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Play!
Play is not just for kids. It strengthens bonds as a married couple and as a family. Studies have shown play builds trust and boosts the emotional and mental well-being of children and parents. Play adds joy to life and who doesn’t need that! Play is an outlet for stress. Unlike scrolling or vegging in front of the TV, active play burns calories and connects us with others in real time.
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Relationships: Why Your Circle Matters
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” – Jim Rohn Whether we realize it or not, the people we spend time with are shaping our thoughts, habits, and even our values. When we spend time with positive, purpose-driven people, we find ourselves growing in that direction. But the opposite is also true: if we surround ourselves with people who are negative, cynical, or self-destructive, we’ll drift that way without even realizing it. The Influence of Friends on Marriage A Pew Research study found that people were 75% more likely to divorce if a close friend or family member divorced. Even having a friend of…
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Carefree Timelessness
We first heard about the concept of Carefree Timelessness years ago in a talk given by Matthew Kelly. He defines carefree timelessness as: “Time spent together with nothing to achieve other than the enjoyment of each other’s company.” In Kelly’s book titled, Slowing Down to the Speed of Joy, he writes: “Carefree timelessness is the reason young people fall in love so easily, and lack of carefree timelessness is the reason the rest of us fall out of love so easily. You had plenty of carefree timelessness when you were falling in love. You made it a priority.” Reclaiming What Matters Most We all get busy, but being too busy…
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Everything We Need to Know We Learned…From a Baby?
Grandparenthood has been all we dreamed it would be – and more. We have loved every moment! Our grandson is nearly 7 months old and changing rapidly. He is learning new things every day. As he lay peacefully sleeping in my arms recharging his little batteries, it dawned on me that he isn’t the only one learning. In many ways, the student has become the teacher. We have learned so much from our little guy!
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Don’t Forget to Laugh
Michelle: Isn’t it refreshing to think that something as simple as laughter can support your marriage and help it thrive? Here are some tips for bringing a dose of laughter into your relationship. Tip 1: Look for accidentally funny moments. One evening our daughter told us that her driver’s ed teacher was mean because he laughed at her during class. Taryn: My teacher asked if driving is a difficult and thought-provoking task? I said that driving is pretty simple because you just put the prindle in D and go. Us: Prindle? Taryn: Yeah, you know where the stick thing is. P-R-N-D-L. Tip 2: Never take yourself too seriously. Chris: When…
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Still Crazy After All These Years
Nick: This Arlo and Janis comic came across my X feed out of the blue this past week, and I texted it immediately to Jen. It is an illustration of a very, very ‘us’ sort of interaction. It brings to mind the small ways we’re still crazy for each other after all these years.
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3 Ways to Date Your Spouse
Michelle: As a couple, if we do not continue to pursue one another, we could wake up one day to find that we have become roommates. The foundation of our relationship was built on friendship and romance. Here are three easy ways that we have come up with to continue to nourish that foundation. 1. Look for Opportunities to Connect: When we were dating, Chris was constantly calling me, asking me to go grab a drink with him or even simply ride a bike together or take a walk. After we got married and started raising our family, our connections went from intentional time to be together and check in,…
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That’s What Friends Are For
John: We just returned from experiencing the incredible beauty of the Pacific coast. 2200 miles of mountains, beaches, rainforests, and vineyards in 12 days. It was wonderful to get away as a couple and do what we love most – exploring the great outdoors. While the scenery during the first 2000 miles was simply stunning, just as memorable and refreshing was the time spent with friends over the last 200 miles.
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Movie Magic🍿
Many of the couples we know have a favorite movie. It’s usually one you enjoyed together and will pull off the shelf or out of the streaming catalogue once a year or so and revisit. Watching your movie together usually reconnects you to the good feelings and simplicity of the earlier time as well.
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Show Me Who Your Friends Are…
Mom frequently told me, “show me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are,” which usually meant, “I don’t like the people you are hanging around with.” Yet we have discovered much wisdom in her words and know firsthand the importance of deep friendships with other married couples. There is much written on the benefits of these friendships: The Benefits of Couple Friends – Prepare/Enrich (prepare-enrich.com). 7 Ways Couple Friends Can Make A Happier Marriage – (salteffect.com). We have come up with a few of our own.
