marriage advice

at the start of my bachelorette party, my married friends shared some of their marriage advice. here's what stuck out:

- be nice to each other
- don't compare your relationship to others
- just have fun
- both be good forgivers

some other marriage advice that has stuck with me:

 1.) at my friend jeannette's bridal shower, someone who has been married 30+ years and does a lot of marriage counseling for people with her husband said, "people just don't have enough sex. everyone needs to have more sex." (this person also wanted to yell "sex!" instead of "surprise!" when the bride came in, which i thought seemed like overkill, but hey.)

2.) at my friend elizabeth's bachelorette party, one of her married friends said that her grandma (yeah right would either of my grandmas ever tell me what i'm about to tell you she said) told her before her wedding, "honey, it only takes a little bit of time and it makes him really, really happy. so even if you're really tired, just do it." ha, what a grandma, i love it.

one of my best friends, ashley, has been a huge source of encouragement to me, particularly in regards to marriage. she lives in minnesota and has been married for about  a year and a half now, and you might remember her from my post about our friendship or the one about her beautiful wedding.

ashley sent me sweet cards while lance was in ranger school with prayers and words for us as a couple that meant the world to me. she is so positive about marriage -  truly a breath of fresh air in a world where so many people insinuate (or flat out say) that marriage is a bad choice.

i love listening to her talk about how great being a newlywed is! and i love her honesty about what a challenge it can be, but how all of the work you put into is so worth it. (i may or may not remember her saying at one point - "sometimes it's so much work i think i should be getting paid for it!")

i am grateful for  her enthusiasm for lance and me, and i have to commend ashley for being an awesome wife - she is a great example to me of what it looks like to honor and respect your husband!

i am SO EXCITED to get married and start this huge new adventure with lance. to not be in a long distance relationship anymore. to be an awesome wife and to have an awesome husband. to get to fall asleep and wake up together. to move out ... move to georgia ... and make an apartment our home!

oh and please feel free to leave a comment with your marriage advice, or the best marriage advice you've received - clearly i enjoy hearing it.