a question...

What are you doing to make your marriage better?/stronger?/happier?

I love these questions and others like them because it puts the responsibility where it should be. It doesn't matter what your spouse is doing. You won't be held responsible for that anyway. What am I doing? Good question! Answer it!

I am convinced that a daily attitude of appreciation and service for your spouse is what makes a happy marriage.

I hope this is a start of a great week for you! Happy Halloween!

not a word...

The apple for the day is: when your spouse or you get home for the day just walk right up to them with a sweet, seductive, or some other [nice] look on your face and kiss them!-a nice one!

Enjoy! :)

need a date for this weekend?

If you live in Northern Utah you should consider THIS and if you don't then you should carve a pumpkin too. :)

Do you usually do something for Halloween? What? I don't like all the candy, I wish everyone gave out fruit and nuts. :)

Did you ever do that date where you made a menu with spooky/weird names for things and you place your order without knowing what it is that you are ordering? You could do that with your spouse and the whole family-whichever.

HERE is a link for some menu ideas.

The apple for the day is: get busy planning and do something fun-it can be something you've done before called by a different name but plan and do it!

Bedroom = Torture Chamber (ha ha!)

Massage=

Kiss=

What can you think of?

appropriate interruptions. :)

The apple for the day is: while talking to your spouse, interrupt yourself and tell them what a hottie they are or how much you love their smile and then keep talking. :) That's all. :)

a pleading...

The other day I was reading President Monson's talk in the April conference Ensign. This line seriously struck me....

"I plead with you to teach your children of the temple's importance."

One line all by itself and the Prophet is pleading!

And then he continues.

"The world can be a challenging and difficult place in which to live. We are often surrounded by that which would drag us down. As you and I go to the holy houses of God, as we remember the covenants we make within, we will be more able to bear every trial and to overcome each temptation. In this sacred sanctuary we will find peace; we will be renewed and fortified."

There are many blessings that can come to our lives by attending the Temple that we are seriously not aware of. If we are going to teach our children of the importance of the Temple then we had best show them! Telling ourselves we need to go to the Temple more won't do us any good. We need to decide a day and a time and make the arrangements to go and then don't be deterred.

That is the apple. Let's do it!

here's hopin'!

With this here month being primarily hunting focused Zach and I have been bad at going on dates. I hope you've been better than we have!

Tonight is going to be different though. I am going to set out to find a sitter and we are getting out of this house!

This is what I'm going to do. If we get a sitter we'll go golfing...he'll be shocked. We haven't been golfing in like six years!

If I can't get a sitter then we'll make a campfire at the nearest camp spot for dinner and treats. Tinfoil dinner with our garden potatoes and carrots my mouth is watering!

Either way though I will call him at the office and be totally awkward and ask him on a date. You know what I mean by awkward right? :) I love being awkward. :)

What are you going to do?

"love comes softly"

have you seen this movie? "love comes softly." what a sweet show! (the previews don't really do it justice but its a start)

i think it shows the secret of the phrase, "I love him/her so much more now than the day we were married". we've all heard that before.

usually those that say that are couples that have worked side by side and have supported and served each other doing simple things each day. that's why i liked this movie so much because it shows how love can grow as we work together, admire each others efforts and take care of each other. the hard times are easier because we have each other to lean on. it illustrates the sweet and real nature of love.

after this movie was over i thought about what my marriage looks like now and how i want it to look. have you thought about that? what will it look like?

the day i watched it i put my two youngest down for naps and had all my laundry ready to fold. after it was over i found myself wanting to be a better wife and mother in a kind of cheesy sort of way. :) but whatever works for motivation right?!

is there a song, movie or a book that motivates you to be better like that?

i'm sick today. i'm hoping Zach comes home from hunting this morning and lets me sleep and watch the Love comes softly series all day. :)

the window...

So a few weeks ago I went to an awesome Fireside by Sister Virginia Pearce. (President and Sister Hinckley's daughter) It. was. amazing.

Just one of the things I learned was the concept of the mirror and the window.

Let me just say, I am a visual person. If I can visualize a concept then I can remember and apply it so much better. That is why I like this concept so well.

Okay, the concept. :)

When you are thinking about yourself it is like looking into a mirror. When you are thinking about others it is like opening a window and looking out.

So, the morning after the Fireside I said a prayer that I would remember and be able to apply the things I learned the night before.

Zach was late. He told me he'd be home at a certain time and he was late. I had dinner all ready, the kids and I were starving. I went to all this trouble and he was late. etc. etc. :)

then I remember the window. so I open it.

Zach has a lot going on at work. He is working so hard to meet his goals and provide for our family. He picked up Ben from school so I didn't have to. He remembered to pick up bee spray from the store that I asked him to get. AND he is still earlier than normal!

then I say another prayer. please help me to keep the window open!:)

There is the application. I hope the concept makes sense and that you are able to apply it in your life! :)

The End.

Wake-up Call for Couples - Page 4 - Meridian Magazine - LDS, Mormon and Latter-day Saint News and Views

Meridian Magazine - Wake-up Call for Couples - Page 4 - Meridian Magazine - LDS, Mormon and Latter-day Saint News and Views

Zach and I enjoyed this article. You should too. :)

a new week...

How was your weekend? Zach got a deer! That's how our weekend was. :)

I have been thinking lately about creating. Isn't it nice when you create something? -something that wasn't there before? I love that feeling!

What can you create in your marriage? Love. Service. Laughter. Understanding.

What comes to your mind?

My apple for the day will be: Pay attention to the funny things the kids say or do, write them down and laugh with Zach later. If they don't do anything funny then I'll find something online to laugh at. :)

What are you going to do today?

Good readins for the winna!

Congratulations to....

Kara said...

I would love this book. My husband and I have never read it, but I really, really want to (and I know he'd read it with me, lol).

My apple for my husband today will be telling him how much I appreciate all the hard work he does for our family, b/c he really does work so so hard. Maybe I'll even had dinner ready when he gets home from work, lol.

You get a Free copy of The Five Love Languages to your door for your reading pleasure! :)

Just send me an email with your address and phone! (zachandbecca@gmail.com)...and a comment here so we know you saw this! :) Yeehaw!

Oh and you just keep trying on the goal to have dinner ready when your lucky husband gets home! :)

Posted by Becca...:)

Want to hear something cool?!

Okay good! Cause I'm excited!

I contacted Gary Chapman and he had his staff send me some free copies of his book The Five Love Languages!!! Doesn't that rock?

Do you have a copy of this book? You should! It's a goodie.

How would you like one?

Okay. Why would you like it? Leave a comment with your answer AND an Apple you will do for your spouse today. I'll announce the winner on Friday the 14th.

I hope you win. :)

Oh, and a question. Have you noticed the "Apples to try" on the top of this blog?

"come back"

Once upon a time when I was a new mother I read a lot of books about children, schedules, etc. Well, I remember reading that a schedule is like an elastic. You establish the schedule and then when you go on vacation or you have a lot going on and it gets screwed up, or stretches like an elastic, you come home and get back into your schedule just like the elastic comes back to it's regular shape.

I've been thinking about how marriage is kind of like that. Life gets hard, busy, etc. We get stretched out and sometimes distant with each other. When it is minor we don't really notice it and then all of a sudden we realize we aren't talking as much, flirting as much and flat out aren't enjoying our time together as much. The key is to clue in on the things that help us "come back" to our original shape.

Zach and I talked about this the other night. There are things that help us "come back" that make a huge difference.

The biggest one is praying together every night holding hands. This helps us come back in a powerful way.

Other things on the list are:

*going on a date

*going to the Temple

*going for a walk

*playing a game together

*doing a project together

*a quality conversation without distractions -no phones, t.v. or children

It seems the more we do of the above things, other things come more naturally. Things like notes in his lunch, a hug and a kiss when he comes home, flirting, laughing, and general enjoyment being together.

What are some things you do that help you and your spouse "come back" together?

oh gosh!

I can't believe that last post! Yes, there was good stuff but it just seemed negative.

Sorry about that.

I really shouldn't have posted that day. Zach and I have both been having a hard time lately with different things and some things we share. It has seemed like we have been on a teeter totter. One day he is up and helping me when I'm down and then the next day he's down. Man oh man we are having a ride! :)

Thank goodness we have conference and inspired leaders! It was interesting to sit down last night and talk about everything with our notes in front of us and be able to apply the things we heard right then. We are SO blessed to have the restored gospel and wonderful leaders who are willing to sacrifice so much of themselves to lead. So blessed.

Anyway, I hope this week is a wonderful week for you! I hope you spend a minute everyday admiring your spouse. That's the best. :)