Bits & Pieces - Things I've Learned in My "Seminary Wife Training" (a.k.a. "LIFE") at Northland

• I’ve learned that… it’s okay to go to bed even if Jordan has to stay up late working on stuff. No sense in his having to endure a crabby wife on top of everything else!
• I’ve learned that…we need to be sure to stock up on a case of his favorite energy drinks before he begins a block course. Even my ADHD husband needs some artificial energy to get through some of those long hours with such scholarly Profs!!
• I’ve learned that…I need to limit my stories to our suppertime. This is one that I really struggle with, and often forces Jordan to the library for some undisturbed study. L I have such a habit of just blurting out whatever anecdote from my day that pops into my head! Now normally, Jordan is very sweet and patient to listen to my silly little stories; but when he’s trying to write a paper about the biblical mandate to separate, my random story about so-n-so who flushed their air freshener down the toilet and called me to have a Maintenance guy go get it out who then had to drain the toilet, pick it up and turn it upside down, and then snake something through it to get the can out of there…well, let’s just say it’s hard to keep a good train of thought going on a serious paper when your wife randomly tells stories like that!
• I’ve learned that…sometimes I just need to ask him for some attention. I’ve become really good at this!! ;) But seriously, if it’s just getting to be too much for me to be so quiet and good for hours on end, I can ask him to take a 5-minute break to just sit and talk with me. It’s much better than my getting all mopey because I miss him; and besides, I think sometimes he’s glad to stop staring at his computer and books for a while! (I just try not to do it too often! Heehee!)
• I’ve learned that…sometimes it’s a good idea to leave stuff out. For the last few months, we’ve had Cribbage sitting out on the dinner table so that it’s ready to play on a whim. Now, those of you who know me or have lived with me know that it goes against every fiber of my being to leave something ‘out’ like that. Everything must be put away at the day’s end or my little perfectionist mind can hardly sleep! But I’ve found that leaving the game out on the table has been a great little diversion that doesn’t necessarily take a lot of Jordan’s time. It’s a great way to end a long evening of study! (Plus, I am learning not to get my feelings hurt when he trash-talks me! Haha!)
• I’ve learned that…the bigger and better the meal I make, the longer it will take to eat, and the more stories I’ll get to tell, and (possibly the best part) the more gratitude I will receive! ;)
• I’ve learned that…I should have some interesting, ongoing projects to keep myself busy and feeling productive. When I don’t have anything worthwhile to do, I start to feel so depressed and neglected. I mean, no one wants to go to bed with the knowledge that all they did that night was pick up the house, make food, eat food, clean up food, and play tetris! (I do speak from experience! Haha!) Some of the things I like to keep myself busy with are working out, blogging, researching web design, teaching myself guitar, playing piano, listening to music, reading, etc.
• I’ve learned that…we should try to plan a fun day/night right before/after a block course. This is more for my sake than for Jordan’s, I think; but it is something that we sometimes do to give us a little ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ to look forward to!
• I’ve learned that…I need to be ready to party. If he gets some free time, I can’t be so caught up in my own agenda that I miss a chance to spend some time with him!
• I’ve learned that…Jordan’s classes are interesting. Well, maybe I should clarify…some are more interesting than others, definitely! ;) But I am so glad that I am able to continue learning Bible and theology and stay ‘in the loop’ on different issues through Jordan, even though I am no longer taking classes. I usually proof-read his papers, and sometimes I get so carried away reading the content that I forget that I’m supposed to be checking spelling and grammar too (don’t worry, Jordan, I always go back and double-check it!). J
• I’ve learned that…I am immeasurably blessed to have Jordan for my husband. I am so thankful that he takes his studies seriously and that he is able to do so well with them. I am also very thankful that he chooses to include me on what he is studying and lets me be involved (or, at least he makes me feel like I’m involved! Heehee!). I am thankful that Jordan takes time to spend with me and cares about how I am doing in the midst of his busy semester. I am so blessed!