Happy Anniversary

On September 1st we celebrated three years of blissful marriage. As the saying goes, time flies when you're having fun. And it really does! These last three years have definitely seen a lot of change. Our first apartment where we lived together for the first time, a home buying experience, a home renovating experience, two puppies, and two out of the country adventures. These years have really been fun. Of course we've had our little arguments but nothing big. It is by the grace of God that we've had such a full and happy three years. And as Cory said, the honeymoon ain't over yet! 

We celebrated this anniversary by meeting at the place we had our first date, Noodles and Company. The food was ok but it was really just about recreating that first date and looking back on all that we've accomplished as a team. It was simple and it was perfect. We talked a lot about how we've had such great years, what each other has done really well in our marriage, and what we want for this next year. 

Thinking back, here are a few moments from that special day we became one. 

9.1.12

To many more laughs and adventures; to riding the waves that life brings us; and to being together for the whole thing! 

xo / leah

Marriage: What Works

As we are soon approaching the end of our 3rd year of marriage I couldn't help but think of these last few years. Cory and I can both say we've found a really good flow of our marriage. Despite all the comments of well-meaning friends and family, the first few years haven't been that tough. Yes we've had our moments but overall its been fun and rather easy. Every marriage is different and there will always be some advice on how to have a successful marriage, but it's been really nice to take that advice and use it how we see fit. These are a few things that have worked for us these last three years and I want to continue doing them throughout our marriage.

Laugh often Honestly not a day goes by that we aren't laughing about something. Either one of us has done or said something, our dogs have done something, or we've chosen to watch some pretty comical entertainment. Whatever it is we laugh often. We are able to laugh at ourselves and fill our conversations and what we watch with light-hearted topics. Being able to not take life, situations, or ourselves too seriously has been really helpful at making these first few years fun and not too stressful.

Intentionally listen  At our pre-marital counseling we did exercises that made you practice this idea. "I hear you saying ___ and I hear that it makes you feel ___". As silly as it felt constantly saying that phrase, man does it really help. It helps to make sure you are understanding exactly what your spouse is saying, what they are feeling, and what might be their biggest qualm with whatever is happening. My husband is a firm believer that how you say something is more effective than what you are actually saying. Many a times he thought I felt/meant something just by listening to my tone. When in reality what I was saying was all I felt and needed him to understand. It's been a great tool to use this little phrase during those heated arguments or times when we felt like we really weren't making headway with a discussion.

Community  We both come from somewhat small friends group. Before we were married we each had just a hand few of close friends that we saw often. When we were married we realized that it was important for us to start making some new friends, new to the both of us and friends that were married. I had my girlfriend and he had his guy friends, but we knew we needed some married friends to go along with us during this ride of marriage. We met a few new couple friends from work and through church and the community we have now is such a strong one. It's been really helpful to start new relationships. Friends that are ours and friends we could talk to about the ups and downs we were experiencing in marriage.

Marriage is a lot of fun. It takes work, constant work. Keep love flowing, keep it fun, and have those friends around you to support you both. Very excited that I married the man I did. We have had some great years and I just feel proud as we round out the last of our third year.

xo // leah

On Being A Better Wife

How can I be a better wife?  This question has been pressing on my heart as of late. I want to not just be a good wife, but one that supports, loves, and encourages my husband in the way he needs. In a marriage it's so easy to believe that we are doing enough. We tell ourselves we are; we tell ourselves that I'm doing the best I can, giving it my all. But when you pause, look at the little moments, and truly think am I? sometimes you see a little room to give a little more. 

How can I give a little more? How can I be a better wife? Big questions. With not just one good answer.

My words. "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Ephesians 4:29  I truly believe there is great power in our words. We can build each other up or really tear one another down. And not just what we say but how we say it. We need to encourage our husbands with affirming words, kind words. Spoken in a tone that spews love. I support you. I love you. You do [blank] so well! Thank you for working so hard. Little sentences that mean a lot to our men. Let's not complain either. Complaining brings ourselves into a negative attitude and won't help him feel better about any situation. 

My actions. I can say anything and everything under the sun to make my husband feel more loved and appreciated, but if I don't do what he needs me to do, there is a big part missing. 1 John 3:18 says " ..let us not merely say that we love one another; let us show the truth by our actions". Show the truth by our actions. Meaning, let's back up how much we love/appreciate/support/etc. by showing him. My husband appreciates when I keep the house clean and when I do the home chores without complaining. Big one here! Like I said before, not complaining is a big thing and one he will notice. Whether it's dressing up more, packing his lunch in the morning, or giving him a bit more cookie at the end of the day, figure out what actions he wants more from you and do them, with love. They could be little or they could be big. They could seem trivial or "why is that a big deal?" but they are important to him, so they should be important to me. Also, if your having a hard time with something just ask him! Have him explain why those actions are important to him. That will let us understand our husbands a little more and help us to want to do such actions a little more. 

 I asked my husband what are ways I could love him, support, and encourage him better. We talked about it and it gave him a chance to tell me what I'm doing well as a wife and how I can be a bit better. It felt so good to pause and talk about this. Something I don't think we've talked about in great detail since before we got married. 

 I am an imperfect person, trying to love another imperfect person. I'm going to stumble, I'm going to fail, [we are both going to stumble] but that's the beauty of a marriage. We have to help each other out and we have time to figure it out. Marriage to us is definitely a two way street. I can't just be a better wife and him not try at all. We work on things together by talking and praying. But right now I think it's my turn to do a little more; be a little better and see where and how I can love him more. 

xo // leah

Photos by Pamela Montanez

Tree Hunting 2013

Every year since I was 7 or 8, my family went to Wheeler's Tree Farm to find, cut down, and haul back home our Christmas tree. Some years we'd walk there with the wheel-borrow (yes it was that close) and other years we'd hop in the bed of my dad's truck with the dogs. 

Every year was fun and magical. The hunt to find the perfect tree; whether we wanted the fattest or the tallest. Last year was particularly special because it was Cory and my first newlywed Christmas. This year was more fun because of Gretta & Lucy.  Once kids come around it will be magical. 

The day we decided to go, of course it was pouring down rain. We headed over to my parents home and then got all bundled to go out. The rain didn't seem to let up so we just decided to go for it. Once we got there the rain suddenly stopped! It was perfect timing. The dogs did get wet and muddy but it was so fun seeing them run around like wild banchee dogs. We found our tree after a fairly short search and then headed home. 

Hunting for a tree at Wheeler's was a family tradition of mine and I'm so happy that Cory wants to keep it going now that we have a family. 

Christmas Trees & love 

xo leah

Family Photos - Into the woods PDX

A few weekends ago Cory and I had our photos taken by Caroline of Coeur de La Photography. It was a collaborated photo-session styled by our sister-in-law Lauren.  It was a blast taking photos with Caroline. She makes you feel extremely comfortable and makes you forget that there is even a camera right in front of you. 


 Get ready for some photo-overload…and some cuteness overload:

I am in love with these photos. We definitely had fun taking them, especially with the pups. I never thought I liked photos of couples with their dogs but after that session and seeing these photos, I don't know what I was thinking. They are our little fur-babies, of course we have to include them! 

I think my sister-in-law styled the session just perfectly for this time of year. Not too over the top Christmas-sy, just a touch of winter. And Caroline captured our little family just perfectly. I think family photos are going to be a must on a regular basis. 


Fun & Family photos, 

xo leah

Thankful 2013

This year has been one of the most thankful years to date. So many blessings have happened this year that I can only be overly thankful for all of them.

This Thanksgiving I had the day off and was able to spend it with Cory's parents and the family. I spent the day before at my mother-in-laws house and helped prep for the Turkey dinner. While doing so, I also learned some of her recipes and some family traditions for the holidays. Traditions are something I love and learning about my husband's family and theirs is always a lot of fun. With it being just us two, we have a few traditions we've already started. I'm looking forward to making more of our own, but continuing the ones that our families have done for years (and generations).

Here is what our Thanksgiving looked like this year:

The night before Thanksgiving Cory made a huge fire and we spent the next few hours making Pierogi. They have always been a tradition in our little Polish family for generations.

Our Family Photo {& a little out-take that I love}

 The day after Thanksgiving I worked. I was beyond thankful for the sunrise that I got to witness.

I am thankful for....

We had little cards that my sister-in-law made that had that phrase at the top with lines below for us to fill in. It was nice going around the table and sharing what we were most thankful for this past year. Of course the paper wasn't long enough to share everything that we are thankful for, so I thought to write down a few more.

1. My Husband & Our Marriage

My husband is my greatest blessing. This year we have grown so much and have fallen more in love with each other than I thought was possible. I am so thankful for the man he is, the kindess he shows to me, the patience he has with me, and the way he makes me laugh so often. I am thankful that he is sensitive to my needs and goes out of his way to provide for me. I am thankful that he is handy and loves to create in our house, making it more of a home. I could go on and on about that man of mine. He is my blessing.

2. Our Families

Cory and I are so blessed to have families that live so close. All of his immediate family live within the Portland area and most of mine do the same. We are fortunate to have such loving, supportive, giving families. Developing the relationships I have with his side of the family has been fun, challenging, exciting, and rewarding. I know I need to make it more of a priority in this upcoming year. I do not want to take for granted the people that mean the most in our lives.

3. Our Home

Buying a house was in my 5 year plan for our marriage. Definitely not my 1st year. Over the first few months of our marriage we had family and friends talk to us about how "great the market is" and how "now is the time to buy". We didn't know if we were quite ready to enter in to the home-buying world, but we decided to trust the Lord and rely Him to make the ultimate decision. We believed that if it was in the Lord's will for us to have a home this year that things would fall into place. His timing was and is in charge and we followed that. After lots of pray and searching, we found a home that we fell in love with (and that seemed perfectly reasonable for our newlywed-budget).  Everything did fall into place and on our first anniversary of marriage our first mortgage was due.

This house that we have purchased has been a true blessing. It has allowed us to explore our hobbies, further our relationships with friends (having more friends over), expanded our relationships, and allowed us to grow our family. Creating a home for us and growing together through the challenges that come with home-buying and homeownership has been something I am very thankful for. I am so at peace with our house and excited to see how our family grows in it.

4. Our 2 Little Pups

Gretta & Lucy have been such a blessing this year. I have always had dogs in our family and we knew that we wanted one when we got a house. This year seemed like a perfect time to add to our little family. After getting Gretta we realized that we couldn't have her be just a single pup in the house. Lucy was a quick decision for the both of us and one that we don't regret. Having two dogs is a must. They both are such great companions, entertain each other easily, and not to mention are pretty darn cute. They are two big parts of my life that I am very thankful for.

5. Our Health

Working as a Nurse I see a lot of illness; lives that have been put on hold to tend to someone's health. Not a day goes by that I don't thank the Lord for the health that He has given Cory and I. 

6. Vacations

Who wouldn't be grateful for vacations. They are the things that we look forward to so much during our busy work weeks. This year has not been scarce of amazing vacations.

Cabo

Camping at Trillium

Beach: Manzanita

Central Oregon 1 , 2 

Not to mention all my trips to Seattle, Seattle

We have a few trips planned for this upcoming year and I am so thankful that we have jobs that let us have the time off, family to help us with these vacations and go on with, and a partner in life who enjoys exploring the world as much as I do.


This year has made my heart full of joy and gratitude. 

xo leah

On Spontaneity

Cory and I recently started to get more serious with spontaneity. We are young, have the time, and the desire to travel. Anywhere. We know that as time goes on life will get a bit busier (i.e with kids) and thus making it a little harder to travel. At least the way we travel. We know that when you get older that doesn't necessarily mean you can't travel or enjoy exploring new places, it will just bedifferent.

 

So with a noticed 4 day weekend next month (I rarely get those, but they happen!) we decided to buy some tickets and visit some of my relatives out in Chicago.

I was born there and my family moved out to Oregon when I was 5. We used to go back almost every summer to visit. But only the summer. My sister and I went in May for a quick visit, but I've never been to Chicago in the winter time (during my memory making years that is).

 

We are so excited to see some snow (fingers crossed), look at all the Christmas decor, and just enjoy winter-time in a cold, wintry city. I'm just too excited!

 

 ~ On another note, Gretta still lets me take photos of her, but Lucy will never sit still. She's a cuddler for sure, but when she wants to move she moves. They've been busy-fun, but I'm so glad we got a second pup. They keep each other company and entertained for when Cory and I are a little too busy. ~

 

Happy Monday

 

xo leah

Lessons In Marriage: #7 Communicate In The Now

 

Communication is key.

 

We hear it all the time. One of the most common pieces of advice given out to couples is to always communicate. Talk it out. I get it. Or so I thought. 

 

I like to think that my husband and I are good communicators. We talk about our feelings and are open about what we want and don't want.

This last weekend though, I learned something about my own communication skills.

 

I need to communicate more in the now. When an argument is about to happen or I feel like I'm getting upset or hurt. I'm really bad at that.

I tend to assume something about my husband (i.e why he's doing something, what he really meant by his words) and then get mad at him for doing or saying something way before I even know the truth behind his words or actions.  Hold up Leah. That's so wrong!

 

In the moment, before I get angry or hurt, I need to talk to my husband;,ask him what he is really feeling or meaning by what he says. Communicate with him in the moment and not way after the fact. It's a difficult thing to do at times; pause and take a moment to talk through emotions I might be having. Not jumping to conclusions then jumping on my husband for those conclusions.

 

This is something that I am working on and most likely will be working on this my entire life. But, I'm so glad I realized this about myself now, earlier in our marriage.

 

What I'm also learning is to not be afraid to express my feelings. Every feeling. If I don't, things will go unsaid and feelings could get hurt. We need to talk to our spouses and be honest with them. They love us and care for us and desire to know what is on our hearts.

 

Talk it out now.

 

xo leah

 

Camping: Trillium Lake 9.20.13

9.20.13 - 9.22.13 

We went camping at Trillium Lake this past weekend. Cory and I haven't been camping ever together and I haven't been camping since I went here last in 2005. We were pretty excited to say the least. We had planned this trip since the beginning of summer and as the weekends got closer the more excited we got to just get away. The forecast called for rain the entire weekend, so we came prepared. However, partly sunshiny skies were what we got. Totally unexpected and totally wonderful .

These are our friends Joe and Pam . We met them last October in a young married's group at church. When we first met, we just kind of clicked. They are absolutely wonderful people. Being around them you can't help but laugh. They are funny and inspiring and just good for your soul. Simply put - they are awesome. 

The first night we set up our tents and camp and had just enough time before a little rain hit it. We spent the evening playing lots and lots of games. 

Good morning nature.

 Trillium Lake is a smaller lake in Oregon, surrounded by trees, and right below Mt. Hood. Waking up to the fog and reflection on the lake was quite magical. We spent a good part of the morning hiking around the lake. 

The boys of course couldn't resist a plunge in the lake. 

Pam and Joe were married 2 1/2 months before us.

 We are all still young and in love. 

This camping trip was beyond amazing. The fellowship we had lightened our hearts. The weather we got was beyond what we expected. I love living in the Pacific Northwest. Camping is something that I know Cory and I will continue to do in our marriage together. It's fun, easy, and just relaxing. 

To flannel and smores

xo leah