First of all, Hubs turned 24 this weekend on Saturday. (Happy birthday, hubs!) He doesn’t love to celebrate his birthday as much as I love to celebrate mine…but we did the best we could. Here’s how it went down and what I learned this weekend.

1. Friday night we went to a friend’s house and just chilled with some trivia, some Boulevard Wheat, and some conversation. Before this we went to Wendy’s for dinner. (I know, I know…we were going to go to an actual restaurant but the wait was for more than 30 minutes for the two of us…and it wasn’t even that nice of a restaurant!)

2. Saturday morning I got up and made biscuits and gravy for breakfast. Then we chilled on the couch and got ready to head to Warrensburg for lunch. Wyatt requested New China Buffet since we were going to the Burg for a wedding reception that afternoon anyway. The in-laws and brother-in-law met us there, and we all enjoyed a grease-filled, overly filling buffet. (Wyatt enjoyed it the most I think, but we all went along with it. It was his birthday after all.) Then we went to the reception, had a good time, and saw a bunch of friends. Then it was time for dinner out as a group. (This weekend recap revolves around a lot of food…hmmm)

3. Sunday I had to work from 9-3ish. Hubs slept in and had leftover B’s and G’s, then went Christmas shopping for me! (He’s pretty pleased with his shopping so far, which makes me excited, and makes me need to go shopping!) When I got home, I started his birthday dinner, one of his favorites: my blue cheese butter and bacon burgers and fried potatoes.

It turned out great and was delicious. Then I gave Hubs his present from me. Spoiler alert, he LOVED it.

Now, here’s the info: they’re the cheap ones. Still name brand, (and according to Hubs, AWESOME), but they are the (I assume) older model and certainly not the crazy $300 ones. But, he likes them, so I’m happy.

I’m also happy because they make it quiet in here when he wants to play video games and I don’t want to watch (which is usually).

So he played for awhile and then we did this:

And then we decided we’d done enough for one night and we ate some cake and headed to bed. I was planning to make some delicious-looking cookies and cream cupcakes for Hubs’s birthday cake, but we got a cake from the in-laws and certainly don’t need 2 cakes at once, so those will wait for some other occasion. I’ll leave you on the edge of your seats waiting to hear how they turn out.

Here’s what I learned in the process of all this madness.

1. Starting a new job isn’t always fun. Training and scheduling and meeting a bunch of new managers, etc. isn’t always easy…and Friday afternoon at work just wasn’t great. And I was all out of sorts when I got home. Somehow, though, Hubs managed to get me up and out of the house and even though we didn’t end up eating what or where I’d sort of wanted, and even though I didn’t really feel like chilling with the guys that night, it was exactly what I needed. And somehow, I got home that night feeling much better about life and work and all that jazz. Hubs really does know best sometimes.

2. Seeing friends only every couple of weeks (or longer) is a totally different world than when you see them all the time in college. It’s sad and good at the same time. Sad because we have to grow up and get jobs, and move away. But good because those are all good things…it’s just a bummer to be away from those you enjoy. Everyone understands that, I’m sure. I don’t need to get into it more.

3. This morning when I crawled out of bed a little before 8:00 (I stayed in bed after Hubs got up today. I was tired for some reason, and he got to sleep in yesterday and the day before…), I looked around the corner and saw this:

Reason # 106 that Husband roommates are the best. He knows me, and knows how to make me happy with the most simple of things. He knows how much I love Christmas lights and turned the tree on so I’d see it when I got up. It made me smile, made me feel festive, made me more optimistic about the day, and made me fall even more in love all over again. Isn’t it amazing how one small act (it took him a few seconds to plug in the tree) made a huge difference in my day? That was an excellent way for him to pursue me without even speaking. Actions really do speak louder than words, people. It’s cheesy, but it’s true.

4. Giving gifts is a great way to tell someone you were paying attention to them. I’m so happy he loved the birthday gift so much. I debated buying them because they weren’t the ‘top of the line” (we can’t justify that much on something we don’t NEED) and I didn’t know if they’d be worth the money they did cost. After all, I know pretty much nothing about video games. But, Hubs LOVES them, and his eyes were shining bright when he opened them, shining bright when he hooked them up, and practically glowing when he was trying them out the first time. In fact, his “too-loud-because-he’s-wearing-noise-canceling-headphones” comments of how awesome they were told me he really did think they were the “best gift he’d gotten in a long time.” Historically, he doesn’t always love the gifts I give him because he says he doesn’t NEED anything and he’s kinda picky and hard to shop for. (Ok, I added that last part, but it’s true sometimes!) So, I’m super excited he loved this one. It makes me feel both nervous and extra-excited for him to open the Christmas gifts I still need to buy.

5. As we decorate our apartment, I realize just how symbolic our minimal decor is of our little family. We don’t have a lot, and what we have is often hand-me-down or thrifty finds, and yet, as it comes together, it still makes me happy, still makes me feel warm and cozy inside. Hubs and I are new at this marriage thing. We’re not struggling to get by, but we certainly don’t have a lot, and we’re thankful for all the help we’ve gotten from our families. But we’re our own little family now, making it work together. And actually, we make me smile every day. I’m constantly surprised by how much more I love him. I’m constantly amazed by how awesome it is to be married to my best friend.