Sweet!

The apple for the day is:

After the kidlets are in bed, turn off the TV for 15 minutes, make a treat or snack, sit and chat. Enjoy your treat and each other. This really does not take long. Don't watch TV and do this!

Zach and I don't have TV so I know this is easy for us to do but we still enjoy the quality time when we do this. Give it a try.

What are you looking at?

"If we are looking for faults in someone, we can always find them." Theodore M. Burton

The apple for the day is: Look for anything positive you see your spouse doing! Tell them you noticed and that you appreciate it!

go team! :)

This is a quote from the talk I read yesterday.

"Considered in that light, when one speaks of the Father, meaning God the Father, one also speaks of the Father's wife (our Heavenly Mother), for they are one flesh. We use this same expression on earth. When, for instance, we speak of the Bensons, the Hollands, or the Burtons, we speak of a pair. If these married partners were as perfect as our Heavenly Parents are, these couples would act and do things as a team, working together in perfect harmony and oneness--literally as one flesh. I personally believe that the word "Elohim" (a plural word) is a title and includes this connotation of oneness, even though when I write or speak of God the Father, I speak of a living, single being, but realize in my heart that they make up a heavenly pair." -Theodore M. Burton, Love and Marriage

I love thinking of Zach and I being a team! What a healthy way to look at marriage!

The apple for the day is: do something as a team! Ask for help with a project. Do the dishes or work on the car together, etc.

When I was on the jump rope team in elementary school, after we performed or competed we went out for slur-pees at 7-11!!! Just a thought! :)

better late...

than never! :)

Oh my late posts this weekend! I found this talk from BYU speeches website again. I really liked it! I love love!

Zach and I try to read a marriage talk on Sunday or Monday. I hope you are able to read one with your spouse every now and again too. Happy reading!

Time - Time - Time

I don't know how many husbands read this, but I think that they should - my own opinion of course.

Time goes by so fast, what do we all do with it. Days quickly turn into weeks, months and years. How about giving a little bit of it voluntarily to do whatever they want......

The apple for the day is this:

Give your Wife 30 minutes to herself, better yet if you feel you can handle things at home a little longer, then do it for an hour or two. You will be so happy you did - AND - your wife will totally love you for it. You will find that the time you spent with the kids goes faster than you think.

Have an AWESOME day!!!

Make em' laugh!

It is time to gear up and start thinking of what we are gonna do for April Fools Day!

I found this great blog with some awesome ideas for "Romance on a budget". Check out her ideas for April Fools!

Here are a few incentives to do something to make your spouse laugh on April Fools Day!

"Laughter and humor relieve tension, lift spirits, and bring couples closer together.

Having a sense of humor as a couple can help keep your relationship fresh."

-Sheri & Bob Stritof, About.com Guide

Relax would ya!

The apple for the day is: give your spouse a back or foot massage tonight or better yet for a date this weekend! Put on some relaxing music and enjoy!

If you'd like some further ideas on a massage or "spa date" check out this awesome blog!

Just ask-

The other night I was writing down some things on my mind that I needed to get done or at least work on for the week. I asked Zach if there was anything he needed me to do for him this week. If I had not asked, he probably would not have asked for my help.

The apple for the day is: ask your spouse if you can do anything for them! It could be a meal they haven't had in a while or pick up this or that from the store on their way home from work or clean the bathroom because it is driving them crazy. Whatever it is, just ask and then help them willingly!

"I just called...

to say I love you!"

The Apple for the day is: call your spouse today and tell them something you love and appreciate about them. That's it. If you have something else to say, then call them right back. :)

Marriage Fitness!

We just ate a yummy treat! A shake made of peppermint ice cream and thin mint girl scout cookies! Zach can concoct some seriously great treats!

Zach and I have been reading this book I picked up from the library a few weeks ago and I really like the philosophy! It is called MARRIAGE FITNESS 4 Steps to Building & Maintaining Phenomenal Love written by Mort Fertel. I had never heard of him but the book was recommended by two Authors I trust; John Gray, Ph.D. Author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus and Stephen R. Covey, author The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

I wanted to post about it so I looked to see what was online. You should check out their website!

http://www.marriagemax.com/?gclid=CObD096zy6ACFQlLgwodRSG6zw

So tonight we were reading about how to be a good parent in Marriage Fitness and Mr. Fertel quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson by saying "Who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear a word you're saying." And then he continues, "Whatever you want your children to achieve, you first have to achieve yourself. And the first step to achieving a phenomenal marriage is to prioritize your spouse higher than anything in the world-including your children."

'Almost every evening my wife and I and our four children spend time together. The kids love this part of the day. But once a week, the babysitter arrives at 7:00 p.m. and my wife and I leave for the evening. The kids sometimes cry, but we leave anyway. They want to be with us every night, but they also want to eat candy for dinner. It's our job to know what's best for them. And what's best for them is for us to spend one night each week alone."

Zach and I were inspired by this!

The apple for the day is: talk to your spouse, decide on one way you could show your children you prioritize your marriage. Is it religious date night or talking for 15 minutes (clocked by the timer) on the couch or at the dinner table while the kids play?

aw, love!

I have to thank my friend Chelsea for reminding me of the wonderful talks you can find given at BYU! I had a smile on my face while reading THIS one by Elder Holland.

I hope you enjoy reading it too!

Have a great Sunday!

get dirty. :)

Well, it is lucky week and all, so here is an Irish Proverb:

"You'll never plow a field by turning it over in your mind."

My interpretation is probably the same as most of yours. You can think all day about something but it isn't gonna get done unless you do it....or you pay someone else to. :)

The apple of the day is: Ask your spouse what they would like you to do today for them. Do it. :)

Need I say more?

Lucky Madness Date!

If you don't have any plans for date night tomorrow...if you are into March Madness then have some fun watching with your spouse! I am not against betting Zach if we don't agree on who will win. :) Pick your teams, place bets and decide on a prize for the lucky winner!

I know not everyone likes basketball...you could play slap jack!

your top ten

The apple for the day is:

Give your spouse a list of THE TOP TEN REASONS WHY I AM SO LUCKY TO BE YOURS!

Have fun!

Lucky Treat!

Tonight make a sweet treat and enjoy it while visiting about your day! Turn off the TV and enjoy 10 minutes of quiet conversation. Maybe talk about some of your favorite traditions. Have fun!

Your LUCKY week!

We'll be going with the LUCKY theme this week!

Your Apple of the day is:

Today do something nice for your spouse and leave a note saying "it's your LUCKY day!"

So, what did you do for your date night?

Every second Friday we play hand and foot with some friends. I love that night. We always have such a good time! I love that we have it scheduled, I look forward to it every month!

Perfection Pending

I tell you what - that is a great way to put it. Perfection is pending.......let's face it - I am not Perfect, nor is anyone else - but I sure would like to be. In Elder Russell M. Nelson's talk "Perfection Pending" he talks about how reminders come repeatedly for us each and every day (well, at least they do for me - you all out there are A LOT better than me). In the opening paragraph he tells us that "We all need to remember: Men are that they might have joy - not guilt trips!

The Apple of the day is two-fold 1- Remember you are not perfect and 2- Do ONE thing today that you can be Perfect at as a person or as a couple. There are a lot of ideas and things that we can be perfect at for at least one time (i.e. Pray as a couple, Read the Scriptures as a family, Giving your wife/husband a hug). It can be ANYTHING - just make it something and something that makes you look back at it when you are done and say "I did that and I feel better for doing so."

A verb?

Love - the word L-O-V-E is a verb. A word that conveys action (according to Wikipedia). I agree though, the only way we all "fell" in love anyway isn't because it just happened, it's because we took action and did things to show it. Today - the apple of the day is to do something you did to your spouse when you were dating to LOVE them.

Fun.......WAY fun!!!

Today.....or tonight - take a few minutes and talk with your wife or husband about the night you got engaged. It may turn into 15 minutes of wonderful conversation, and you will probably get a good laugh about it too. That's the apple of the day!

who me?

YES you! :) It is your turn to plan date night! Get the babysitter and check out these fun ideas!

THEN, come back and tell us what you did! Have a great time!

The Waiting Place...

good ol' Dr. Seuss! Now he was one bright guy! One book I enjoy reading to our kids is "Oh the places you'll go!" One of the places he goes is the waiting place!

The Waiting Place…

…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go

or a bus to come, or a plane to go

or the mail to come, or the rain to go

or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow

or waiting around for a Yes or No

or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite

or waiting for wind to fly a kite

or waiting around for Friday night

or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake

or a pot to boil, or a Better Break

or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants

or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.

Everyone is just waiting.

When looking for these words online I found this blog and my thought were very similar to hers. I, of course was thinking about them in a marriage sort of way. :)

I am comfortable admitting to you that I am not perfect. By now, you should know this. There are times when I "wait" for Zach to do something and ultimately let that become my motivation to do or don't do something.

To illustrate: Can you believe that I would ask Zach to put a nail into a wall so I could hang up my hot pads?! yep, and then one day I REALIZED!!!....I can do that myself!! LOL! Or, if he comes home late from work and I have been "waiting" for him to feed the kids. My heck, I could have fed them and then given them a snack later when he got home!

The apple for the day is: stop waiting and start doing!

Be the first person to get out of bed, be the one to say you're sorry, be the one to love first! The waiting place is not for you!

Physical touch

One book I love is called "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman. Instead of trying to explain everything in the book right now I'll just copy part of what is on the back of the book.

"ARE YOU AND YOUR SPOUSE SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE?"

"He sends you flowers when what you really want is time to talk. She gives you a hug when what you really need is a home-cooked meal. The problem isn't your love-its your love language!

'In this international bestseller, Dr. Gary Chapman reveals how different people express love in different ways. In fact, there are five specific languages of love;

~Quality time ~Words of Affirmation ~Gifts

~Acts of Service ~Physical Touch"

Every Apple of the Day can be classified under one of these languages of love.

Today's apple of the day is: Hold their hand, look for any opportunity to do this. Be sweet!

critical?

Have you ever allowed yourself to be bothered by something your spouse did or even didn't do? I have. I have at times allowed myself to get so worked up over something seriously stupid and really, I don't think he even knew I was so upset.

In the Gospel Principles manual, (chapter four, page 19) I loved the line that said, "Right choices increase our power to make more right choices".

Interesting that I love something so simple?

My point is that when we focus on something, stew over it or let it fester inside of us, it drives the Spirit away and then it becomes even harder to rectify the situation.

If we simply choose to respond "right" the first time, then we are given power to make more right choices. This is so true! We can choose to look past the insignificant things that might bother us and we can also choose to talk to our spouse about something and work it out instead of letting it fester.

The apple for the day is: "Choose the right!" Do something right for your spouse TODAY!

This doesn't just apply at times when our spouse bothers us, it also applies when they need us to help them, when they need encouragement or support in some way. The more we choose to do them right, the power we are given to continue increases!

At the risk of this post being too long, I still must add the other side of this idea. It comes also from the G.P. manual on page 20.

"Even though we are free to choose our course of action, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions. The consequences, whether good or bad, follow as a natural result of any choice we make."

Dad - Are you awake?

Well, if you ask me - it would depend on what hour it was at the moment my child was asking.......or if I really wanted to be awake for the 4th time that night with the same child. I'm sure many of you have had that experience, maybe just once - but maybe multiple times. I've found that in those instances that I've been up more than twice I am either humbled by a comment from my little one that makes it all worth it or that I stay frustrated the remainder of the night and wake up exactly that way - Frustrated.

The basis for my post actually comes from a talk a few years back by F. Melvin Hammond entitled "Dad - Are you awake?"

Let's apply it to marriage though in a quote from the talk "Do they ever wonder if you are asleep when it comes to the things that are most important to them?" So, what are the things that are most important to your spouse? Are you taking the time to notice and care about those things? Take some time today and think about at least one of those things and read the talk if you'd like.

Pop Tart.......

Today of all days - Don't eat your husband's Pop Tart! Seriously!

Vancouver Olympics 2010

There is a definite, distinct, great feeling that accompanies the Olympics - just watching them! Our short track speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno made a comment about his training that he had to answer every day that sums up what it took to get there, not only this time, but every time......."Did you do every single thing you could today to make sure that you did your best?" He said that it was really hard to be able to say "Yes" every day.

What if we apply that same question to our marriage and what we do everyday. Did I? Did you? Will I? Will you? Today, take one more minute to think about and DO the thing that you need to for continuing to build an Olympic Marriage. We all can do it!

Zach

an invitation

today is Thursday! Send your sweetheart an invitation for a date! If you can, find a babysitter and go out! Ask them out in a different way...ask their secretary to put a phone message on their desk.

A few weeks ago we went to the Junction in Ogden. We mini golfed on a coupon, got pizza and played in the arcade all for 20 bucks! Plus we saw some amazing kids doing dance dance revolution! I have never seen anything like it! Well, we had an awesome time hanging out!

If you can't go out, make tonight different then any other weekend at home! If you can't think of anything, go to town and make some amazing banana splits and play checkers!

thinking of you

Today, or the next time you head out shopping, grocery or otherwise, buy something for your love.

This apple of the day might be easy for some, but for those of us that aren't that great at gift giving it might be more difficult.

Zach loves Italian sausage, or sausage for that matter- if I made anything with it, he would know I loved him and that I bought it just for him. Think about them when you're at the store.

When you talk to them after you bought it, say "I bought you something today". I know I LOVE it when Zach says this!! :) Have fun!

a little out of your way...

I know when Zach leaves in the morning, I can be a bit consumed with other happenings. Cleaning up from breakfast, getting the kids dressed or bathed, etc.

So this morning or tomorrow morning before your spouse leaves for work, give him/her a hug and tell them you love them. They will surely have a better day, and chances are, so will you.

True or False?

Is that really why you got married?!
Good idea or BAD idea?
When I annoy Zach, I am usually the only one laughing! :) Sometimes it is probably a bad idea. That is, if he's not laughing. :)
I love being married!
What word(s) would you replace with annoy?

The apple for the day is:
If that one "thing" you do that annoys your spouse can be passed over, do that today. :) You can even tell him/her that you didn't do "that thing" just for them!