A New Look!

So I've been busy at work with Amy making our blog really look awesome! At the top of the page, you'll see 4 tabs, and you can get to some other posts that way.

Home: This will take you back to our original homepage, there isn't much here, but its the main page with links to our blogs.

Amy: This will take you to Amy's page, complete with all of her posts.

Weekly Recipes: Remember last week when I posted that yummy dish. Well, now all Thursday recipes will be at that new page. Enjoy!

Crafty Crafts: Things like that summer wreath will be here.

This page is going to be used as a chat/blog area for relationships, and daily thoughts. I think this will make it easier to get around, and I can have fun with the background! Check out those Jelly Beans!

In Other News!

Today I wanted to discuss the long-term serious relationship. If you're in one now, have been in one in the past, or just want to know what to expect, read on!

So Scott and I have been together about a year and a half and it has been a complete whirlwind. It was like, the minute we started dating, I knew, and so did he. (What did I know?) Well, thank you for asking, I knew he was 'the one' oh yes, the elusive one. :) He made everything better, and truly completed me from day 1. I know that to some nay-sayers, 1.5 years isn't that long, or long enough or whatever to be giving advice on the long-term relationships, however, that hardly matters because for me, 4 months was long enough. Long enough for me to know what I want.

Scott and I have been living together for almost a year now, and it has been phenomenal. This is something that could really be hit or miss for some couples, a breaking point for instance, but for us, it strengthen and matured our relationship. I mean, look where we are now, about to move across state lines together, and not concerned at all about our health as a couple.

That being said, we had some rough patches, what do you expect? I think everyone goes through some moments that make you stronger as a couple. Here are some things you may have battled with, or can expect to battle with, things that when they were happening, I wanted to know if they were normal and why they were happening, so listen up!

• Constant Butting Heads: Now Amy can attest to this because for the first 3 months of our relationship, we argued once a week. About stupid things, and we never stayed mad for long, but it drove me crazy. I didn't expect it to be this way, and this is something that not all couples experience, but because we were both such strong-willed people, we needed to do this so we could 'test the boundaries'. I mean I would never want to be with a man who didn't stand up to me and fight for what they want... this is important to me in the relationship, and it certainly equaled out, and we hardly ever fight now.
• Discussing taking the next step... Moving In: So for us, our move was somewhat unplanned until the last minute. My senior year roommate bailed on me right before we were signing a lease, and there was literally only two options left, live alone or move in with Scott. At first, I was really against this because I didn't think we had been dating that long, and that if it went sour, we'd be stuck in a lease together. This stressed me out, and I just didn't want to take that risk. Then again, financially, I was not in the best place, and moving in with Scott would lessen the rent, and we practically stayed with each other every night anyway. So we talked about this, and took the plunge. While a risky move, it worked out fabulously, and it is because we had a stable relationship full of communication.
• Learning to Live with your significant other: Now I didn't have to go through the ordeal of not being a lady in front of Scott because I never held back in the relationship. The first night we hung out, I remember being in my bedroom changing and I decided right there that I wasn't going to pretend to be someone that I wasn't, and that meant there weren't surprising personality traits he hadn't seen before. The biggest issue we experienced was learning how to be respectful of each other's living preferences. For example: It drives Scott crazy if damp towels are left on the floor, or if the sponge for the dishes is left in the sink, and so I made the necessary changes to make living better for the both of us, although it was a difficult adjustment.
• Romance: This is a BIG one for me and it still sometimes is. I think the thing is that our relationship has evolved so going on dates, and being romantic has kind of fallen to the wayside. That might be okay for some, but I love the romance, going on dates, getting dressed up, getting out of the house, nice gestures, just things that show affection and love. I'd like to think I do that for Scott more often than he does it for me, but at one point it was a big problem in our relationship because I felt like the effort that was made in the beginning of the relationship was gone, and devoted to something else that seemed more important than me. It was hard, and it kind of ebbs and flows, sometime its real romantic, and other times its certainly lacking. I try to be less expecting of it, and I talk to Scott when I'm feeling down about this and he listens and tries to make me feel more appreciated.

I think relationships take work, and its the work you do that makes it all worth it. Here's to the future with Scott, it looks bright as ever.

~Amanda