Guest Blogger: See Sallie Run

Hey all you lwph readers---I'm Sallie, from seesallierun. First of all--Jen is one of the coolest people I know, that's why I wanted her to blog on my blog. So thanks for letting me borrow her today! Go check her out!

I'm excited to be here talking about...wait for it....MARRIAGE! 

My new favorite topic. (As of 3 months ago)

I currently reside in Lubbock, Texas with a husband whom I refer to as Captain Awesome.  I feel like we are living a pretty awesome life out here in dusty west (a brown sky is more commonly scene out here) Texas. 

The funniest part about all of this--I NEVER EVER EVER in a million years would have told you 3 years ago that this is where I would be. 

In high school and college, I used to come out to Lubbock every year, sometimes twice a year, for cross country and track meets. We would drive forever and ever only to get to no where and then have to run in terrible dust storms. We would drive around and see brown. I vocally swore to my friends and family, and anyone else that could hear, that I would NEVER EVER EVER live in Lubbock, Texas. 

And here I am. 

(me with a tumbleweed)

3 years ago, the man who I refer to as the Captain asked me on a date. I quickly accepted the invitation and then called him the next day to tell him that I regretfully could not go on the date because I currently had a boyfriend--I had forgotten that small detail. 

You laugh, but it's true. That's a very good example of what I like to call a "Sallie Moment" 

2 years later, I was a single girl out with my sister at a New Years Eve dance. The captain was there and I vocally swore to my sister, after she inquired about me dating him, that I could NEVER EVER EVER date him. I could only handle him in small doses. 

And here I am. With one very large dose of him. 

Growing up, I swore that I would never be one of those mushy couples who swoons over each other night and day and I would most certainly not hang pictures of us all around our house like it was some shrine to our love bubble. 

And here it is. The love bubble shrine. 

I tell you this because life isn't usually what we expect. But it's exactly what we need. Marriage has been that way for me. Everything I needed and nothing what I expected. 

To me, marriage has been like a new pair of running shoes.  I love getting a new pair of running shoes. They smell new, look new, feel new. It's an all around fantastic experience to get a new pair of running shoes. For the first month, the shoes make you feel like you are running on clouds--but they are a little stiff and it takes a while to get used to the new feel. For the most part, they sparkle, and have very little outward flaws. I keep them newish looking as best I can. 

Then I run through a puddle. I wipe it off, and keep going. 

The shoe starts to mold to my foot and slowly, they start to fit like a glove. They curve where my foot curves and support me where I need support. 

I continue to step in puddles, but I feel like mud spots give them character. To me, spots on running shoes represent hard work and challenges. 

After a while, the shine is gone and that cloud feeling is also gone. But they are still a great running shoe. In fact, they have become a great running shoe. 

This is how it's been for the Captain and I. Puddles come, but they never stop us from running. We simply wipe them off and keep going. They give us character and we fit better after each puddle. They went from new to our ordinary running shoes, but we would NEVER EVER EVER throw them away. 

I love the ordinary in our marriage. Without it, I would never appreciate the extraordinary. For example, our simple, ordinary morning routine. We get up, I shower, Garrett snoozes. Breakfast and lunches get made. We eat together, brush our teeth together. Kneel in prayer before quickly running out the door--often late--and then typically not see each other again till dinner. Then we eat again together, then usually go here and there getting this and that done and the next time we meet is when we snuggle up in bed after a long day. I'm usually asleep before our evening prayers end, but I love it. I love the ordinary because when we do get the occasional Saturday or Sunday afternoon with each other, it seems like a dream. 

Love the ordinary, appreciate the extraordinary.  

So...NEVER EVER EVER think that you are going to get what you expect. But always expect that what you get will be exactly what you need. 

I absolutely LOVE marriage. And more importantly, I absolutely LOVE my sweet husband, the Captain. 

Come see me run over at seesallierun! 

{Sallie}