A Simple Love Story (and the secret to a happy marriage)

Those blue eyes looked up at her while she paused, dish towel in her hands.

“What was it like to get married to Daddy? Was he silly like the boys at school?” she asked again. When did her eight year old turn sixteen and wonder about love?”

We were different then, sweetheart,” she skirted the question.

“But look at your face? You look so happy Mommy!” she held the new-found photo up to her weary eyes.

Yes, she was happy then. And she was different.

She quickly corrected herself – it’s not that I’m unhappy now! I love my children. I love my husband. It’s just so…different, yes…

Why was she suddenly so very tired? That little face still waited for an answer; so curious. Where did she find that old picture anyway!?

The kitchen suddenly became smaller as she was drawn back to the day he proposed to her in that restaurant. What was it called again?

She gently set down the dish towel, pulling her little one onto her lap, holding the picture between them as they sat down and she began to tell the tale…  



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7 Budget Friendly Date Ideas You Can Use This Weekend

Note: This is a guest post from Mary Edwards.  I LOVE these fun and frugal date ideas!

It is important to keep that flame burning in your relationship and the best way to do that is to take time as a couple and go on a date.

Don’t let money be the reason you and your loved one lose that spark. Not every outing has to break the bank.

There are plenty of fun and romantic budget friendly dates to dabble in!  Here are 7 budget friendly ideas to get you started:

• Picnic in the Park

Make some tasty treats; grab a bottle of wine and a blanket. Head to your local park and relax on the grass. Bring some bread to feed the ducks and enjoy the relaxation.

Most parks have fun things to participate in like small farmer markets, swings or paddle boats. You most likely won’t spend over 20 bucks for this date.

• Drive In Theater

Unfortunately, drive in theaters are getting less and less common. But if your area is lucky to have one, check it out!  



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New Research Suggests Generosity Key to Fulfilling Marriage

Note: This post by Mariana Ashley sheds some interesting light into what makes a marriage fulfilling.  More importantly, it may give you something to do to make your marriage more engaged and happy.  Be generous with your wife or husband!

Often, a happily married couple seems like a mystery.

How is it that Mr. and Mrs. X seem to get along so well, seem to work together to make their partnership work, and are somehow, after so many years, still deeply in love?

While there is certainly no set magic formula for a successful marriage, researchers have long tried to figure out the basic characteristics that make up the majority of healthy marriages.

The latest of this body of research suggests that, of all things, generosity plays an instrumental part in happy marital relationships.

Is Generosity Better Than Sex?

The New York Times recently reported on this research, conducted by the University of Virginia’s National Marriage Project. Over 2,000 married men and women took a test to determine how generous they were to their partners.

Some of the questions asked of participants included:  



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• “How often do you perform small acts of kindness to your partner (like making them coffee in the morning)?”

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Do You Text for Romance?

It seems like everyone uses text messaging anymore – even my father-in-law sends me texts on his flip phone.

Have you ever taken advantage of texts to spice up the romance in your marriage?

Bethany sends me texts from time to time simply to say “I love you” or to tell me she appreciates something specific that I’ve done.

Given that Words of Affirmation is my primary Love Language, this puts a big smile on my face every time!

I do the same to share how I’m feeling, especially during the rush of a hectic or stressful day.  It’s really amazing how powerful even a few words can be and text messaging makes it fast, easy and instant.

This got me thinking about some ways to capture all the goodness of a romantic love letter by taking just a few minutes to tap out a message on my cell phone.  What I’ve found is that even a simple thought can make a BIG difference in our relationship…just beware of that damn autocorrect so you don’t send the wrong signals.  



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Valentine’s Day – Disappointment or Confusion?

Note from Dustin: Ahhh Valentine’s Day, it seems like most couples either love it or hate it.  Personally, we try not to save the romantic stuff for just one day of the year, but we also find that it’s a great reminder to make sure we’re treating each other in a special way.  I’m happy to feature this post from popular relationship author Kim Olver on the subject…and don’t miss the great book giveaway at the end!

Being a relationship counselor, I hear a lot of things said about the Valentine’s Day holiday. The main theme involves it being a holiday that often leaves women disappointed and men confused.

Does this happen to you? If so, keep reading. I’m going to talk about why this happens and what to do about it.

Somehow, somewhere, someone designated February 14th as the day for love.

It is on this particular day, you are supposed to be most loving toward your significant other. The problem is most of us don’t know exactly what that means.

Men are asking, “What does she want?” and “I resent being told I have to perform loving deeds on a particular day. Shouldn’t this be happening all year long?”  



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