Oh how I know a similar situation......
I've had a couple deer heads on the apartment walls since we were dating so she knew full well before we got married that they would hang somewhere. It was brought up many a time, "how many deer heads do you intend to have?" My typical response was, "all of them". My wife and I bought a house a few months before we were married and I left my apartment and moved in for the 3 months before the wedding to do some improvements while she stayed at her own apartment. We looked at many houses before we bought this one, and this was the only one that we really liked, but it does not have a finished basement, or a man cave. But, it's on a small golf course out in the country and we really liked it. It was made full and clear at the beginning that the deer heads were going to go somewhere, and they ended up in the living room. It was a real struggle for her in the first few months, as it is for most women I would imagine at the start. Learning to compromise and live with a guy isn't always easy for them. That tension focused on the 2 focal points of the living room, and there were many discussions about them.
I echo the above comments about God in the relationship. We have what some would call a mixed marriage, as she was brought up Catholic, and I was brought up as Lutheran, so we spent quite a bit of time before, and after the wedding working that out as it is a big part of who we are and what we believe. Turns out they are way more alike than different. We both became closer with God and more familiar with our faith because of the discussions with each other and the church, and it was a great learning experience for the both of us. I wouldn't trade her for anything. We have our first child on the way, due around thanksgiving and we couldn't be more excited.
I've added 3 more deer heads since we got married and the living room is a little bit full.
I just tell her that I'm more successful because she's my good luck charm. We have plans to put on a couple big additions to the house, and finish a portion the 40x72 shed we have out there. But until we build a suitable place for them, that's where they sit, and she's okay with them now. If I had to take them down and put them somewhere else to save my marriage, I would do it in a heartbeat, but she's okay with it, and I couldn't be happier. Now I just need to get going on an addition or finishing a portion of the shed, but I guess the baby room is probably more important.
