Six months gone.

Today's the day! Six months of marriage. Six months of learning.

Before Matt and I got married, we spent our whole dating life preparing. Preparing for our wedding. Preparing for our marriage. Preparing for a job. As we went through pre-marital counseling and talked with friends and family, everyone would always ask us if we were ready.

Well, as all married couples know, you can never be ready. But for some reason, I didn't think I could be any more ready. We had dated 4 1/2 years. We broke up once. We had experienced I think every emotion known to man together.{no really I think we did}

Butttt, I think I have learned more about myself and my relationship with God in the past six months than I have ever learned before. God has shown me so many amazing things I never would have learned without marrying Matt!

So as we celebrate six sweet months of marriage today, I want to reflect back and remember 6 big things I've learned.

1. Matt loves me despite my flaws.

-- I think I'm a perfectionist. I guess all my friends know that but I never really thought it. I was always able to reach a level of perfection in school and such. But let me say, I will never be a perfect cook {poor Matt}. Or a perfect maid. Or a perfect wife. But Matt has loved me through it all. And sometimes I think he loves me more when I mess up!

2. We need to bring out the best in each other.

--If Matt is really "one flesh" with me now, I need to put him first in everything. And love him as I love my own body. It's been hard to wrap my mind around. But his victories are mine. And his pains are mine. And vice versa.

3. Men need respect and admiration.

--All men like to be women's heroes whether they admit it or not. I learned early on that its best to see the best in Matt and in others. And to praise Matt for the man he is.

4. Sometimes Matt needs a bro.

--Not just a bro as in he needs his friends. I think sometimes I need to embrace the role of "bro." Sometimes he wants to go look at knives or play video games together. That's when I sometimes need to come in.

5. Life goes on.

--With full commitment and love, no matter what beholds us, life goes on. We continue on together. And we are on a team doing life together. We sometimes have to move past things and just let go of things. It can be the healthiest.

6. Every day brings something new.

--We are both people who change and grow. I love seeing Matt go through life. And it's exciting to think we will always be evolving and growing together. Every day is new.



I'm sure I could fill like 500 posts with things I've learned so far. But, I think these 6 sum them up. Thank you all for your prayers and support! We're so thankful for how God has blessed us and our marriage and can't wait for the next six months.

Growing Together Apart

So the start of this year has been a bit odd for us in the fact that, we've only been together for one week of it. Matt was blessed with the opportunity to go to Passion this year {so jealous} and I came back to Raleigh after New Year's for work.

This isn't the first time we've been apart. Y'all have seen from previous posts that I've traveled with work before. But I think after being with family 24/7 for 10 days over Christmas, we really craved some Taylor Twosome time.

While Matt was at Passion worshiping God, having a blast, I was freaking out in our little apartment at every noise in the middle of the night. Looking back, I'm a little ashamed I was such a wimp. But then again, I'd never been in our apartment alone before, and I mean come on, there's nothing to fear when I usually have a 6'5" giant sleeping next to me every night.

Well Matt finally got back and we had a week of unpacking, putting up the Christmas decor, & settling into school and work to share together.

In that short week we participated in our first Christmas tree bonfire! And man was it glorious. I've never been more afraid of a forest fire than at this time. But hey, we were basically burning the size of a forest anyway.

But the good times were short lived when the next day I had to pack and prepare to fly out to Houston that Sunday-Friday for work. Houston was awesome. I was wined and dined {that picture below is a restaurant we went to}, but more importantly I actually think I know what I'm doing at work now. haha. Or at  least, I understand what auditing is to a degree.

Butttt, finally we're back in our home together with our routine back in place. It's funny what simple things we take for granted when they seem so normal to us. Like sitting on the couch together. It sounds like we're really becoming our parents.

goodbye to a big year.

It's crazy to look back on this year and not get emotional.
This past year has been the biggest of all time - for obvious reasons {wedding} - but also for the amount of growth that's occurred in my life.

To sum up this year: My parents (BOTH) turned 50! Jeremy graduated from USC and was commissioned into the Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant. Josh graduated from high school and started college at Gardner-Webb. I graduated from UNC Chapel-Hill this past summer. Josh turned 18. Jeremy moved to California. I turned 21. MATT AND I GOT MARRIED :) and I started my first "real" job.

Phew.

A lot huh?? It's hard to come off such a huge year and have high hopes for the next. But as I look back at the growth, the challenges, the heartache, the triumph, and everything in between, I realize that this year can be just as sweet. Despite the decrease of "life events" to come this year, I know that Matt and I will grow closer. Jeremy will gain more responsibilities as an Air Force officer and will grow into a wonderful man. Josh will experience the greatness that is college. And my parents will enjoy their first full year as empty nesters :)

What's to come this year: Matt graduating!!!! {and hopefully starting his first full time job}. Jeremy graduating Air Force training. I start my Master's of Accountancy Program at UNC. Matt and I celebrate 1 whole year of marriage y'all!!

I'm so blessed and thankful that God has provided so many amazing moments this past year. And I'm trusting that as Matt and I grow in love and in Him, He will provide again.

Please be praying for us in this new year. We will be doing the same for all you loved ones :)

Happy New Year!