big things are happening 'round here

This week, I have taken some time to evaluate my dreams - what I want, when I want it, and how I'm going to achieve it.  

A year ago, I sat at home one day because I had nothing to do.  School was finished, I had lost my job, Travis was at school/work and I didn't have anywhere to go or anyone to go with.  I was so lonely.  I still felt the pangs of homesickness like fresh pricks every day I sat cooped up in that apartment.  I was constantly fighting my never-ending battle with depression.  I longed for new friends, someone to talk to and connect with outside of my family.  

Then inspiration struck.

I created a group on Facebook called Wives' Club.  I began inviting all the girls I knew from high school, the singles' ward, or anywhere else who were engaged or married like me.  I wrote in the description:  "A place for wives, and soon to be wives to connect with one another, share ideas, recipes, ask for advice, and make friends!"  

 I think the group started with 40 members.  I began posting some of my thoughts about marriage, sharing some recipes I had used recently, expressing joys and frustrations, and asking questions.  Girls began to respond.  And they began to invite THEIR engaged and married friends.  Within a couple of days, the group had over 100 members.  It became clear that all these girls were craving interaction with other young wives, just like I was.

The group has grown and expanded.  There are new posts every day.  Girls sell furniture, ask for advice, share experiences, and plan craft nights and other get-togethers.  

As of today, the group has over 350 members!

During this amazing growth the past year, and as I've seen some of the same girls post over and over and derive a true enjoyment out of the Wives' Club, I dreamed of turing it into a blog.  A blog for young wives, written by young wives, about how to have a happy marriage.  Not because they were experts, marriage counselors, or an older couple celebrating their Golden Anniversary.  

I imagined young wives writing about happy marriages as they discovered, by trial and error, what it takes to make one.  I imagined young wives who were struggling finding this blog and feeling an overwhelming sense of relief as they realized everyone else is struggling too.  I imagined young wives writing about what makes a marriage strong and during the reflecting, creating and writing process, subconsciously engaging in behavior to maintain a happy marriage.

I imagined, far far in the future, a job where I could write about what is most important to me - love, family, marriage, and my handsome husband!  

Well, this blog is under construction.  A few girls have actually volunteered to write for it!  I still am putting all my ideas together.  I still have a lot to learn about blogging, design, sponsors, and most of all - marriage.  But dreams are on their way to becoming true around here.  

Here's the banner for the blog:

Design: Nicole Carpenter

Earlier today I posted the picture and this explanation in the Wives' Club:

I chose this title for a few reasons. First, all the names I could think of with the words "wife," "wives,"

"marriage," or any variations were already taken by some other blog (most of which had one post from '05 or '06 and that's it...spam?). So I was getting really frustrated. 

So then I had to be more creative, and I got thinking - What is marriage REALLY about? Living with your husband, having sleep overs every night, being committed to each other, trying to figure out how to cook, fighting fair, learning to love your in-laws, cleaning...

So the second, and more important, reason I chose this title is because having a happy marriage is about the LITTE THINGS that I can put into two categories.

1 - chores, mundane/regular activities, work you must complete in order to satisfy the basic needs in your marriage (physiological needs, safety needs, preservation needs). These keep your marriage running smoothly. Thus - Laundry.

2 - behaviors you engage in to fulfill the deeper, emotional needs of you and your husband in your marriage and show affection and appreciation to one another. These keep your marriage happy, meaningful, and fulfilling. Thus - Love Notes. 

I'm so excited! 

ALSO!

I applied for an internship.  A big, scary internship.  One that will push me out of my comfort zone and hopefully push me to excel in ways I never dreamed I could.  More than that, though, it's with a company and a cause I really believe in.

I might not get it, and that's just fine.  Someone more experienced may get the position.  The real feat was that when I stumbled on the internship description, I thought "I would love to do something like that!" and then immediately after thought, "No, I can't.  I don't have the experience.  I couldn't do that.  It's too big and scary!"  I mulled it over for a bit, kept the page open in my browser while studying for a test.  Every couple of minutes though, my eyes drifted back up to that description.  After I had it memorized from staring so often, the reasons why I "couldn't" began to fade away.  And suddenly I had the impression:  

"Don't sell yourself short; you can achieve anything."  

That state of mind feels like an accomplishment already.