Adjusting

It really hit me today that this new season of our lives is a big adjustment. I think I've been caught up in the "newness" of it all -- the settling in, finding my way around, taking care of Rob, cooking, looking for a job, etc. But in the midst of all of that I still need to remind myself that this life is very different from the life we came from. Rob is busy, and when he is home he's studying or working on lesson plans for his class. He comes home preoccupied; his mind divided. And honestly, I don't blame him for one second. He loves this stuff and when you are really passionate about something you should think about it a lot. I said to him tonight that I am comparing his program to a new baby - we've been preparing for its arrival for months, but now it's here and wow, it's thrown the life we knew before for a total loop. (Ok, minus the whole diaper and up all night thing. And the labor. Thankfully this is his program and not mine so maybe that means we skipped the labor part? I think that's how it works. :)

Like new parents we also realized tonight how much we took the life we had in Upland for granted, particularly when it came to how much time we spent together. We were so spoiled! And you know, as much as I'm enjoying this new life I really miss that part of our old life. I don't even think we were so much "doing" things together as just "being" together.

But here's the conclusion I've come to. I have to accept that that season has passed and it was a true gift -- one many newly married couples do not have. And while it has passed, I see that time as a foundation for this new season. True, I miss it, but there is a lot of potential in this season and I think I'm learning to appreciate the time we do have together so much more. I appreciate Rob more when he really makes an effort to make our time together intentional and quality because suddenly it's not an everyday thing. We're taking all this one day at a time, one challenge at a time. That doesn't mean it will be easy, but it may mean we're learning and making our marriage a lot stronger in the process.

And since I got out of bed to write this blog post I may as well add other things I really miss about our old life (and these are in no particular order, but there is a reason I put Meijer first...sorry Kroger fans out there, it just doesn't compare!)

-- Meijer

-- Listening to NPR on the way home from work (I no longer have a commute!)

-- Tim bringing me Starbucks chai tea every morning to work

-- Guy's preaching at MAC

-- Walking in the mornings with Miriam and Lisa

-- Ivanhoe's

-- Working out for free at Taylor

-- the WBCL radio station (except I still don't miss the morning show, just the music)

-- the apple tree in our front yard that should have apples by now

-- playing Settlers on a weekly basis with Lauren at our house

-- a paycheck

-- cooking with Rob

-- the flowers at the farm you can pick yourself

-- my morning glories that are probably dying by now... :(

There are really great things about Bloomington too just fyi, but I'll save that for another post.

p.s. And just so you all don't call me and freak out that my marriage and my life is falling apart because of this post it's not, seriously. It's just a process I'm thinking through and realizing where Rob and I need to adjust to this. And it helps me to write it out, that's all. Goodnight.