Your family, My family, Our family

This weekend we packed up our bags and headed back to our hometown in Indiana to celebrate Blake's birthday and my brother's birthday. It was a great weekend filled with celebration, good food, and quality time with our families. However, every time we head back home it reminds me of how marriage how marriage changes things.

Our time has to be split equally between both families, and sometimes that can cause big problems. We have to make a game plan before we ever leave Clarksville. We decide where we're staying and on what nights, what we're going to do during the days, and how to keep things equal. And the weekend never seems to be long enough. On a typical trip back home, we get into town around 9 pm on Friday night and have to leave by 4 pm on Sunday afternoon. It always seems to be a whirlwind weekend.

For the most part, we have navigated this pretty well. Occasionally, one of us gets a little bit mad and we whine about how we never get to see our family and blah blah blah. But we always make it a priority to be as fair to each family as possible. We don't want either of us or our families to feel short-changed.

But this is all new to us and to our families. I remember when I was in college, and I would come home on the weekends. Those trips home were always so relaxing and refreshing. Majority of my friend had either moved out of town or were away at college, so I just spent time with my family. I didn't have to worry about splitting time or making sure I saw everyone enough. I loved coming home.

I still love coming home, but it is just different. It is still relaxing to get away from things, but at times, it's a bit stressful too. The most relaxing part of coming home was that I didn't have to think about things. There was no work to be done, no deadlines, I didn't have to worry about who I was going to go to dinner with, or who I was hanging out with and on which night. I just packed up my bags and headed off to do NOTHING. It's just not like that any more. We have to put thought into our weekends. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just different.

The great part about it is that this is not a bad problem to have. I mean we both love spending time with each other's families, and we have families who want to be with us too. Tragic, huh?

How my Husband and Father are alike

I've always heard people say that girls marry guys that are like their father. I remember thinking that was a bunch of bologna. Blake was the farthest thing from my Dad, I thought. Then I married him, and I swear he changed. It was like living with my Dad all over again. Slowly, my Mom caught onto this as well. I thought I'd share with all of you how my Husband and Father are alike.

Number 1. They sing. All the time. I'm not talking normal, radio songs either. These are songs that they've made up on their own. For example, my Dad is constantly singing a song he calls "Rocky Doodle." It's about my dog Rocky, and no joke, I used to hear it about 4x a day. My Husband isn't quite so clever. He just takes radio-songs and changes the lyrics to fit whatever the situation may be. He sings his creations constantly.

Number 2. They likes to pick on me. Matter of fact, a little less than a month into our marriage, he said to me, "You haven't had a molly-whoopin' in a while have you?" (translation molly-whoopin'=picked on/worked over/etc) I've lived my entire life hearing a this similar version from my Dad: "You need to be worked over, don't ya?" The day my Husband said this to me, I could have cried. I thought my days of being picked on were done. I was wrong.

Number 3. They take the looooong way. I've lived my entire life going on vacations with my Dad. Inevitably, we would end up passing an exit, turn the wrong way, or just straight end up lost. After we realized we had messed up, my Dad would drive 5 miles before he would turn around. It drove me insane. On our honeymoon, my Husband did the same thing. Once again, I could have cried. To get from Point A to Point B, they go to Point C first. I don't understand it. Maybe it's a man thing.

Number 4. They talk in strange voices. Everytime I call home, if my Dad answers the phone, it is always in this strange pseudo-Chinese accent. Blake imitates the Tyler Perry character called Madea. I can't even describe it. Needless to say, I already feel sorry for my unborn children.

Number 5. They don't like displays of emotions. Especially crying. My Mom and I are both big saps, and for the majority of my life, we have watched movies while being heckled by my Dad for crying. He will wait and watch for it. And if you cry, be prepared to get mocked. My Husband is the exact same. Lately when we watch movies, if it's a really sad or sweet part, I've noticed that he stops and looks at me. Just to see if I'm going to cry! If I am, he laughs...hysterically. Jerks.

I think I'm doomed. I can't believe I fell into this trap. I still have no clue how this happened. Sometimes, I wonder if I ever actually left home. Dear Lord, please save me.