try these apples...if you dare!

we are probably the only family who is enjoying the Olympics...the t.v. is almost always on...which is not normal here.  we just really like it.

so, i say, "try these apples...if you dare!"

in my opinion, it is hard to remember to be sweet, considerate, encouraging, loving...etc, when i am totally engrossed in something else.

August is a big month around here...especially this year.  Zach's birthday, Sarah's birthday and the angel-versary of Lily (for more on this, go HERE).  i have a lot of projects that i'm working on and that is on top of everything else.

but, i am working on acting out my priorities.  they can't be my priorities if i don't act like it, right?

so, apples.

*touch in passing as often as you pass.  touch while talking if possible or make it possible.
(that touch forms a connection, our connections need to be continually strengthened)

*write a love note, funny joke, compliment on the mirror.

*make a surprise visit to their office.  check if their schedule is clear first!

*lights out night(if you dare!)-if you have kids include them.  don't use any power during dinner or after.  go to bed without any power.  after the kids are in bed...no electronics!  play games by lantern or anything else fun you can think of! (um, this is emergency training!)

*help them with something they've had on their list to do..that they don't want to do or don't have time for...do it for them or help them.

*take a walk outside after dinner.  talk.  or don't.


"Thank God for the joys of family life.  I have often said there can be no genuine happiness separate and apart from a good home.  The sweetest influences and associations of life are there"
-Ezra Taft Benson (God, Family, Country: Our Three Great Loyalties [1974], 178).

take your pick!

HERE'S YOUR PICK OF APPLES!...or at least some to get you thinking!

*give them a compliment you don't usually give.  think about it.  what is something you like about the way they dress/ make the bed/ serve dinner/ park their car/ play with the kids?  make it specific!  say it!

*when you are out and about, pick them up something small.  gosh, it melts my heart when Zach says, "I picked this up for you today".  *sigh.

*after the kids are in bed, take a gander outside together.  hold hands.  talk.

*take turns. if your spouse planned the date last week, you're it!

*call and check in during the day.  a simple, "just thinking about you and how much i appreciate you in my life", will do just fine!

*kiss em good and long when they get home...extra credit if you pop a mint first!

*vacuum their car /make the bed- lift their load somehow.

Being married has serious benefits.  One of which, "love is like jam, you can't spread it without getting some on yourself."  sticky is good. :)

here we go!

it feels good to be blogging some apples again!  here are some ideas for the week!

*flip a coin for who's planning date night for the week (that includes getting the sitter)

*do they have something big going on? -with work, with the kids?  make a point to ask them about it and give them your undivided attention while they are talking.

*make a meal that you have together even more special by making the table and food look that way.  go the extra mile and put a note under their plate or use special dishes.

*when you meet after some time a part, be sure to say something positive first. ie. "i'm glad you're home.", "i've looked forward to you coming home all day", "i've missed you", "thanks for working so hard", "having you home is a breath of fresh air".  ONLY say things if you mean it!  BUT, there is always something nice you can say!...think first.

*put a note in a random place that says something specific you love/appreciate about them. (on their steering wheel, bathroom mirror, shower wall, in their shoe..etc.)

*next time you are watching t.v. together, ask them if they'd like a foot, back, shoulder massage while you watch.

*ask them if they need you to do anything for them that day or this week.  then do it!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!  HERE'S TO A HEALTHIER MARRIAGE!

The winner!!

I am so excited for my subscription to Matt Townsend's online resources! Aren't you?

The lucky winner of the additional month is NICOLE MOYES!

They have already updated your account to show the additional month free! Congratulations! ENJOY!


THE APPLE FOR THE DAY IS: Plan a surprise visit to their work...can't visit at work? email a note to their co-worker and have them give it to them for you or put it on their car.

Have a great day!

Where love is.

"where love is, there God is also. Where love is, we want to be" (Primary Songbook)
Isn't that so true?!

This is a great quote from a great talk by Marvin J. Ashton.

"A friend of mine recently shared what he considered to be a choice learning experience. It was provided by his young son. Upon returning home from his day’s work, this father greeted his boy with a pat on the head and said, “Son, I want you to know I love you.”

The son responded with, “Oh Dad, I don’t want you to love me, I want you to play football with me.” Here was a boy conveying a much-needed message.

The world is filled with too many of us who are inclined to indicate our love with an announcement or declaration.

True love is a process. True love requires personal action."

How do you put your love into action?

The apple for the day is: Show your love for your spouse by remembering something they have going on and asking them about it. OR doing a favor they have asked you to do. (it's alright to point out that you did it, if you want to) Remember the Love Bank?

Have a great Monday!

stress, it's a killer sir

When things at work get nuts for Zach and he's visibly stressed I try and have the house as organized as possible when he get's home.
If it can't be, then I clean just our room. Aren't I nice? :)

What do you do?

I mean heck, I know you are busy too. Maybe what you do is go out to eat so you don't have to be home!

If I can't have the house clean because I haven't been home either, I just kiss him for a long time before he looks at the house and then he's so happy he won't see the mess! :) it works.

make time!

"Love is really spelled T.I.M.E." -President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

How do you make time for your spouse?

If Zach has worked late, I will wait to eat dinner with him. We can enjoy dinner by ourselves and visit. If the kids want his attention, we set the timer and say they can have him when it beeps but it is mom's turn.

My apple for the day is: let Zach have some time for himself when he gets home. Zach is a hot commodity at our house and he really doesn't get a break until the kids are in bed. (which is at least by 8, don't feel too bad for him. :)) After a long day at work I would be willing to bet he'd like 15 minutes to lay down before he gets jumped on.

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!

a happier you

The apple for the day is: make your bed!

I read somewhere the other day that your sleep improves when you make your bed. I know I'm a happier person when I get some good sleep and if a happy me doesn't improve my marriage...I don't know what does! :)

what else makes you happy? or what is that thing that if it isn't done, makes you crazy? (like clutter, that's mine. If it's organized clutter that's better.)

a special day

I know Saturday is a special day to get ready for Sunday.

Make it special and speed up your preparations and have some friends over for lunch! Or a widow or someone else you like. Do something different today that helps you switch your focus from you to them. If you read this early enough you will still have time to call them and invite them over. No big deal if it is just an hour before. They might not have plans. :)

It might even be a nice day for a picnic. It might. :)

What good does it do?

So, we don't live exactly close to a cheap grocery store. Zach was going to be down town picking up some things at Home Depot for the latest project of a chicken coup so I asked him to pick up a much needed item for me. He said "sure", I said "thanks" and then forgot about it.

...and so did he.

He worked a long hard day on this chicken coup and I took care of the kids, put them to bed, got ready for the next day and cleaned.

Do you know how many times I wanted to send him a text that said, "yeah, thanks for picking that up for me. -preciate it."

Do you know what helped me not to? The question in the title. When I ask myself "what good would it do?" I definitely don't press send.

Zach is the nicest guy on the planet. I can give him the benefit of the doubt, get over it and think about something that would do good.

The end. :)

hands on :)

The apple for the day is: clean your room! Before you retire if you can muster the extra energy, give your spouse a shoulder or foot rub or back scratch.

Giveaway announcement is Friday morning! You've got til' Thursday night to comment!!! Man, I wish I had fifty to give away!

a bit much

Some weeks are harder than others, it's true. If your spouse has had a rough go this week. Try taking care of some of their Saturday chores.

*Wash their car

*Vacuum

*Feed the dog...

If your week hasn't been too rough, you could even give them breakfast in bed. No need to overdo it yourself, anything small can help a bunch.

There is your Saturday Apple!

this is why...

this is why this blog is good for me. i sit here at my computer wanting some inspiration. what can i do for Zach today? i'm in love with that man.

*wash our sheets?

*tidy our room?

*it's Tuesday, he isn't going to be home all day. sending him a love email would be nice.

I think that is a good list. what apples are you going to try?

sweet indeed. :)

My sister Rach is making chocolate caramel apples today. I asked her how she was going to show gratitude to her hubby and she said she was going to make him a treat. ooh, that sounds good to me!!! Don't we both benefit when we do something nice?! Gratitude tastes good. :)

Oh and HERE is the recipe....:)

What would you make?

Someone's got to give!

So one quote that comes to mind when I feel totally blessed is by President Eyring.

He says "give more than you take". I love that!

Marriage, we like to think is 50, 50. It really isn't. Sometimes I give a lot and sometimes I really just take a lot. You can analyze situations away, but the truth is there is no use comparing. Life is hard sometimes and you really need each other to do the best you can.

If we lived by President Eyring's advice to give more than we take then I think we would all try a little harder to help our spouse out in any and every way possible.

The Apple for the day: Look around, think about the many things your spouse does for you and what you can do to give back.

Remember, love is like jam, you can't spread it without getting some on yourself!

What does your spouse do for you? Tell us!

taught by a child

We went camping this weekend. The kids went to sleep well in the tent and slept the whole night. Zach and I LOVED our time by the fire before we climbed into the tent. We kept the rain fly off and enjoyed looking at the stars before we fell asleep. Sweetness.

That night when we were roasting mallows with the kids Sarah noticed a boy walking past the camp. Zach and I had observed that he and his family were likely homeless. She called about to the boy, "boy, boy!" He didn't turn to look and then she told us as she picked up a marshmallow that "I wanted to give him a marshmallow.".

So, Zach took her over to their camp with the bag of marshmallows and watched as our sweet little girl gave this stunned boy a marshmallow. Seeing the look on his face, Zach then gave him two hands full of them to share with his family. They were shocked and so thankful. Zach overheard them talking as he and Sarah walked away and their daughter said "I feel like a little kid again".

We felt grateful, and yet like we've been ungrateful for what we have.

Sarah taught us something about acting on promptings we receive. Children are so fearless about that! They think something and say it or do it. They don't miss a beat! From a talk I listened to by Elder Scott a few weeks ago, "Let us act on the promptings of the Spirit with courage!".

Because I am still learning how the Spirit speaks to me, I am trying to just act when I think of something good to do and not look for reasons not to do it. As I do this I hope to develop a real relationship with the Spirit that I will always follow when He tells me to do something.

The Apple of the day: watch/listen for the promptings of the Spirit and act on them with the faith and confidence of a child.

need a favor?

Sometimes I just feel needy. I feel bad for asking favors of Zach because maybe I have asked a lot of him. But I do need his help and sometimes it isn't just help but love too.

What about making an exchange for the favor? If you do this for me, I'll do this for you. :)

There are days I just want to lay on the couch after the kids are in bed and have my feet rubbed. (sorry if feet gross you out. :))

This is always something you could just say but what if you make a cute note with a little poem explaining your dire need?

There is this man that I dream about

No cause for worry or pout

You are so sweet and so very nice

You add to my life a whole lot of spice!

I know you love shakes that is true

If you rub my feet I'll make one for you! :)

Nothing complicated but different. It doesn't seem as demanding to ask in this way does it?

Try that Apple! :)

"He went about...

doing good"

This is a description of the Savior. We can do the same and should. Most of us have an assignment or calling in church but how often do we talk to our spouse about the needs of those around us and do something about it?

The apple of the day is: pick a family, couple, friend, family member or neighbor and do something nice for them for no reason or for a reason.

*Ask if you can watch their kids while they go for ice cream.

*Take them dinner

*Take them cookies and a movie of yours they can borrow.

*Visit a widow together

It doesn't have to be huge, stress you out or take a lot of time. Just enjoy serving together. Enjoy doing some good and we'll find we feel good too. :)

Hunger Games...

Oh man, Zach took the kids for almost the whole day on Saturday and let me read the first book of The Hunger Games!! He took me on a three clue hunt for my book and when I found it there was a note inside saying enjoy an uninterrupted two hours with your reading! Now that is bliss!

I kept looking for, listening for and having the urge to check on the kids but they weren't even home! Instead of two hours of reading I got six! It was so nice!

Now what to do for him?! Any ideas?