our first anniversary!

Time seriously flies!
Yesterday was our first wedding anniversary and it's amazing how fast our first year has come and gone. Eugene was at school all day yesterday and I was at work so we celebrated with some Brazilian BBQ last weekend.  We ate a lot of meat (and even more from the salad bar) and shared about the many things we learned from our first year of marriage.

A lot has happened this past year: I became a sandwich-making machine. I learned how to schedule my day around my laundry time (our dryer takes FOREVER). I cut my hair short-short for the first time since I was a child (still regretting it!). I got a Costco card. I inherited a chinese last name. I learned how to make a strawberry trifle! I became a firm believer of the slow cooker and I subscribed to the Rachel Ray Magazine (which is now to be one of many magazine subscriptions, hooray!)

This has truly been a very sweet, humbling and sanctifying year. God has really shown us much of our own sins, our selfishness and our self-seeking tendencies. We're still learning what it means to die to ourselves and to really love, serve and sacrifice for each other the way Christ loved, served and sacrificed for us. We still have a long, long way to go-- but we know that he who began a good work in us will bring it completion at the day of Christ (philippians 1:6) so we're still working hard! We've learned what it means to show grace to each other, to confess our sins to each other and to ask for forgiveness. We've learned the great comfort found in coming before the Lord in prayer and what great joy is found in trusting in Him in all circumstances. :) God is so faithful and so good.

We shared a few things we both learned this past year,  so here they are.

3 things Eugene learned:
1) "We live very differently." He likes using his towel multiple times,  while I only use it once or twice before throwing it in the laundry. He puts things away immediately after using it, while I like cleaning it up all at once after I'm done (i.e. whilst cooking, getting ready, etc) He hangs clothes that he wants to re-wear on top of his drawer, and I'm still having trouble getting used to this.
2) "You're not as girly as I thought." He was surprised that I don't PMS. (YAY haha!)
3) "Life is easier with a wife." It was not good for man to be alone ;)

3 things I learned:
1) Eugene top three comfort foods are 1) any kind of curry 2) sushi 3) ramen 4) the "big gulp" drinks at 711, if this counts as a "food". We've gone to eat sushi or ramen almost every weekend since he's started school :)
2) Eugene is excellent at saving money and is really cautious when it comes to finances. I attribute it to him being Chinese! This is a huge blessing because I can be pretty nonchalant about it. Having a joint account really serves as a good source of accountability too since he can see everything I spend my money on!
3) Eugene has absolutely no ability at reading my "girly signs." If I'm upset or hurt about something and I want him to know, my immediate "girly tendency" is to want to withdraw myself, to give him a cold shoulder, to silence myself, to not send smileys or exclamation marks in my text messages and to make it extremely obvious that I'm unhappy and I need attention. I think God was sovereign in making Eugene the way he is because Eugene never falls for these signs. If I want him to know something is wrong I have to tell him and verbalize why, what initially caused it and what I want him to do. This has been humbling for me, because I usually wish he would just know how I feel and know how to fix it but he doesn't. It's hard to practically live this out day-to-day but it definitely helps us communicate better, so in that sense its a huge blessing :) haha

P.S. For our first anniversary, Eugene bought me a sewing machine! I've been wanting one for years but didn't really feel confident enough to buy one..but I'm soooo happy and so excited to use it and start on the many projects I've planned for myself!

Hopefully I can learn how to make a few things before we have kids. I'll also try to learn how to hem/alter clothes so I can do it for my friends in the future! :)

Have a great day, everyone!

XOXO,
sharon

give thanks- pandora, sweet patients, readings in the morning, a weekend full of fellowship, a 6 hour AR to spend this morning resting/cleaning/recuperating, sleeping in, a weekend with Eugene, salompas for my poor wrist, a year to testify of God's grace and faithfulness to us in our first year of marriage :)