Nobody Told Us

We are a month into being new home owners.  It was a month ago today that we officially moved in.  To say that we are thrilled with our decision to move from almost inside the loop to the ends of the earth, well almost to the ends of Katy, would be an understatement.  Although in this month I have realized that sometimes one is not given the full picture of the latest and greatest service or equipment.  Early on we realized we would need a sprinkler systems after we in error thought that we could get by watering on our own since we have such a small yard.  What they didn't tell us was some of the info on upkeep of a sprinkler system.  We bought the line, this thing waters itself. Yea right...  Our warranty guy from DW came  out last Friday to give us the info on the home we bought.  He gave us much more information than we had been given previously on the "guarantee" of our electric bill and added this piece of information that no one had told us, to get the rebate, we needed to have Reliant Energy as our electricity provider.  We did not go with Reliant.  Then came the explanation of changing out air filters.   Gone are the days of changing one filter.  We have four to change, one is located in a rather precarious location and Roy is having great fun at the top of an 8' ladder.  Also twice a year Roy has to go into the attic with a bottle of bleach and empty it in some PVC pipes located in front of the a/c unit.  No...glad you told us...we had no clue.  Oh by the way, had we registered our appliances?  No...no one told us that we needed to...well yes, if you want them to be covered by a warranty, they have to be registered.  Uh, will we need to get them shots and have a meet the warranty registry night?  Our greatest surprise of late has been our soft water system.  Not once in all the time intensive visits that these people made to our house, did anyone ever say, you have to buy salt and put it in every couple of months.  What the heck?!?  What happened to the, we install it and you never have to think about it again...except every two months when you load up the thing with salt. 

Don't get me wrong, we knew there are added responsibilities to being home owners...I think we thought we could outsource most of those responsibilities...but once you've signed on the dotted line, well here are a few more things that you need to know. 

There isn't too much of a difference of finding out these little things after you've signed on the dotted line, made a public commitment in front of friends and family...and no one stood up at the appointed time to protest the marriage and then forever held their peace, when you fall in love and get married.  Oh most churches provide counseling and mentoring and maybe even offer a weekend retreat for Pimp My Bride, but there are just some things that no one tells you until after you've honeymooned, set up housekeeping and are adjusting to one another.  Or maybe people do tell you but you and your honey are so going to be "not that couple."  It will never happen to us, we are so in love...more in love with one another than anyone else in the whole entire world. 

Well, I am happy to report that even after finding out things we didn't bargain for when we fell in love and got married, Roy and I celebrate our 34th wedding anniversary tomorrow.  It seems just like yesterday we had our friends dress in rented tuxes and bridesmaid dresses that could never be worn again except for maybe a skit or Halloween...I mean Fall Festival costume.  Two opposites if there ever where.  Two people who were carrying their own set of matching and monogrammed baggage and maybe thought the other one might like to carry the other one's baggage or extra loads...forever...

I love Roy!  I'm so glad that we found one another!  I'm glad we have lived a full and wonderful life with one another.  I even love that Roy is a...how can I say this...too careful of a driver which translates into scary driver...I love that he knows this and handed over the keys when we left on our honeymoon.  I love that he is a plan man.  I love that he takes care of tedious details and has such great patience.  He is a wonderful provider, although I cannot even tell you what his job is....I've written before when he says hedge, I'm thinking shrubbery, journal entries...I'm thinking of a personal book written with all your angst and joys...You get the picture.  I love that we laugh, a lot.  I love to hear him pray especially when I'm mentioned in his short but powerful prayers.  I love that he is my hubs...my one and only...the love of my life...and he can still perform those husbandly duties...he takes out the trash.  Happy Anniversary Roy!  May we celebrate many more years together!