1 Year {What I've Learned, Part II}

This post is a continuation from 1 Year {What I've Learned, Part I}.

What is your favorite part of marriage?

This is by far the most common question we are asked. I always have two answers, and I think Matt's answers are the same as well.

1. Sharing each day with my best friend. Hands down. Whether it's a good day, a boring day, or a really crappy day, I am so thankful that Matt is here to share in my joy and suffering, and that I can share life with him! I love learning new things about each other constantly, changing together, challenging each other, growing together, and just being together.

2. Being able to show the world that marriage is good. Our culture has distorted what marriage is really all about - displaying Christ's love for the church. It makes no sense to those who aren't believers, but marriage doesn't make sense apart from Jesus. The church is his bride just like I am Matt's (except Christ loves perfectly). Everything in our culture screams that marriage is a burden and something to be delayed until later. Men are often portrayed as bad leaders, and fighting poorly is the norm. 

I am so thankful that we can use our relationship to speak truth to others, to communicate that marriage is redeeming and good. Of course, we have bad moments, and in those moments we can turn from being selfish and ask God to help us serve one another with grace instead of becoming bitter or judgmental. I'm thankful for a husband that encourages me daily and is for me, not against me. Who is quick to apologize and who forgives me when I mess up. 

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 

John 15:12-13

What has God shown you more about himself in the past year?

Our Father is faithful. Throughout the past few years, God has shown me that I am not in control, even though at times I feel that I should be. This past year, specifically, I have seen God's goodness to Matt and I over and over again!

Through all of the changes - getting married, moving to Seattle, being members of different churches, making new friends, deciding to grow our family, Matt losing his job, packing up, saying goodbyes, and finally moving to Nashville - God has kept his promises to be faithful. When the questions of where next, when, why now, and how in the world will we get through this were on our mind, God stilled our hearts, quieted our cries, and has shown us that he is faithful. In all our attempts to rely on ourselves or even each other, the Lord has smiled and seen Jesus's death on the cross instead of turning to someone other than the good and righteous King.

Honestly, Matt and I have no idea why we are in Nashville. All I can say is I love it more than I imagined I could, and Matt knows we belong here even in the face of hardship. We are here, firmly planted on the Rock. We still have questions and still want answers, but we are desperately caught up in the arms of our Savior and thankful for the changes this year has brought. 

Remind yourself this week. Jesus is faithful! Read Acts and see that he is faithful.

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 1:9-14

+, Lauren Aiken

1 Year {Memories}

A few weeks ago, Matt and I decided that we were going to exchange traditional anniversary gifts. The material for year 1 is paper, so I thought it would be fun to look through all of our photos from the last year and make a little scrapbook so we remember all the highlights of our first year together. I'll try not to overwhelm you with photos but instead link back to older posts when possible.

After our wedding, we honeymooned in Maui! It was gorgeous and one of the most relaxing weeks ever.

Following our honeymoon, I moved to Seattle (Matt was already living there).

Our first apartment was in Ballard, a hip neighborhood just about 5 miles outside of the city. We lived above a grocery store and within walking distance of a ton of coffee shops and restaurants. You can read more about our neighborhood in this post.

This is the spot where our very first fight occurred (the picture was taken at a much later date!). Let's just say I'm not the world's greatest driver...Matt was teaching me how to back into our parking spot, conveniently located next to a very nice old car and this large concrete pole. He insisted on showing me how it's done a couple of times (after I had tried and we were both frustrated) and smashed right into the pole on the second demonstration, cracking the entire mirror. End result? Matt laughing hysterically. Lauren in tears. It was pretty funny looking back though.

Matt worked for Acts 29 and later Mars Hill Church. This was also our church, just about about a mile from our apartment. I'm still amazed by how many people we grew close to in less than a year for a church with thousands of people. God is so good.

I've mentioned before that being far away from our families and friends was hard but good for our relationship too. This year we were so blessed to be able to travel to see both of our families, and they came to visit us also. It was evident to me the day I met Matt that family is as important to him as it is to me. So while it is no surprise that we've gotten to know each other's family very well this year, I am extremely grateful for the time we've spent together and am happy to call Matt's family my own.

(Not all of Matt's family is pictured here, but they are all in the ski trip photo later on!)

Matt's cousin Amanda and her husband Nelson also lived in Seattle, so we grew close to them as well. She and I were also expecting at the same time, and it was fun to share that experience with her. Her little girl Ella will be five months older than Baby A, and I can't wait for the first time they meet!

My first Christmas away from home was bittersweet, but we tried to make it our own. Our apartment was too small for a tree so we bought a blue spruce tree to keep outside on the patio and hope to keep it alive long enough to plant it one day when we have a house! 

We had Christmas via Skype with my family, and then flew to Virginia to spend Christmas with Matt's family! We had a really great time there, and I got to try two of Matt's favorite things - his mom's Swedish meatballs and homemade cinnamon rolls. Unfortunately, I didn't take very many pictures there though.

We decided to start our own family and found out we were expecting on February 2, 2012. A few weeks later, I began my blog (formerly AikensInSeattle) and made the big announcement!

The very next day we flew to Breckenridge, CO for a ski trip with the Aikens. Yep, I went skiing (for the first time) the day after I found out I was pregnant. The doctor gave me the okay since I was only about 5 or so weeks along at the time.

On one of our visits back to Indiana, we got to spend some time with a couple of my really good friends :).

We were overjoyed when we found out we were having a girl a couple months later!! You can read about that day and our reveal party here.

Eek. I promised this wouldn't be too long. You'll just have to visit my old blog to read all about our adventures in Seattle.

We found out we were moving to Nashville around the same time we found out we were having a baby girl (I can't remember if it was the same day but it was close). Less than two weeks later (21 weeks pregnant for me) we packed everything up and made the 2,600+ mile trek to Nashville, TN. We stayed with Grandpa and Grandma Aiken in Iowa along the way!

We have been in Nashville for not quite three months now and live in the same apartment complex as Matt's sister and brother-in-law. If you keep up with my blog, you probably know all of the most recent news! 

 Hope you enjoyed some of our favorite memories from this year! I'm getting excited for tomorrow's post where I'll answer your questions about marriage and our first year.

 Help me reflect on what we've learned and leave a comment below!

+, Lauren Aiken

Friends

My understanding of friendship has changed a lot over the years. You know how there are those who have a million friends and then others who have just a few close friendships? I've definitely always been in that latter category. Friendships take a lot of time and intentionality, and I am generally slow to open up to others. I love my friends that I've known forever dearly and treasure all those years growing up together, changing together. But as I've gotten older, I've also realized that I don't need to know someone forever in order for them to be a close friend. Sometimes, God places people right in front of you, and you just hit it off right away. 

There are friends from all stages of life that I still keep in touch with. Friends who I met the first day of Kindergarten. Friends who I spent nearly every day of the week with in Junior High. Friends who I danced with almost every day for 7 years. Friends that I've lived with, studied with, had hundreds of coffee dates with. Friends who have witnessed evidences of God's grace in my life. Friends that I haven't talked to in months but that will pick up right where we left off when we do talk. Friends who I lived in the same city for less than a year. And friends who have never lived in the same place. 

I've been MIA this week, hanging out with my friend Amy and her precious little girl Ella while her husband was out of town for a conference. Amy and I met last fall in Seattle. She and her husband were there for some interviews, and Matt and I spent that weekend giving them a tour of the city and connecting far beyond what I ever would have imagined! I joke to Matt that she is my "long lost friend" since we enjoy each other so much and keep in touch after spending only 2 days together last fall. I'm so blessed by this lady the Lord put in my life! Now we live just a couple states away. I'm looking forward to more visits in the future :).

Here's a glimpse of the fun we had playing around and going to the Nashville Zoo!

Amy, I had so much fun with you and Ella the past couple of days! I can't wait for our little ones to meet!

Apart from Jesus, I am an awful friend. I forget to call. I get jealous. I forget birthdays. I'm impatient, selfish, and not totally transparent. I love imperfectly. But God forgives me, blesses me with dear friends, and has given me gifts like being a good listener and encourager! I'll leave you with a passage from Colossians that is on my heart today.

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another, and if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:12-17

+, Lauren Aiken

She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not {Link Party}

I'm linking up with Michaela today to share what I'm loving and not loving this week.

Loving: 

Hand-picked peaches, brought to us by friends on Wednesday night.

My new DIY rosette necklace (and having the time to make it!).

 Compliments from strangers on my belly. It's exciting that people can tell that I'm pregnant to the point where they aren't afraid to say something. One lady almost reached out and touched me! 

Not loving:

 The 3-hour glucose test I had on Tuesday (i.e. 4 blood draws) + a RhoGAM shot. 

But I am loving that my results were normal!

If you want to join the link party, visit Michaela's blog and link up!

+, Lauren Aiken

Weekend Recap

{Franklin Farmers' Market}

{Reunited with and old-time friend)

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

Happy Monday!

+, Lauren Aiken