2017 to 2018: A Year of Love, Change, and The Cutest Change of All

Before I resurrected my blog, I read through the scribbled writings I had from the last few years to get an idea of where my heart and head were. It was so bittersweet to read my writing going into the New Year of 2017. I was ridiculously happy but also processing the whirlwind of romance and change that had happened in the previous 6 months. And I felt guilty for feeling any negative emotions because I was living my dream, and I told myself I wasn’t allowed to feel anything but euphoria. 

I wish I could give younger Ruth a hug and a new fuzzy blanket (because blankets make everything better), but I just had to learn. Life is not black and white, and we will often feel two “conflicting” emotions at the same time. Accept that, give it to Jesus, and don’t beat yourself up and waste your breath trying to analyze over and over what’s “wrong”. Change- even wonderful, beautiful, sweet change!- is hard. 

So I had those moments. Moments where I was trying to see straight after a spinning world-shift of marriage, moving to Palmer and becoming a homeowner with my dear JB, becoming  a commuter, a cook (I will forever hate cooking...it’s time I just say it), a member of a new church and friend group. It was a lot, and I had moments where I felt like my former self was gone. And in some wonderful ways, the single, I-can-do-whatever-I-want Ruth was gone. 

Kayaking on our honeymoon! JB had sunscreen in his eyes
the whole time hahaha!

But it was such a sweet first year of marriage! JB and I communicated well from the beginning. We laughed a LOT. Ate a lot of pizza, watched a lot of fun shows and movies together...it was like an endless slumber party. It was and continues to be SO fun. Now there are just a lot more diapers involved. Well, I should clarify there were NO diapers involved before kids, but you never know. 

We found out we were pregnant with Emma six months into marriage- about six months earlier than we had planned. But goodness gracious, we couldn’t imagine things happening any other way! 

JB had ACL surgery soon after we found out I was pregnant, so we began to live out our “in sickness and health” vows early on from both directions. And we grew a lot through it all- his recovery, my pregnancy, my high blood pressure in pregnancy, and my induction with Emma. 

Up next...2018-2019: Ruth and JB become parents!