Dinner with Yohan and Jeanee

On Tuesday, PJ and I hosted our first dinner as a married couple. We invited a couple from our small group that we don't often get to connect with. It was truly encouraging to get to know another couple and become that much closer to them. 

Cheating with a pre-marinated salmon from Costco, I didn't have too much to prepare, but I was delighted to know that it tasted good and that my spinach salad concoction was not distasteful. I did go out on a limb with apples, cutiies, and tomatoes, but it was tasty. 

We discovered that, as a couple, PJ and I are very similar to Yohan and Jeanee. PJ and Yohan are both more homebodies who enjoy a night in with board games and salty snacks. Jeanee and I enjoy a yummy, chololaty snack or pastry and tend to lean more on the adventurer side, desiring to travel and are a bit more open to a move than our husbands. 

Their little one, Elaine, is so sweet. Even though she gets a little nervous in new places, she seemed comfortable enough here until she was ready for bedtime. It was so precious to watch mom and dad take turns holding her and eating their own food; instead of laying her in her car seat and rocking her on the floor. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it was just nice to have Elaine in on dinner time. She is quite vocal and ready to socialize. 

Thank you so much for joining us and spending family time with us, you guys! We can't wait to have you over again! Hey, Jeanee, maybe we can humor the guys and play a game next time? If we play "Ticket to Ride," we'll get a little European adventure! 

How Is Married Life?

"How is married life?"

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Molina

This is a question I would often ask my newlywed friends. Quickly, I am realizing that (as a single woman) I was asking the wrong audience if I wanted to learn the real answer to that question. My hubby, PJ, and I returned from our honeymoon last Thursday. After two weeks of our phones in "Do Not Disturb" mode, scarce views of any social media, and only a quick glance on our emails, we came home to this same question from many of our friends and family.

In all honesty, I can say that married life is wonderful! Marriage is amazing, because so far, it includes seclusion from the world and life in our own lovestruck bubble. I could live in this forever. This, however, is not real.

It's Honeymoon Time

Three days home and I have fiercely been struck by the to-do lists, the housework, the organizing, the cleaning, the laundry, the demand of having a husband, the holidays, and the blessing of being a wife.

Yesterday was our first day back at our home church. It was so encouraging to reconnect with our church family and be reminded of how much they love us. So many people stopped us to congratulate us, again, on our marriage and asked about our honeymoon. I know that there are so many people there rooting for us and for our marriage, and I am incredibly grateful for Foothill Bible Church.

Today is our first day of work life. We are establishing a schedule that works for us and finding a rhythm where we are not rushed before PJ has to run out the door for work and I am not without time to work through my to-do list before he gets home.

Today, we are still in set up mode and I am in the process of changing my name, email, and address. This sounds simple, however, it is quite tedious, having tons of websites, blogs, social media sites, and other accounts that I have to update. To top it off, I cannot complete most of these things (i.e. Voter Registration, vehicle registration, etc.) until my name is "officially" changed. We shall see how long it takes the county records department to send our certified copy; we were told about six weeks, so I will be in update mode through Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas! This is not only PJ and I's first holiday season as a married couple, this is our first Christmas together ever! Welcome, Jessy, to 2 sets of parents' schedules and everyone trying to do Christmas their way... Nope, we have lots to figure out in the next week!

It would be easy for me to look at two pages of to-do lists and be overwhelmed. To have several people ask me "What are you doing for Christmas?" with an expectant look and be stressed out at the thought of saying "I don't know." To think of all the things that need to happen around the house in the next 4 hours and scramble about. Even something as small as wanting to just ditch the work that needs to be done and hang out with my family and come to the realization that I am no longer a single woman... Yes, that is a weird thought.

However, I will not be overwhelmed, stressed, scramble about, or run away. I am incredibly blessed with an amazing husband who loves me, encourages me, and challenges me. I wouldn't trade that, because now I am a helper; I have another amazing family to make time for; I have a husband.

I am so excited for this new season of life!