2 Highs, 2 Lows, and 2 Reasons to Choose Marriage- Happy 2 Year Anniversary to my husband

A LOT has happened for the McCoys this year. A LOT. New house, new job, graduation, and a BABY!! I decided to write about this a month early due to the little one running our lives and the busy season up ahead! So I'll just dive on into our 2nd year of marriage.. 

2 Highs- This year was one of the greatest so far! The #1 reason was our little one, Jackson, coming into the world on December 1st! Literally the best day of our lives and the most tears we've ever cried. We are pretty much obsessed with our lil' chicken nugget!! (also baby talk is pretty much our lingo all the time!). We also moved into a house this year which was super exciting! After 5 years of apartment-living, we found the cutest house and with the huge backyard for the pups and baby! I can't tell you how nice it is to just open the backdoor and let the dogs run, rather than taking them on a leash EVERY time they go outside!

2 Lows- Will woke up one morning, put on his work clothes and I told him "Why aren't you doing what you REALLY love? Quit your job and go find something else." I know I'm crazy for saying that, but I feel like we have been through so much just in the last 5 years and we always find a way! Always. So sure enough, that day Will was hired on as a trim carpenter building new houses, shiplap, plank ceilings, baseboards, closet shelving, you name it! And guess what, he LOVES it so much he comes home to find projects to do! It was a bold move financially but we were able to make it happen. And it's actually brought us closer together with him working only 40 hours rather than 60 a week! Another "low"/challenge was jumping into parenthood. Don't have me mistaken, Jackson is the greatest thing in our world. THE GREATEST. There is no better title than, Mom and Dad. However, no one or no experience prepares you for parenthood. I remember that drive home from the hospital so well.. Will and I made eye contact through the rearview mirror as I held Jackson's tiny fingers in the backseat, tears streaming down my face. "This is it.. this is his life.. today.. It's the beginning. He's only going to get bigger.. He depends on us.. What if we can't.. What if we do it all wrong.. " I was an emotional wreck those first few days, hormones all over the place, recovering from birth, trying to breastfeed, learning how to be a parent, etc. But after those few days, we saw the light! We started getting in a routine and I started asking for help. The biggest thing about parenthood is learning to work together and ask for help rather than "sucking at everything" haha! (cleaning, cooking, paying bills, business, laundry, mothering). I can finally breathe now! We've made it through and our babe is almost 3 months old! He's sleeping through the night, in his crib, and brings us so much happiness on a daily basis with his smile!!

So why choose marriage?- Marriage teaches us to not be so selfish! We are all a little selfish in many ways whether we have to watch "This is Us" every Tuesday or go splurge on getting our nails done once a month. Marriage is learning to think about your spouse and do what they like every once in a while... it's making time to sit together and watch Game of Thrones (for the billionth time). It's also learning how to cook which I loathe!! (But I'm getting better!). Marriage is extending "grace". There's times when I'm picking up an empty Pepsi can from the previous night, thinking "Why can't he pick up!" and then there's times (especially lately) when the laundry is piled and Will thinks "Why aren't there any clean towels?". We aren't perfect. We need someone to extend grace every now and then. And then all those imperfect things are okay and makes us human. Marriage is taking a breather and loving each other through it all.

I love you, Will!! Happy 2 years to us! 

The greatest day!- March 19, 2016 (Lindsey Ann Photography) 

Honeymoon 2016 in St. Thomas! (The best/most affordable place without a passport!)

Bandon, Oregon 2017- 1st Anniversary

Maternity (Stefanie Madison Photography)

Headed home!!

Jackson- 11 weeks old