Don't you just hate it when something goes wrong on your computer, deleting the post you just wrote, and for some reason your computer won't upload pictures today, and your brilliant husband who could fix this issue in no time is on a plane to DC? Yep. I do hate that. I haven't been good about giving regular updates on this blog, and so it is particularly irritating that when I do sit down to write something, the computer poops out on me. Oh well. C'est la vie.
My pops recently pointed out to me that I haven't written that much about my hubs at all, and considering it's supposed to be about both of us, that's a little sad. And he's right. We have been so blessed in our first seven months, and truly have never been happier! We have had so much fun, have made some wonderful new friends at church together, are involved in an amazing community group, and love Chattanooga. After planning on moving to DC since before we were married, we were surprised to feel God's call in January to stay in Chattanooga for at least another year, and have just signed a new lease on a different apartment, which is very exciting! Where we live now has old, not-so-great "bones", and it has been a wonderful first home for us. We have cherished it and have enjoyed trying to make it feel like ours together for the first time. And through all my persistent questions asking Tim about what he does and doesn't like, and what colors he likes and doesn't like, I have finally come to the realization that I think he really means it when he says he doesn't care. In fact, I think he mostly doesn't even notice. (A few friends of mine and I decided that many men don't notice their surroundings but nevertheless feel the effects of them...we have no scientific evidence besides living with our husbands but it makes sense to us. Any thoughts?) The other day I bought a tablecloth and he came home and said he liked it without me saying anything, which was surprising! So as much as he doesn't care to have input, it's great that he sometimes notices and likes what I've done. He is very thoughtful and puts effort into thanking me for creating a home for us, something he knows he wouldn't do otherwise. :)
It's good that he doesn't have many opinions honestly, because if he did, I would feel pushed to just do whatever he liked, even if I thought it was terrible. Partly because I want him to like it too, and partly because I don't always know what I like well enough to say so. I'm in the process of trying to be bold with color, with playing around with unexpected things in the house--things that aren't too neutral or traditional. I'm hoping to use our new apartment as the marker for doing bolder things. In other peoples' homes, some of the things I like best are things that are a little bit risky looking in the store, a little quirky, and a lot of fun.
Speaking of which, we just bought a set of light green couches. Yes, light green. An unknown shade of light green actually, because it wasn't the best lighting in the warehouse. So I'm crossing my fingers and hoping it plays well into my idea of a more modern, bolder look in our new living room than we have at our current/old apartment, which is comprised of a neutral couch and loveseat, and Tim's favorite oversized squashy blue recliner which he bought off Craigslist for $50. We've compromised and decided it's going to be put in our second bedroom that we're not going to use as a bedroom (we apologize in advance for any guests coming to stay!) Right now we have two extra bedrooms, one as a guest room and one as an office, and neither of which we use for anything other than storage. So we're ditching the bed and purging our stuff and putting all of Tim's crazy huge military crates into storage to free up about half a room's worth of space--all in an effort to make a secondary living space that is usable. I think right now we're planning on having some seating with Tim's chair and maybe a loveseat, placing several bookcases together which should take most of one wall, setting up a corner for Tim's guitar and amp, and I'll probably scout out an area for my art supplies, even if it's in the closet. So it might be some kind of mixed library and music and art room. What would you call that?
But before I let ideas about the new apt run and get me way too excited, I still have to pack up and weed out what we don't use from all of our stuff now. Stuff. It's awful. There's only two of us--there's no
way we need all that we have. I am constantly reminded of that when I talk to my
sister who moved to Uganda for six months with her husband, and when I talk to my other sister who whittled everything she owned down to a few bins that fit into a Jeep, AND when I hear from my
other sister who moved to Rwanda! Everyone around me seems to either have almost nothing or way too much stuff. I'm going to
attempt balance by getting rid of all the clothes I don't use, and stuff I don't use but have had for years and years. But of course I'm keeping things I don't use now, but will later on. Phew. Sorry for the ramble! Hopefully next time I'll be able to put up all my pictures from my road trip with my sister out to Colorado!
