you wake up each morning next to your best friend, you get to share life experiences & adventures & the day to day with your biggest support & cheerleader, and even when things get hard you know it will only make your relationship stronger. Life has meaning because you give the person you love so much your love, commitment and support...and it makes life all worthwhile. And the best part is you get his love in return! I love you Brian!

And those things they don't teach you in a text book. ~Katie