No rose colored glasses here

"An ideal marriage is a true partnership between two imperfect people, each striving to complement the other, to keep the commandments, and to do the will of the Lord. "

—Elder Russell M. Nelson

The other night I was in the kitchen watching Nick devour a bowl of cereal. I sat there staring in dismay as milk dribbled down his chin and back into the cereal bowl. Between the loud, incessant, crunching and watching him shovel HUGE spoonfuls into his mouth, the scene finally became too unbearable to watch. I was just about to let him know of my extreme irritation by saying something sarcastic like, "So that cereal is pretty good, huh?", when the thought crossed my mind: I wonder what annoying things I do that drive Nick crazy? So I asked him. I thought the conversation might make for an interesting blog post:

ME: "What things do I do that bug you?"

He's use to me asking him random, out-of-no-where questions.

Nick: "Uh...I'll have to think about it."

Me: "Just name like 5 things."

Nick: "You don't pick-up after yourself. You are like a little tornado sometimes, always leaving little messes in different rooms of the house."

Me (making mental note that it bothers me that he is a neat freak) : "True...but I am getting better."

Nick: "You don't speak your mind sometimes. You're not very assertive."

I am all too aware of this flaw. *sigh*

Me: "What else?"

Nick: "I don't know, I can't really think of anything else."

At this point I was feeling pretty good. Only two things annoy him? Not too shabby. My pride was quickly replaced with shame for being able to think of 5 things on the spot that annoyed ME about HIM. So I decided to help him.

Me: "I take a long time to get ready for church or for a date" (the only times I bother to do my hair and put on make-up)

Nick: "Oh yeah, that is very true." He sat and thought for a minute. I could tell the wheels were really starting to turn now. Finally he announced, "Oh it drives me crazy how you take forever to order at a drive-thru! You will sit and stare at the menu for who knows how long, and then when its your turn to order you always give me a blank stare and say 'I'm not ready yet.' And then you end up ordering the same thing you always order. It's SO annoying!"

I could only laugh at this. He nailed me.

His eyes lit up again and I had wondered what I had gotten myself into.

Nick: "OH!!! I can not stand how you interrupt me when I am telling a story to someone. Half way through you will cut me off and finish the story yourself. IT DRIVES ME CRAZY!"

This is something I have only recently discovered about myself. It really is a problem. I think its just the writer in me that wants to make sure he doesn't leave a single detail out.

I then shared my annoyances with him (some are a little petty and ridiculous, I admit it!):

1. When you eat cereal, it sounds like there is a microphone in your mouth and it looks like you are a wolf devouring small animal.

2. When you sneeze its always in three's! Why is this? Why are you incapable of being a one time sneezer?

3. A little clutter isn't the end of the world. Sheesh.

4. When I make a meal for you I feel like I am on a reality cooking show. I sweat bullets when you are about to taste my creation because you are SO picky!

5. You are probably the biggest hint dropper in the world. Instead of telling me exactly what you want, you are notorious for saying little obscure remarks about your expectations. And then you get upset when I don't pick up your little bread crumbs leading me to what you really want...which is what again?

Both of us got a good laugh out of the lists and they gave us something to think about and work on. And to make the end the evening on a more positive note, we ended up telling each other 5 things we love about each other. I won't bore your with those sappy lists.

I am reminded of the quote: "we should keep [our] eyes wide open before marriage, and half shut afterward." (Or in my case, I just close them altogether when Nick's about to pour a bowl of Captain Crunch..ha!) :)

*Just so everyone knows Nick has read this post and was completely fine with me sharing it with all who care to read it.