Monday, September 30, 2013

31 Day of Gratitude :: Day 1

Have you heard of this 31 days of writing challenge?  I first learned about this challenge from The Nester and I just can't get it out of my mind.  31 days to write on one specific topic...

I thought of a few different topics - hobbies, education, interests, but ultimately decided to choose something that would {hopefully} stretch me and leave me better than I started.  So for the next 31 days I will {attempt} to write a least a sentence on gratitude and I am excited to see how a month of thanksgiving will impact me and, potentially, change my life.

Day 1
Today I am especially grateful for my husband who is my best friend, spiritual leader, biggest supporter, protector, and financial guide.....not to mention fixer of all thing broken, jar opener, amazing kisser, partner in adventure, travel and crime, bug killer, 5-star chef, and knower of all my secrets.  I am so blessed.


Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Expectations

Hi my name is Chelsea and I have high expectations. 

I recognize that I have high {at times unreasonable} expectations...I expect adults to act like adults, sick kids to get better and life to be fair.  I expect people to follow through and friends to be reliable.  Part of the reason that I am this way is because I have amazing people around me who fulfill these expecations. 

Over the past three years I have learned a lot about my expectations and I have to laugh at the expectations I had before I was married.  When I was younger, I expected to be married young, have babies, stay at home, and have a husband who worked 9-5 and came home to dinner on the table.  This is rather amusing because, as the oldest of five, I have always been independent and ambitious.  When Jared and I started dating, I expected we would build a marriage that we would be proud of but that we had done most of work already.

Many of my expectations have been exceeded.  I have a husband who loves me unconditionally and treats me like his partner in crime.  He respects my need for independence and gives me opportunities to take charge, but brings me down when I start to float away.  And really, what's better than a boy roommate?!

Even though these areas have blessed my life, I have also learned a lot about my expectations.  I have learned that hospital schedules rarely match, communicating with a boy can be tricky and it's great to not have to be responsible for everything.  This team is better than I could have imagined. 

Expectations are important and should be valued.  But those expectations can sometimes limit experiences and leave life just a little less exciting.  Thank you hubs for your love and for embracing, meeting, and exceeding my expectations in this crazy thing called marriage <3


Do you have high expecations?  How do you balance expectations with real life?

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Happy Anniversary My Love

This summer has been rather busy.  Thank you for sticking around even through my sporadic posts.  I have taken some time to relax and I have even read a few books that have nothing to do with counseling, play therapy, or theory!  But something about September (maybe my many years of school) makes me search for a little routine, which will include more blogging and a little organizing!


We have been married for 3 years and we have been together for 7 whole years!  A lot has changed in that 7 years and sometimes I look back and laugh (but that's another post, for another day).  This year, to celebrate our anniversary, we took a trip to Charleston, SC and explored the beautiful city.






Charleston is beautiful!  I loved all the little shops and traditions of the city.  We ate some really yummy food including brunch which is a must when visiting this Souther gem.



One evening we visited the beautiful and exclusive Kiawah Island for dinner and an outdoor concert.




I think the best part was spending the whole time together! 
Here's to many more years of adventure!

 
How do you celebrate love?  Even though it's nice to get away, don't forget to take time everyday to celebrate the love in your life.