MARRIAGE, IT'S SOMETHING YOU WORK AT

On October 22nd Justin and I will be celebrating our five year anniversary! If i’m being honest most of the time it feels like longer than that. I guess that is what happens when you start dating in high school! In honor of our fiver year I have decided to give you five tips/tricks that I think have helped us through out our marriage! In no way do I think I am some expert on marriage, and I would never want anyone to think that I did. These are just some things that I have learned, that make this whole MARRIAGE thing go a little smoother!

1. Think before you speak…. This one is a true live struggle for me, because I am the type of person, if its in my head its out of my mouth. I have learned though, if I bite my tongue, and truly think about what I am going to say, it usually ends up a lot better!
2. Find something that you two can do together…. Right now the thing me and Justin like to do together is watch a show called Lethal Weapons. Its nothing crazy or creative but it is something that the both of us enjoy and we can enjoy each others company once Jones is asleep.
3. Remember to be thoughtful… I have to remind myself what makes me happy maybe different from what makes Justin happy. Im over the moon when Justin does the dishes, where Justin is over the moon when I remember to complement him before we go out on Saturday night or remember to ask him how school is going. These may seem like small things, but in the craziness of my life sometimes I forget to take the time to ask those simple questions.
4. Continue to make each other laugh… A constant in my marriage is the ability Justin and I have to make each other laugh. Laughter is medicine to the soul and I truly believe this! I love to lol (laugh out loud) whenever i get the chance and Justin has been making me laugh since i met him. Annndddd I like to think i do the same for him, although, everyone thinks he is the funnier one. I hope that laughter remains a constant for many more years to come!
5. Holidays… as most of you may know, Justin and I got married right before the holidays. This time of the year can be extra stressful. With both of us being extremely close to our families we decided to set some ground rules from the very beginning. We switch on/off thanksgiving and christmas between our two families. And even though our families only live 5 minutes apart whoever we are spending that holiday with we give them our undivided attention and neither of us can say that a holiday has ever been unenjoyable. I am not saying this is the perfect holiday plan, but it has worked for us. The tip here is, to figure out what works for you and stick to it!

In the last 5 years I have learned that marriage is hard and requires constant work and effort, but it is totally worth it. There is know one I would rather have by my side to experience the wonderful rollercoaster ride of marriage, parenthood, and life. Cheers to 5 years and praying we make it through the sixth year with the addition of the twins!

xoxo, JayCee