Have you stopped to think about life after the honeymoon? If you haven’t already combined your households (and even if you have), there are so many things that will need to be figured out. There’s nothing quite like living with someone to make you realize how much you don’t know about them! While I could address the big issues, like: are you going to share a bank account, have you discussed children; I’m thinking more about the little things right now. You know, the things that are so automatic, you don’t even realize you do them. Maybe you leave a messy squeeze spout on the ketchup bottle or clip your toe nails randomly about the house - no, please don’t share the details on that one with me!

One of the things my husband and I figured out early on was that we needed a keeper of the keys, so to speak. It goes something like this:

Keeper of the Car Keys - my husband. We share a vehicle. Since I do most of my work from home and his job is a 24/7 on call kind of thing. He can get a 4am call and need to head out the door. That means I certainly don’t want to have to hunt for the keys in my purse if I was the last one to use them. Hence, when the keys are not in use, they have a lovely home in a small glass container I put on his desk. We always know where to find them. No arguments.

Keeper of the House Keys - both of us have a set. Even if I’m home, I need to lock the door if I go check the mail or go for a walk, etc. He comes and goes at all hours with his schedule and so needs his own key independent of my schedule. (Although, those keys also live with the Car Key in the aforementioned glass container. Wonder what arrangements they made…)

Keeper of the Treasury Key - that’s not a literal key, that’s the official balancer of the checkbook, budget maintainer. He brings me receipts, I make sure we are on track and send up red flags when needed. Getting to this point - oh boy, that’s another post. LOL!

Keeper of the Sugar Key - another figurative key. We share a sweet tooth weakness, so we keep those in short supply in the house. My husband swears most emphatically that the rustling sound I sometimes hear coming from the kitchen late at night is a mouse. To which I reply, yes, he’s a rather large blonde mouse who likes Double Stuf Oreos.

These are the kinds of little things that make up your daily life together. Those quirks or pet peeves that you were able to put up with in the dating/engagement days can quickly grow out of proportion if you aren’t willing to work together and iron them out.

The hubby and I still find new keys to add or ones to swap around on the key ring. But one thing that’s still true, he’s the one with the key to my heart.