Bilingual?

At our premarital counseling sessions, the minister that married us spoke about a book called "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman. I meant to buy the book and read it, but unfortunately I don't have much time to read for fun. Luckily, someone bought it for us as part of a wedding gift, and I was able to read it over Christmas and New Years because I didn't have class.

The book explains the 5 different love languages that people can have, and it also explains that many times couples do not speak the same language. This can lead to your "love tank" being empty. It describes the different love languages and how to decipher which is your primary language as well as your spouse's primary language. It also offers ways to turn your spouse's primary language into your secondary language. If it sounds confusing, buy the book and read it, or you can borrow my copy.

Here are the five love languages:

1. Words of Affirmation: This language is mostly about words: unsolicited compliments mean the world and insults can leave your significant other shattered and are not easily forgotten.

2. Quality Time: This language is all about being there for the other person with undivided attention and without any distractions. Distractions, postponed dates, or the failure to listen can be hurtful.

3. Receiving Gifts: Receiving gifts is not about the money spent on the gift, it is about the love, thoughtfulness and effort behind the gift. If you speak this language, the perfect gift or gesture shows that you are known, you are cared for, and you are prized.

4. Acts of Service: The words he or she most want to hear: “Let me do that for you.” Laziness, broken commitments, and making more work for them tell speakers of this language their feelings don’t matter.

5. Physical Touch: Hugs, holding hands, and thoughtful touches on the arm, shoulder, or face can all be ways to show excitement, concern, care, and love. Physical presence and accessibility are crucial to the person who speaks this love language as their primary language.

Through reading the book, I learned that Acts of Service is my love language. I love it when Adam empties the dishwasher, folds the laundry or vacuums the carpet on his own. You can find out what your primary language is by taking this assessment. What's your love language? Is your love tank full?

A little bit ambitious

While we were in Italy for our honeymoon, I read the book Julie and Julia. I really enjoyed the book, it actually made me laugh out loud while I was reading it. Last weekend, Adam and I rented the movie and I made it through the whole thing without falling asleep. I guess Adam was feeling inspired because he decided to cook beef bourguignon in our Le Creuset yesterday for dinner.

On Saturday, he looked up the recipe and wrote down all of the ingredients. We proceeded to go to the store, where he bought 95% of what he needed, but somehow managed to forget the beef stock. Yesterday, we stopped after church to grab the missing ingredient and ended up standing in line for about 25 minutes with our one item.

Throughout the early afternoon, I kept reminding Adam that the football playoffs were on at 3:00, and kept inquiring about when he was going to start cooking so that he wouldn't miss the game. He remained on the sofa, laptop open with ESPN.com emblazoned across the screen. Usually when he is in this entranced computer-viewing state, I suspect my voice sounds like the teacher on the Peanuts.

At 2:37PM he decided he'd better get started, the beef bourguignon needed 3 hours to cook in the oven and there were 47 steps in the recipe.

"47 STEPS," I gasped, "how are you going to accomplish this in 23 minutes?"

"I'm not worried," he explained, "you're going to be my sous chef."

There goes my relaxing Sunday afternoon.

What I realized is that the title of sous chef is code for clean up crew. While he splashed grease and oil and beef stock all over the kitchen and dirtied every pot, pan and spoon we own, I followed behind him with the Lysol spray and a paper towel.

After about an hour of cooking (combined with catching glimpses of the game) and an emergency run to Target for a forgotten sieve, the beef bourguignon was in the oven and the kitchen was semi-clean.

At 7:00PM we took it out of the oven and tasted it to find that it was delicious disgusting. It was insanely salty, and resembled the canned dog food you might find at the dollar store (see picture below). Even Adam agreed that it was not very edible. We ate rolls for dinner and finished watching the NFL playoffs. The smell of beef still lingered in the air as the master chef licked his wounds and Tobey licked his chops.



So much for Julia Child!

It's been forever...

Yes, it has been awhile since I last updated...we've been very busy running around doing lots of things and keeping very busy.

We had a wonderful Christmas filled with lots of friends and family. We spent time in Mechanicsburg with my family and in Scranton with Adam's family. It was nice to spend time with everyone and just hang out and relax after the craziness of the wedding was over.

On New Year's Eve, we hung out with Adam's sister Cara and my friend Laura. We had a really nice dinner and then played some games until midnight. On January 1st, Adam and I threw our first big dinner party since we've been married. We hosted both families and had a great time laughing, talking and watching football.

Last weekend, we headed to the PA Farm Show in Harrisburg and had a great time looking at all of the animals and exhibits.


We are planning on sitting back and enjoying the rest of the winter months without too many big plans. Graduate classes start again for me next week and I will be taking two classes, both on Thursday night. Adam and I can't wait to stay in Baltimore, stay warm and enjoy being newlyweds for a little while.

I thought I'd show you Tobey's favorite spot to nap, right in front of our space heater: