Marriage Advice & Tips for a Happy Life

Beer With A Buddy: Conversations on Life and Marriage

Without a doubt, my wife is my best friend, and she is my go-to person for just about every conversation. We can talk about anything, and we do our best to find time every day to get together for a great chat.

While I love talking to my wife, I find that sometimes you just need some time out of the house with a friend to help clear your mind and get a fresh perspective on life.

I find these times to be really refreshing, and I usually come away from a little bar time full of ideas and energy (as long as I don’t overdo it with the beer ).

Beer With A Buddy Time, as I like to call it, is an important part of living a full life and a healthy marriage.

Get Out!

Of course, alcohol doesn’t have to a centerpiece of this time.  While I enjoy a cold, frosty one and prefer to chat at night after the kids are in bed and my family time is over, you can meet a friend for a meal, some great coffee or a round of golf.  The important ingredients are simply you, a good friend and a free mind.  



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On Wearing A Ring

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from one of my favorite online writers, Ali Hale.  And no, the words “jewellry” and “realised” are not misspelled.  Ali is in England, and apparently this is how these words are spelled in “real” English.

I’m not really a jewellery person. I’m never sure what to buy, and I always convince myself I don’t need it.

My fiancé, though, has great taste in jewellery. He’s given me various pieces over the five years since we met. My favourites are a beautiful necklace with delicate butterflies on it, which was a 21^st birthday gift… and my engagement ring.

We got engaged last November. For the first month or two, it felt weird to wear a ring. I hardly ever put on jewellery unless I’m going out in the evenings, and I’ve never had any rings. Every so often – perhaps putting on gloves, or preparing to do the dishes – I’d notice the ring.

And every time, I’d smile. Whenever I was feeling down or upset or gloomy about things, just looking at that ring was a pick-me-up.  



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First Comes Love, Then Marriage, Then the Mother In Law!

Editor’s Note: This is a fantastic guest post from Rachel Smith.  As someone who happens to have a wonderful mother-in-law, I’m a strong supporter of the Mother in Law of the Month campaign mentioned below and think we need more love for the MILs!

Ah, to be newlywed. It’s fun and exciting, and even if the two of you have known each other for years, there seems to be a certain freshness in your relationship. Because now it’s official. Now it’s just the two of you, from here to eternity.

Right?

Enter: your new mother-in-law.

If you just cringed, you are definitely not alone. It’s the Pavlovian Response felt the world over: mother-in-law equals absolutely no fun.

Think about it: characters like Jane Fonda’s in Monster in Law and Endora from Bewitched exploit the image of MiLs as overbearing saboteurs who will do anything to make you run crying back to where you belong (the arms of your own mommy).

And it goes further. When you type “mother in law” into Amazon’s book search, how many of the first 12 books are self-help guides to avoid strangling your mother-in-law? 11.  



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Nine Years

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.

-Mignon McLaughlin

I can’t believe we’ve been married for NINE years (and together for nearly fifteen).  It really does get better every day because we choose to love each other the best that we can.

Happy Anniversary, Bethany!  Thanks for keeping me around.

How Has Cancer Affected Your Life and Marriage?

It seems that cancer has touched almost every life in some way.

Cancer has really been on my mind recently.  This weekend the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure was hosted in St. Louis with record participation.  My wife Bethany often runs in the race in honor of her grandmother who died from breast cancer just before we started dating, but she opted not to this year given she’s about to give birth.  Cancer has affected both of us in a variety of ways over the years, and our marriage has been impacted as well.

The impact of cancer in our lives has been especially meaningful lately, though.

Honoring One of Best Women I’ve Known

On Sunday, Bethany’s Godmother and our close family friend Tracie Gray passed away after fighting ovarian cancer for more than five courageous years.  Our relationship with Tracie and her family is deep and meaningful.

We are Godparents to her granddaughter and her daughter is the Godmother of our son.  Tracie was my mother-in-law’s best friend, and her husband P.D. is a great friend and bowhunting buddy of mine.  



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