Forever Beloved

Faith, Love & Truth

Embarrass Your Littles

Kids love seeing their parents get affectionate, whether they admit it or not. Sure, you might hear shouts of “gross”, “ewwwwww” or “get a room”. But deep down, they don’t hate it nearly as much as they let on. Normally, the shouts are said with a smile on their face.

I think it’s great for kids to see Mom and Dad putting their relationship first. Most of the time, especially in today’s society, the opposite happens. Parents are making their kids a priority and at the end of the day, they just don’t have any time left for each other.

It’s really important that our kids can watch us giving our spouse love and respect. That they can see we are still pursuing our spouses heart. The byproduct is that my kids see their parents dating. When children see their parents giving each other time, affection, and respect it is a reassurance of our love and makes them feel secure.

Our kids are watching us. They are learning to be comfortable with affection and to be affectionate with their own partner in the long run. Kiss your husband, dance with him and hold his hand. Pursue his heart. Show them your romance. What an absolutely perfect place for them to learn about love!

Here is one of my fav stories…

A few years ago the kids and I went to visit my Grandma in the nursing home. We were there during lunch and sat in the dining room with her. There were many tables in the room with people scattered around them. One table in particular caught my attention. The entire table was empty except for an elderly man and woman, sitting right beside each other on one side. I thought it was totally cute and figured they were married. Grandma told me they weren’t married, they were just “dating”. Which made it even cuter.

On the drive home, the kids and I were talking about that couple and how cute it is that they are “dating” when they are probably in their 80’s or older. And Jade made a statement that not only made me laugh but also made me stop and think that maybe, just maybe, her Dad and I ARE showing them what marriage should look like.

Jade said…”When I’m old, I hope my husband still slaps my butt when I walk past him”

Now I’m not saying by any means that Joe and I are inappropriate BUT we are a very affectionate family. “I love you” is a daily statement in our household between all of us. Hugs and kisses are never ever spared. And yes, there might be an occasional butt slap when I walk past him.

We are not only telling our kids what a happy, healthy marriage looks like, we are showing them. Go ahead, embarrass your littles. Show them you’re healthy marriage. Pursue your husbands heart and plant a big ole’ smootch on him today.

20 {More} Budget Friendly Date Ideas

I love going on dates with my husband, whether they are little mini-dates we catch here and there or a full day together. I love that feeling of just reconnecting with him and being able to give him my full attention without interruption. I think it’s so important to take time out of our busy lives to solely focus on each other. It keeps our marriage alive.

Romance doesn’t have to be expensive to be great! Here is a list of free or nearly free ideas to make your dating a pure pleasure:

  • Grab your skates and head to the roller-skating rink. What, not everyone has skates like I do? Believe me, my littles remind me every year that my skates are as old as dirt. As long as you don’t mind being the oldest people there who aren’t chaperoning their children, it’s a great way to have fun and let loose with each other.
  • Celebrate the first snow fall with a day of sledding together. At the end of the day, head inside for hot cocoa and a hot shower.
  • Jump in the car and just drive with no destination in mind. Turn the music up, sing together, hold hands and enjoy the ride. Make a love song “mix tape” to enjoy during your drive. This one is one of my favs!
  • Grab your camera and head out. Stop at scenic locations and start taking pictures of each other. Be goofy and creative. Dare each other to put those wacky pictures on Facebook! The loser has to give a massage!
  • Grab a tent, sleeping bag and head into the woods for a night of camping. Leave all the distractions behind. Spend the evening cuddling together under the stars talking for hours. If you don’t have a tent, you can get one for as cheap as $25 at Walmart. Sleeping bags can be as cheap as $10. 
  • Dance lessons are fun and romantic. You’re moving, bodies are touching, and you might be working up a little bit of sultry sweat. 
  • Head to an indoor or outdoor ice-skating rink — it’s the perfect excuse to hold hands!
  • Go shooting together, something we love to do. I mean, hello, seeing your guy handle a gun is pretty hot. Just remember, safety first! 
  • Stay in one night, turn off the TV, shut down your computer, and ignore your phones. Stay in the moment with each other and share your favorite memories from the past.
  • Pray together, taking turns thanking God for each other.
  • Plan your dream vacation with each other — it might be the incentive you need to start putting your loose change in the piggy bank.
  • Have your children play waiter and waitress and serve a romantic dinner, then tell them the story of how you fell in love.
  • Volunteer together. I think watching my husband serve and seeing his heart is pretty amazing and makes me fall in love with him all over again.
  • Spend the day together in the great outdoors. Go for a hike together, enjoying a day of great conversation while getting exercise at the same time.
  • Go bowling and have fun laughing together! If you’re like us, that laughing will come from you accidentally stepping on the slippy lane, falling and splitting your pants. Not my most graceful moment.
  • Make a playlist {aka…mix tape} of your favorite slow songs. Cook your favorite meal together. Light the candles. Have a romantic dinner together! Once dinner is over, leave the dishes until the next day! Spend the rest of the evening slow dancing together!
  • Search out some local music! 
  • Go House Shopping.  Even if you aren’t in the market for a new house, just go browse anyway. There is just something fun about the home-browsing process.
  • Go for a moonlight walk. There is something very romantic about walking around at night, especially under the moonlight. Tell your spouse all the things you love about them and walk slowly.
  • Fill the bed of the truck up with pillows + blankets, head out in a field and hop in the back to count your lucky stars. Don’t forget to take some yummy nibbles along. Have you ever saw a shooting star? It’s super romantic and you’ll be entertained for hours trying to recognize the stars and looking for them.

To All Married Women ♥

1. don’t give up. with God in your marriage, all things are possible. {1 Corinthians 13:7}

2. respect your husband. it’s important and something he’ll be grateful for. {Ephesians 5:33}

3. forgive. we are all sinners and none of us are perfect. {Ephesians 4:32}

4. talk + talk + talk + talk. communication is a necessity in marriage. {Proverbs 15:2}

5. don’t speak badly of your husband in front of others. ever. you would expect the same in return. {Ephesians 4:32}

6. never go to bed angry. {Ephesians 4:31}

7. don’t focus on his faults. everyone has faults, including you.

8. passion doesn’t have to fade. simply don’t allow it to. {Proverbs 5:18-19}

9. be nice. {Galations 5:22-23}

10. keep God in your marriage and honor Him. this is SUPER important. {Colossians 3:17}

11. pray for your marriage and your spouse. pray hard and pray daily. pray alone and pray with your spouse.

12. guard your heart. you don’t realize how quickly and easily someone else can get to your heart. {Proverbs 4:23}

13. say i’m sorry. something that isn’t easy but it’s needed. {Colossians 3:13}

14. even if you feel your marriage is broken, there is always hope. give it to God! with God all things are possible! {Matthew 19:26}

15. go to church together. i have to say, i adore sitting in a pew with my husband, holding hands and listening to the sermon together. {Hebrews 10:24-25}

16. kiss him, dance with him on a whim and hold his hand in front of your kids. show them your romance. what a perfect place for them to learn about love.

17. laughter and fun are important. one of the things that drew me to my husband was how easily he could make me laugh. 17 years later we are still laughing.

18. have a gentle submissive spirit. voluntary submission is something asked of us directly by God. {Ephesians 5:22}

19. don’t be selfish. life isn’t all about you. {Philippians 2:4}

20. your marriage is a testimony! you never know how many people might be drawn closer to Christ because they were watching your marriage walk.