"One man all by himself is nothing.
Two people who belong together make a world."
~ Hans Margolius
Two people who belong together make a world."
~ Hans Margolius
Dishes be damned. The hottest thing in this kitchen is clearly not the food. Somehow, whenever I make dinner, it never quite ends up like this! But I think it would be fun if it did...How 'bout you?
I've been thinking lately how I put so much time and effort into almost every area of my life - except my marriage. I don't mean to ignore it. It's just that Matt and I are happy. Busy...but very happy. When I think of the areas in my life that need "work," Matt and I together, do not top the list. Raising happy kids, staying on top of the laundry, losing weight, and balancing the budget seem more pressing.
When Matt and I first fell in love - we were nineteen - and it was bliss. Fun, romantic, heady, LOVE. The kind where songs on the radio made me giggle. His name tasted sweet on my tongue and his smile made me blush. But then, after all the wedding hoopla faded, and the stork visited one, two, THREE times in 4 years - life kicked in at a wicked pace, and my priorities got reshuffled. Somewhere in between the diapers, bottles, naps, dieting, carpooling, dishes, laundry and bills, the romance got forgotten. I just didn't have time to sit back and reflect on our marital bliss anymore.
Now that the baby is one, and I am finding little bits of energy here and there for something other than keeping my head above water, I've had time to remember that bliss and miss it. I've realized I can explain away my lack of romance all I want. But when I stop to really think about it, they are all excuses. If I have time to think up and execute creative crafts, homemade playdoh, yummy snacks, blog posts, ingenious stain removers, 300 calorie dinners, and cut coupons - then I can find the time to make my marriage awesome..and FUN! We deserve it!
I really believe it's not the traditional stuff — the big dinner out once a year, or even the regular Saturday-night dates — that pulls husbands and wives together and bonds them. I believe it's little bits of time stolen together and small, frequent gestures that remind us of what we have in common and our commitment to each other. So I've decided to create a little challenge for myself. I've decided it's time to Date Your Mate!
Here's the deal. Every Friday, I will be posting a new, fun, easy, (and hopefully inexpensive) way to foster my relationship with my husband. Ways to celebrate our marriage and remind us why we founded this union in the first place! Whatever that week's "challenge" is, I commit to doing it to, for, or with Matthew before the following Friday. I'm hoping, with a little effort and intentionality, we'll discover that opportunities to connect and feel really good about our marriage are lurking everywhere, every day of the year!
I've been thinking lately how I put so much time and effort into almost every area of my life - except my marriage. I don't mean to ignore it. It's just that Matt and I are happy. Busy...but very happy. When I think of the areas in my life that need "work," Matt and I together, do not top the list. Raising happy kids, staying on top of the laundry, losing weight, and balancing the budget seem more pressing.
When Matt and I first fell in love - we were nineteen - and it was bliss. Fun, romantic, heady, LOVE. The kind where songs on the radio made me giggle. His name tasted sweet on my tongue and his smile made me blush. But then, after all the wedding hoopla faded, and the stork visited one, two, THREE times in 4 years - life kicked in at a wicked pace, and my priorities got reshuffled. Somewhere in between the diapers, bottles, naps, dieting, carpooling, dishes, laundry and bills, the romance got forgotten. I just didn't have time to sit back and reflect on our marital bliss anymore.
Now that the baby is one, and I am finding little bits of energy here and there for something other than keeping my head above water, I've had time to remember that bliss and miss it. I've realized I can explain away my lack of romance all I want. But when I stop to really think about it, they are all excuses. If I have time to think up and execute creative crafts, homemade playdoh, yummy snacks, blog posts, ingenious stain removers, 300 calorie dinners, and cut coupons - then I can find the time to make my marriage awesome..and FUN! We deserve it!
I really believe it's not the traditional stuff — the big dinner out once a year, or even the regular Saturday-night dates — that pulls husbands and wives together and bonds them. I believe it's little bits of time stolen together and small, frequent gestures that remind us of what we have in common and our commitment to each other. So I've decided to create a little challenge for myself. I've decided it's time to Date Your Mate!
Here's the deal. Every Friday, I will be posting a new, fun, easy, (and hopefully inexpensive) way to foster my relationship with my husband. Ways to celebrate our marriage and remind us why we founded this union in the first place! Whatever that week's "challenge" is, I commit to doing it to, for, or with Matthew before the following Friday. I'm hoping, with a little effort and intentionality, we'll discover that opportunities to connect and feel really good about our marriage are lurking everywhere, every day of the year!
Do you want to Date Your Mate too? A round of applause goes out to all of you who are already rock stars in this area. I am seriously impressed! I have a hunch, however, that more than just me could use a little kick in the bum to step it up in the romance department. Are you brave enough to jump in? Check back each Friday to see what I have challenged myself with. (I promise to be tasteful...for the most part!) Feel free to complete my challenge too, or better yet, come up with your own way to celebrate your marriage and post about it. Either way, join the Linky and get dating. Game ON!
9 comments:
you know i'm in on this, erin! thanks for the challenge. i love your friendship! =)
will post the button and blog about it later...just supposed to be printing a recipe right now!
So excited about this challenge! It will be fun to do it along with friends! I'm off to play bowling dice with a certain little 3 year old and then take colby to the allergist but i'll post about it sometime today and add the button to my sidebar!! Happy "dating"!!
this is much needed encouragement to do more! thanks Erin!
Does it count that I microwaved leftover pasta for Jon for lunch?! ha ha ha!
Seriously, my date your mate plan was that I booked a sitter for tomorrow, the one who can put the boys to bed. And we're going to a 5 star restaurant for our anniversary dinner we had to reschedule bc the boys were sick. Should be awesome! I'm breaking out the magic cream after my run tomorrow!
sorry...but when I look at that first picture....why is it that all I see is that SKULL on the kitchen counter???????
what on earth?????
HA! Me too Lainey - that's why I had to cover it up with the hearts in the button!!
I think this is a great idea. I will do my best to keep up, but my timing may be off due to Jeff only being here half of a week.
I have no idea how I found your blog just now (was searching for date ideas on someone else's), but I am in. I will consider myself caught up since I posted something wonderful about my husband every day for his birthday last week. Thanks for the inspiration! Am really needing it right now! I will try my best to keep up!
I found your blog from Moments with Love...and I going to join in on your challenge. Thank you for inspiring us to do good for our marriage...as well, as ourselves!
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