Joel and I love to spend time in Cedar Rapids. Partially because that's where he comes from, partially because it has so much to offer.

​If you haven't been to Cedar Rapids in awhile, I suggest you make the trip. The city is flourishing with so many great public spaces, stores, restaurants, arts facilities and other unique options to take advantage of.

​I took a couple of days off to spend time with Joel and we decided to spend one of the days in Cedar Rapids. We visited some of our favorite places and I wanted to share some of those places with you!

​Our first stop is always the Newbo City Market.

The city market has a lot to offer. Diverse food options, handmade items, hardy plants, sweet treats, essential oils and more. On this visit, we tried the Mexican food booth and their new crepe booth. Both were DELICIOUS!

We resisted buying anything else this time around, but did some browsing!

I was hoping our next stop would be this new, cute shop that is inside an old farmhouse style home. Unfortunately it wasn't open, but I took a picture of it so perhaps you can stop in next time you are in town. It's called Little House Artifacts. They have a lot of really creative repurposed and upcycled items alongside traditional antique goods.

Before leaving the Newbo area, we stopped by a shop we hadn't been to before. It was called Newbo Mercantile & Vintage Shop.

The shop owner was very nice. She and I chatted the entire time we were in the store. They offered vintage clothing and other items, eco-friendly and natural goods, DIY supplies, tea, and other miscellaneous gifts.

I bought a few things. Eco Bags (four total) that I can use for bulk and fresh foods when shopping, and honey from a local hive. See below for one of the Eco Bags. I was so excited to find some of these! (Plastic is bad. Boo, plastic!)

The final place we stopped in downtown CR was my favorite store - Gooselake Creations. This store has a very unique selection - similar to the Little House - with a mix of repurposed and upcycled items alongside traditional antique goods.

I go here to look at what they have to offer, of course, but my main reason for stopping by is for inspiration. I have never left without a new idea that I can't wait to get home and execute. The shop owner is as colorful as the items he sells, is very kind and makes you feel like you're his only customer.

​I walked away with some new ideas and a couple of items. A "Bees & Honey" poster inside a window frame and two rust orange baskets. We already hung the poster, but I'm still thinking about where I want the baskets!

This is just a tiny glimpse into what Cedar Rapids has to offer. I hope you'll take some time to explore this city when you have a chance!

Joel and I had our first sleepover with our sweet, three-year-old nephew, Max, this past weekend. We were mostly excited and a little nervous. We've never babysat a child overnight before, so it was uncharted territory. 

We anxiously awaited Saturday morning when we were set to pick him up. We discussed an itinerary full of the fun things we could do together. I bought everything we needed the night before - kid-friendly food and craft supplies. 

His parents are great, Joel's brother Harper and his wife, Sara. They do a wonderful job of preparing Max for new adventures he goes on so he knows exactly what to expect. He's a really smart little guy, too, so he understands everything they're telling him. 

When we arrived to get him, he had picked out two "Minion" buttons from the store - one for each of us. He had his bags packed and he was ready to go!

We started off the day at Bloomsbury Farm (highly recommended if you're looking for a day trip somewhere that is sure to keep little ones entertained). There were activities galore (some pictured at the end of this post), and Max loved it all. He took a little snooze on the way home and when we got back to our house he settled in with Joel to watch a movie before noticing that I was working outside (I needed to water my flowers). He wanted to "work hard" so he asked to help me, which of course I said "Yes" to! We did a little work and explored our property before coming in for supper.

Bath time and bed time were a breeze - and get this - he actually wanted to go to bed...How much more perfect can this kid get?! Joel read him stories until he fell asleep and he slept like a log all night long.

We enjoyed a pancake breakfast, pumpkin painting, and "band practice" before leaving for a family member's birthday party where we were set to drop Max off. We made a pit stop at the mall to walk around and ride the children's rides, including the cool train that drives around Crossroads Mall. It was the cherry on top of a great weekend with Max.

Throughout our adventures in babysitting, we both made some interesting observations that gave us some insight into what being a parent might be like. The primary observation being we now understand how some couples can become "disconnected" from each other when there are children involved. Obviously, the joyful experiences that children bring outweigh the bad and make everything worth it, but because your focus is so much on the happiness and well-being of the child, it's easy to lose sight of your partner, their happiness and well-being.

We noticed this in two days. In our minds, I know we both multiplied that disconnected feeling by 18 years. That was eye opening for us, who at this point in our lives, are so connected we literally can predict each other's thoughts and actions 99.9% of the time.

I'm happy that we both observed the same things, took time to reflect, and discussed how what we observed made us feel. We both agreed that although we had an absolute blast, returning to our "me and him" normalcy  was welcomed.

We treated ourselves to some activities that he and I like to do together to top the weekend off. Library, movie, dinner, Hulu. I think we both had a renewed feeling about how much we mean to each other, how lucky we are to have each other as a best friend, and how happy we are doing our own thing as a two person family right now.

There's nothing wrong with being thirty-somethings with no kids. To each their own. Maybe tomorrow, next week, next month our tune will change - but in this present moment - we have each other and that is enough.

That cute crew pictured with me above is my family. They greet me when I get home and smother me in love. I'm a lucky woman. 

Recently, Joel said something that made me feel all the things: "In our family we..." This simple statement really struck me.

I've always believed that we make our own paths. Regardless of what our past was like, we have the choice to make our lives what we want them to be. I'm not a fan of the "blame game": "I'm this way because my parents..."; "I do that because this one time in elementary school..."; "I'll never get anywhere because they told me I couldn't..." There's a certain point in our lives where we need to take ownership for who we are and what we do. The good and the bad. A point when we leave everything behind (as best we can) and move forward. Always moving forward. Taking the good, stepping over the bad, and doing our own thing.

​Joel and I come from amazing families (and when I say that I actually mean it). They've all taught us so much and helped us build our foundations both as individuals and as a couple. They've given us the tools to construct our own values and figure out how those values fit in to our own little family. 

We get to pick and choose what's important to us. Joel may have observed one thing in his family, I may have observed something different in mine, but we have the choice to select what works best for our family. This allows us to move forward with confidence and binds us closer together as we determine what truly is important to us as a family unit.

What a special privilege to have! I can't describe the feelings this realization gives me. Comfort. Pride. LOVE. Among many others. It definitely feels like a next step. Another milestone reached in our marriage and our family. The creation of a set of values that we'll continue to instill in ourselves and our family as it grows.

I'm so excited to find out what "In our family we..." develops into over time. You better believe I'm writing everything down!

 Being married is my absolute favorite thing in this world.

I'm able to say this with such confidence because my "other half," simply put, rules. He is the most perfect person for me and we continue to grow together in such wonderful ways. 

There are many things about our relationship that make us "work" - but here are a few basic elements that seem to get us through everything:

• ​Teamwork. When we were going through marriage classes our pastor shared a lot of information with us. The one thing that stuck with us was simple, "You're on the same team." He told us a story of an elderly couple that wrote TEAM on a piece of paper and kept it hanging on their fridge throughout their marriage as a constant reminder that although they were two individuals, at the end of the day, every day, they were on the same team. By the end of each day, if we feel like we are on different pages, our ultimate goal is always to figure out how we reposition ourselves to reconvene our position as a team.
• Gratitude. I think "thank you" goes a long way in life, but especially so in marriage. Acknowledgement of what your spouse does to keep you feeling loved, to run the household, to make you proud, to show affection to family and friends - really anything and everything that makes a positive impact - is important. It sounds like an easy thing to do, but to do it right (in my opinion), you have to take time to be very mindful of what your spouse does. Many of the things I express gratitude for are the small things (that ultimately add up to big things). "Thanks for that sweet text, it made my day." "Thanks for taking the dog out and letting me stay snuggled inside." "Thanks for making my family member feel special, my family means a lot to me." "Thanks for making sure that was handled so I didn't have to worry about it."
• Kindness. Marriage is hard work. Joel and I have both expressed this to each other at one point or another...because it's the truth. Not everything is rosy all of the time. There are times when it is really tough to be married to someone so similar and yet so different from you all at that the same time. This is where kindness comes in. Not one of us is perfect. We both have our flaws. But instead of treating each other's flaws with anger, frustration, and hostility - we treat them with gentle kindness. Joel is much better than this than I am, but I'm working on it. In the past, I would have an outburst, followed up with kindness (FORGIVE ME, YOUR PSYCHO WIFE!). Now, I hold my tongue, take a deep breath (or 20), think about the impact my words will have, and find a way to approach the situation with kindness where the end result prompts positive action vs. a negative reaction. Luckily, we don't have many of these moments, but they do exist, and we're both still learning how to navigate touchy moments with kindness.
• Support. When I say "support" I am talking about support of your spouse as an individual. As much as we are a team, there's no denying we are very independent individuals. We are a true case of "opposites attract" when it comes to our personalities, but have always said that is what gives us balance. His outgoing nature prevents me from becoming more of an introverted shut-in than I already am. My fierce focus on moving forward keeps him from living in a van down by the river. We recognize our individual needs, wants, and desires - and support them in each other. I have always believed that if we want to function as the best version of the "team" we've created - we need to nurture and respect ourselves as individuals along the way. He volunteers with me. I go to his shows (when I'm not content being a shut-in...). He humors my chronic planning. I play along with his ever changing musical hero line-up. Our support for each other goes much deeper than this, tied to our core values (which is ultimately why we work so well), but that's a blog post for another day.

I wish you the best of luck in your relationship. Find your own way and acknowledge the things that are working well. Whether you're in a new partnership, a rekindled relationship, or have been together for a long time - no matter what - love is truly a beautiful thing!