All Talked Out

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I can't believe Joshua and I have been married for 4 months now! It has been wonderful and hard and amazing and sanctifying all at once. And boy is marriage tiring. I think I have figured out why a century ago people got married when they were teenagers. Teenagers actually have the energy and stamina it takes to be married! As for me, at 32, uhm.... - not so much.

Why am I so tired, you ask. I will be happy to tell you. I work every day and then come home to an apartment that (unlike my apartment when I was single) has changed! It has morphed during my absence. Things are no longer where I left them. Even Bentley, the dog (although, we do not call him that in his presence for fear of giving offense), is not where I left him. Because I now have a husband occupying my life and home, I will leave and return to find things not where they should be. Men's shoes are not in the bedroom closet but in the living room under the end table, coffee mugs find their way into every room of the house and books and pens lay scattered on the floor of every room. Keeping up with it all is very tiring for someone who, I confess, can be a little particular.

And then, there's the talking. Joshua can out-talk Oprah if he puts his mind to it. Sometimes it's like being married to a woman because he wants to talk, and talk, and talk! I get home after work so looking forward to my quiet little home with just me and Bentley, as God intended. Right? Wrong! Now I walk through the door and I'm met with, "Honey, how was your day? Look at this book I got, you should read it too. I'm hungry. Wanna go for a walk? Wanna have people over tonight?..."My eyes just glaze over and roll back into my head. Did he not get the memo about women talking twice as much as men? So why does he want to talk twice as much as I do?

I have been learning to appreciate this trait in Joshua over the past four months. He, in turn, has learned that I need some Jenna time - especially right after a long day. Still, this past Monday as we sat in Dr. Cutrer's Marriage Enrichment class I was more than a little gratified when a big PowerPoint screen flashed up on the wall with a big caption that said:

WE ARE DIFFERENT

                                   Women 20,000                                                   Men 7,000

Dr. Cutrer went on to explain that the caption showed the number of meaningful words used in a day by men and women. I couldn't help smiling real big at Joshua who just smiled back cluelessly. See, I was thinking, there it is for God and the world to see that it just isn't normal for a man to want to talk that much. However, I realize he wants to truly know me and learn my heart. And is not that our heart's true desire, deep down - to be deeply, truly known and to be loved and accepted by one who truly knows us? It is much the same way that God knows our very hearts and loves us still. In marriage we have the one earthly relationship in which we are free to be vulnerable and free - yet wholly loved.

Parabéns to Summers! It's her birthday so here is a pic of my beautiful girl on her special day. I love you Summers and I hope today is wonderful for you. You are so special and I can't believe Paxton is already a month old! (more pics!!)