I blinked and it was June.  That’s how the past year has felt for Luke and myself. I wrote almost six months ago that, “I have so much to say that I don’t know where to start” and I still feel that way.  Life over the past two years has certainly been an adventure; in the best possible way.

If I could go back to 30 year old Aimee and tell her to relax a little, I most certainly would. I would encourage her to enjoy every minute of every day; allowing life to unfold in its own time without worrying about the unknown.

Who am I kidding?

That’s still the advice I would give myself present day.

Being engaged was the best, until we were ready to finalize our marriage.

The wedding plan was the best…actually I didn’t like that at all, but still.

Marriage is the best, but now we want babies.  You get where I am going with this.

This is why I am choosing to work on being content with my present. I want to look back and feel confident that I valued the blessings, big and small, that God gave me. I don’t want to look back and realize that I was always looking forward to the “next thing” in this life.

So here are a handful of truths I can (presently) cling to about my little wonder-filled life:

• Marriage really is THE BEST. I don’t say that flippantly. Being married to Luke is truly the ultimate gift from my Lord. I will never take that for granted.
• Our marriage is filled with laughter, affection, best intentions, true love, loyalty and Jesus filled adventure.
• • We are far from perfect.  Luke and I certainly have growing pains; mainly over the silliest things, but growing pains nevertheless.
• • We make up quickly and don’t become resentful.
• • • THIS was one of my biggest fears about marriage.  It makes me feel so safe to know that true love can move past differences.  We can have deep discussions, speak truth through love and apologize – all of which lead to a better marriage.
• I say to Luke at least 3 times a week, “CAN YOU BELIEVE WE ARE MARRIED?!” I pray we never loose that feeling of awe.
• We have a firm foundation in Christ which has allowed us to stay grounded during some big changes during our engagement and marriage.
• • Job changes, hormones get out of whack, finances get combined (kidding…not really), habits shift….but the grace of Jesus has helped us to stay calm and confident during these transitions.
• We have hope for a future with children. Plain and simple.
• Our dogs get along and only barely scratch the floors. 🙂
• We have the most comfortable mattress and still cuddle even though it’s a California King. (I’ve always heard not to get anything bigger than a queen, but I now totally disagree)
• We dream big.
• We have the BEST family and friends.  Each one of them helps us grow and become who we are meant to be as followers of Christ and husband and wife.
• We both love spicy foods and Luke’s cooking. Right, babe?

And that’s just to name a few.

So the next time I get too “future-focused”  I am going to come back to this post and remind myself that living in the future ultimately takes away from soaking up the present.

xoxo,