Life together #1: The fix-it man

I pride myself on being independent, if it wasn't obvious from other posts on my blog.

I fix my own household problems. I hold myself accountable for stocking the pantry. I wax my own car(s). I generally like practicing being a responsible adult.

But having my husband fix things around the house -- actually, finding the broken things himself and fixing them promptly -- has made me feel unexpectedly well loved.

I've been married three weeks now, and spent less than half that time with my husband actually in my house. Between honeymooning and sending him off to a work site a 5-hour drive away, I've not spent as much time at home with him as normal newlyweds, I imagine.

He's an engineer-type who gets a kick out of fixing stuff -- or at least feels more relaxed when things aren't broken. In the 9.5 days he's been at my house, he's already found and fixed several issues:

• The dryer that wouldn't heat
• The too-long dryer vent hose
• The screen door to the kitchen that wouldn't close properly
• And the loose latch on said screen door
• The dishwasher that wasn't draining right
• The leaky flashing on my roof
• The shimmy in my steering wheel
• The plugged basement window well drain
• The loose or poorly located gutter drainpipes
• The broken battery connection in the thermostat

I only asked him specifically about fixing the dishwasher. After he'd already spoiled me with pretty much everything else on that list.

Most wedded couples I've talked to are familiar with the "five love languages" described by author Gary Chapman. I've long suspected I'm an acts-of-service gal -- and so has my sister, who takes the opportunity to load and run my dishwasher nearly every time she visits. And as I've discovered more about myself through interacting with my love, I've realized how true it is.

Because I felt incredibly loved when I came home from supper and the screen door shut behind me.

My love's to-do list I found this evening.