Jen Russum

Marriage: His Point of View

Marriage: His Point of View

Here is it is guys...the first year of marriage from Micah's point of view! He agreed to do this blog with only minimal complaining and some kind of deal about me taking his truck to get an oil change :) He made up the first question all by himself... Why is being married superior to being single? Being married is rad! I could never afford this high quality of a CHEF, BUTLER, AND MAID! : ) Funniest memory from the first year... This is just something kind of simple that happened when we were surfing at Pacific Beach a few weeks ago.  Jen and I were sitting on the beach, taking a lunch break in the noon day sun. Though the little black flies on the beach were a little annoying, they did not bite and they didn't seem to be ruining anybody's sunny day on the ocean; however, they really bothered Jen. She kept swatting at them and complaining as we tried to eat our picnic lunch. I wasn't really paying attention as the conversation kind of drifted in and out like the waves we were watching. I thought about some of the day's events and some of our interactions at the grocery store earlier that morning and I asked her, "Do you think we are kind of a funny quirky little couple?" I turned to look at her as she gave her answer and a red shirt looked back at me, an apple went up under the shirt, a bite was taken, and then she said, "no...why?" (Jen's disclaimer...putting a shirt over my head was the only way I could protect my lunch from the flies as I ate! Perfectly reasonable, right???) Micah thought this was funny enough to document on camera... Hardest thing about being married... So I have a nickname for just about anyone I know really well. Jen has a few and she just picked up a new one recently. The new nickname is "Snodgrass"... by the way it sounds I'm sure you can imagine how she was acting when she got that name. Being married to a Type A person is really nice for managing the household (you know... coming home to a clean house, dinner on the table, mail sorted), but it can have its drawbacks at times. Type A sometimes equals saucy and bossy in this house. But when Jen gets a little too uptight and it is brought to her attention, she quickly changes her demeanor and tone into what she calls "sweetgrass." What's the number one thing you've learned about marriage this year... Jen has taught me that marriage means closing the shower curtain 365 times a year for your spouse. What's one thing you love about Jen that you didn't know about before you got married? I didn't realize to the full extent how hard she works or how smart she is until I saw her in the day to day of married life. See, isn't he sweet {and funny}??? ... Read more

Marriage: Her Point of View

Marriage: Her Point of View

Favorite memory from the first year of marriage... Well besides having an amazing wedding, going on an awesome honeymoon to Hawaii, going on a wild adventure and moving to Arizona two days after getting back from said honeymoon, getting our first apartment, and finding a new church and making new friends, I just don't know... probably making up our own songs when we are hanging around the house or driving in the car. Micah is always making up little songs (and a rap every now and then...he will want a disclaimer), and sometimes I surprise him by joining in and making up my own words. Best thing about being married... Getting an allowance. No, really, Micah gives me an allowance this summer. I stopped getting my teaching stipend at the end of the school year and now Micah gives me $20-40 every week for my spending money. Without it I would be poorer than I've ever been since the pre-babysiting days. Actually, even in grade school I was pretty good at saving my birthday money, so maybe this summer marks the poorest I've ever been in my whole life. While I realize it's not truly necessary for me to get an allowance or to have spending money in general, receiving Micah's little $20 gifts for the past month or two has been incredibly humbling for me and has shown me an incredibly sweet and generous side of him. As someone that has always been really independent in all areas, but especially financially, this summer has been a great experience as God teaches me to rely on my husband in new ways. Hardest thing about being married.... I've said it once and I'll say it again (probably countless times), the hardest thing about being married is I Peter 3:1. {Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct.} This verse is full of hard, good words. Not only am I called to submit to my husband, but I'm called to respect him no matter what. No matter how he is acting. Even if he is sinning, my conduct toward him should be respectful and pure according to the Lord, since God requires wives to treat even non-believing husbands in this same way. This means no uncontrollable fits of anger, name calling, revenge-seeking, or bitterness-harboring behavior on my part. None. That doesn't mean I can't tell Micah when he is wrong. It means that whether he is wrong or whether I think I am right, I am called to respect him as my leader and the head of my home. Eek. This verse hangs on the mirror on my bathroom, so I am reminded daily of what it means to be a godly wife. ... Read more

one year.

one year.

It's the Russums' one year anniversary today. Happy anniversary to us! We are in Washington right now, hopefully sneaking in a little romantic celebration in the midst of visiting family and friends and going camping. Can you believe one year ago today we looked like this??? To celebrate our anniversary, it's marriage week on The Arizona Russums! I even got Micah to write a little post on what married life has been like for him. Lots of fun stuff in store this week, so check back every day! Now where is that one year wedding cake.... ... Read more