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Tis the Season to Ruin Holidays
As we were making plans with my mom, Taryn (our daughter) and her boyfriend, Kris for Thanksgiving, Taryn said, “Mom, remember when you guys ruined Thanksgiving?” Well, we are here to tell you that Thanksgiving was just one of many holidays that we unintentionally ruined for Taryn. While we could probably share every major holiday that was ruined in some way, we selected our top 3. 3. Thanksgiving: When Taryn was five, she was watching Sesame Street as Chris and I were in the kitchen preparing Thanksgiving dinner. She came into the kitchen as Chris was pulling the turkey out of the oven to baste. As he did this he said, “Wow, that’s…
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The Drift
Exciting Beginnings We all battle something called “the drift” in marriage. Before we get into that, let’s begin with a happy story. We just attended a wedding. It was so much fun celebrating with the newlywed couple. At the reception, one of the groomsmen spoke about how he noticed a change in his friend (the groom) after the bride and groom met. All of a sudden, this young man was asking for time off from work so he could spend time with the beautiful young woman in his life. He just couldn’t wait to spend time with her. New love is quite a phenomenon, isn’t it? There really are no…
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5 Reasons You Need a Getaway Without Kids
This post originally appeared on The Couples Post on Sept. 12, 2021. As we placed linen napkins on our laps for a fancy dinner, we realized life as we knew it was about to change. We were soon going to become parents. We’d enjoyed two wonderful years of marriage and wondered … would this be our last Getaway alone? Why get away without kids? 1. You and Your Marriage need Attention. Raising small humans takes constant attention. We can easily pour all our energy into them. We didn’t want to be strangers after the kids moved out, so we chose to intentionally invest time and energy into our relationship. Read…
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A Toast
John: Well, it finally happened! The wedding of the century (at least OUR century so far) arrived and now our nuclear family of 5 has become 6! The look on our son’s face was priceless as his beautiful beaming bride turned the corner, walking down the aisle toward him and their future together. A hint of the boy he once was shone through the giant smile of the incredible man he’d become, We knew this would be an emotional day, one filled with joy as our son pledged a lifetime of love and commitment to his beloved and she to him. We weren’t prepared for how deep those emotions would…
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The Empty Nest Revisited
With the holidays right around the corner, our empty nest is about to be repopulated as all of our kids come home for Christmas. While we love having them here, it can cause tension and stress when they forget they are adults and fall back into their familiar patterns as siblings and kids. How do we deal with this so that we can keep the peace in the nest and make merry memories together?
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Was it Bad Parenting or Making Memories?
A few years ago, we watched as our daughter, Taryn, spent an exorbitant amount of money on a Halloween costume. When asked why, she said that we had ruined every Halloween by having her be creative and come up with a costume, rather than getting a store-bought one. Upon reflection, we wondered, was it bad parenting or making memories? Thanksgiving: When Taryn was five, she was watching Sesame Street as Chris and I were in the kitchen preparing Thanksgiving dinner. She walked in the kitchen just as Chris was pulling the turkey out of the oven to baste. He said, “Wow, that’s a big bird.” When we turned around, Taryn’s eyes were full of tears…
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Boomerang Baby
“Mom and Dad, would it be ok if I moved home for a while?” These words were the start of a brand-new chapter in our life. Good-bye empty nest, hello boomerang baby.
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Heart Cards
Chris: With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, we were inspired to share how our daughter’s holiday assignment led to a new take on a traditional symbol. When our daughter was in the second grade, the teacher challenged the class to make their own Valentine’s cards. As she got in the car from school, she told me about her assignment. Her concern: “I don’t love everyone in my class. I don’t want to put a heart on every card.” My suggestion: “When we get home, look up what a human heart really looks like.” When Michelle arrived home that evening, Taryn had 14 Valentine’s cards with a typical heart shape on them AND 9 cards…
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Our Wedding Vows, Revisited
“One thing I am sure of is that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?” JULIE We were recently privileged to hear these words spoken by our son, and to witness the teary, smiley, enthusiastic YES that was his now-fiancée’s response. OUR SON IS GETTING MARRIED! WE ARE GETTING A NEW DAUGHTER! Our daughter-in-law-to-be wasn’t the only one who was crying. That moment will forever rank as one of the most beautiful, emotional, joy-filled, and exciting moments we’ve ever experienced.
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Fair is Not Necessarily Equal
A classic line out of any child’s mouth is “It’s not fair!” Children use this line to cover everything from chores to birthday parties to bedtimes. It’s a comparison game, but in the end, fair isn’t necessarily equal.
