I thought this would be a good time to get Isanon's voice on this blog - since I am the one who usually does all the talking on here. So, I made up a little questionnaire for us to answer. Here goes.... (Isanon's answer's in blue, mine in pink}
Two things we have learned during these two years of marriage. ~ I am learning how to trust. Trust in our love, trust in our future, trust in Isa's ability to lead us. Trusting in others has never been easy for me, I have learned to be independent - but little by little, I am learning to completely trust Isanon in every aspect.
~ I have learned to have patience. Janel likes to have a plan, I like to just go - and sometimes that causes problems.
~ I have also learned how to show affection. Opening up and showing or saying how I feel is not easy for me, but Janel has shown me how important it is for our marriage.
Two things we love most about our other half.
~I love Isanon's heart. I have said it more times in these two years than I can count, but truly - Isanon has the best heart. He is always forgiving and sees the best in others - something he has taught me to do. He gives freely, he loves fiercely, and fully. ~ I love that Isanon challenges me. He challenges me to try new things, to not care what others think, and to seek God more. He teaches me how to be free and makes me feel beautiful. He pushes me beyond my comfort zone - and while I don't always like it in the moment, it teaches me to be a better person.
~ I love the way Janel treats me. She loves me and is always doing little things to show me that. She takes care of our house and takes care of me in so many ways.
~ I love the Passion that Janel has. She is very passionate about the things she loves and the dreams we have. She reminds me of that passion daily, and I love that.
Two of our best memories.~Another memory or time that I will never forget is the three months we lived with Bruce, Margaret, and Baby Azariah before moving to Brazil. We were newlyweds, everything was new and lovely - and we truly had the greatest time living with our best friends. We have so many memories from that time - everything from taking turns making dinners, to watching shows together - to Azariah following us to bed...we miss it all.
~One of my best memories was celebrating Janel's Valentines day this year. I wanted to do something more than just buy her a gift, so I decided to surprise her with a romantic dinner. I cooked, lit candles, picked out a movie and dressed up. I loved seeing how happy it made Janel.
~Another favorite memory was just a couple months ago when we went to Porto de Galinhas. The whole day was a good day for us, but my favorite part is when I got Janel to dance with me. It was a lot of fun and I loved dancing all night with my wife.
~One of the hardest things for me to adjust to was Isanon's snoring. Oh Em Gee...that boy snored. Yes, as in past tense. Yes, as in God has shown me mercy and somehow taught Isanon how to stop snoring. The first couple weeks of marriage, I was convinced I would never sleep well again. I literally had to sleep with earphones in, listening to music. But, eventually I did get used to it. And, now (praise Jesus) it is a rare occurrence that Isa snores.
~ Another thing that was hard for me and still is at times, is getting used to how much Isanon cares about his clothes and shoes. The kid literally has almost double the amount of clothing items than I do. And, he likes to take care of these clothes - which is a great thing, just not what I expected. At least once a week, I come in the door to every single article of clothing in a pile on our bed. He likes to take everything out of the drawers, off the hangers - and reorganize them.
~ It was hard for me to get used to how many questions Janel asks. She wants to know everything. If I am telling her about a conversation, she wants to know when it happened, where we were, who was there and how it came up - not just what was said. She has a good memory and remembers details, so she likes me to communicate well.
~Also, getting used to putting the lid down on the toilet has been hard for me. I always forget, always. And, Janel can't stand it. Many times during the day I walk out of the bathroom and she asks me to walk right back in.
~ I would love to travel to some place new with Isanon, or find new places to go on our days off. We seem to have found the easiest mall to get to - and go there over and over. I would like to branch out some.
~ As cliche as it sounds, in this next year of marriage - I want to learn how to love Isanon deeper. I want to find new ways to speak love to him, new ways to surprise him, new ways to serve him.
~ This next year of marriage, I want to do more active things with Janel. I want to go on more walks, explore new things. I want to go hiking or play a sport together. I want to be active, eat better and find things that Janel and I like to do together.
~ I want to also surprise Janel with a trip to somewhere new this year. I know how much she likes to travel, so I want to plan and take her somewhere without her knowing where.
These two years of being Mr. and Mrs. Costa Matos have been the greatest adventure of our lives. We have already lived (and learned) through so many things - and I truly could not imagine being on this adventure with anyone else. Isanon, I love you with my whole heart for my whole life. You are my greatest blessing, and being yours is my greatest joy. Happy Anniversary, my love. I am so glad I get to do life with you. 
Goals of the week: 
{Two} I have truly enjoyed getting to know the new 'House Parents' this month. We have had BBQ's together, dinners together, had each other over for coffee/snack, and spent many hours just talking and getting to know one another. It has been nice. 
And there you have it, Five things I loved about July. Have a great weekend!