The Four Stages of a Newlywed

So hubby and I are celebrating 4 1/2 months of marriage and I can honestly say this has been the best 4 1/2 months of my life. Nothing can compare to the thrill of marrying your best friend and beginning a life together.

But I have become very enlightened over the course of the last few months and I feel compelled to share my thoughts with anyone who will listen. Perhaps I am the only newlywed in the course of history to experience these milestones, but I feel strongly that I am not alone. Hold on...this could get kinda messy.

Stage 1: The Adorable Stage- This stage was so fun...the stage where upon hearing his car in the garage, makes butterflies appear in her stomach. In this stage, the hubby can do no wrong. His dirty socks on the floor were adorable. The un-rinsed dishes in the sink makes her smile. The alarm clock going off for an hour before he actually got out of bed...just precious. This stage was so wonderful because it also was without any bodily functions being heard throughout the house. Nope...silent as a baby sleeping. Trust me...this stage is short lived.

Stage 3: The Awareness Stage- During this stage, the female begins to see her hubby in a more...shall we say natural light. She comes to the realization that this boy is not going home. He is here to stay. He has moved in and set up camp. That toilet seat will never be down again. The pantry will never be full again. The laundry will never be caught up. Now is the time of full awareness. The love blinders have been lifted.

Stage 3: The Amusing Stage- This is the stage when the female has made amends with the fact that this odd boy is here to stay. She realizes and accepts that her new hubby will be hers to deal with for a lifetime. The only possible thing for her to do is laugh and find the humor in his charming quirks. Isn't it hilarious when your hubby politely mentions that you folded his shirts wrong? Don't you find it hysterical when he runs and dives head first onto a freshly made bed? Doesn't his ability to burp louder than the tv just seem so darn entertaining?

Stage 4: The Appreciative Stage- There comes a moment in a newlywed's life that she realizes that in spite of the huge appetites, the unending dirty clothes, the unbelievably expensive obsession with golf, the intense love of all video games, the globs of toothpaste in the sink, the un-rinsed dishes and yes...even the burps...that she has married a jewel. The cream of the crop. The greatest thing since sliced bread. Yep...she begins to appreciate the incredible gift that God has given her, and most importantly she begins to get those butterflies in her stomach all over again!