Dating Your Husband Challenge

This week once again it seemed like we had very little time for each other. My husband worked several nights of side jobs after work, so that leaves him getting home very late. It is a blessing to have these extra jobs though.

Friday night we planned to at least watch a movie together. The younger two had a cross country meet, then had to be to the High School to sing the national anthem with their choir for the football game. We decided to wait outside the gates for my son, only to find that he was wanting to stay and watch the game with his friends mom and other children.

At this point we were able to go to a little Italian Restaurant in town and then share a meal, we came home and watched Faith Like Potatoes It was a really good movie. We did find we were very tired all Saturday from staying up until 12:30 to finish our movie but it was worth it.

I am looking forward to this Saturday. My younger two have plans to stay somewhere over night so I hope we figure out something to do- like maybe so see Courageous and get an appetizer somewhere.

For more on the Dating your husband challenge please visit Becoming a Strong Woman of God

Oh and don't forget to enter my giveaway post it ends Oct 26th-this wednesday

Dating your Husband Challenge

This week we had a hard time connecting in the evenings. I didn't really have anywhere to go but I think it was partially him coming home late and then things just not running smoothly. I also had a rough week of headaches etc too. Friday we enjoyed the younger two at their cross country meet It was wonderful to see our daughter finally get to participate, she had an injury early on in the year that had prevented previous qualifications being met. 

I thought we would do something Friday night, we were both just so exhausted. We put a movie in but then decided to just go to sleep. He had to be up early to do a side job and I didn't feel very well.

Saturday night I thought would be perfect to connect I had sleepovers scheduled for both the younger two and I don't mind the oldest staying home alone for a couple hours in the evening. The Truck however had other plans. See post here of our Saturday night journey

We got through with our adventure with our truck and took our oldest with us to a local Italian Restaurant and had pizza- he ordered very plain spaghetti. He had lots of homework to still tackle so it led way to my husband and I finally getting that movie in. I chose To Save a Life

It wasn't a romance movie, it wasn't an action movie but it was perfect. Something we both enjoyed and just gave us some more insight into our children. I saw some things  in the movie for example the fact that parents didn't really spend time with their children. I realized we probably go over and beyond in that area. We love family time in our household.

Anyway, Sunday we spent the morning working a side job, then the afternoon making some yummy foods together. I think that is something that we will always deeply enjoy with one another is cooking. We love to make desserts, crock pot type meals, homemade items like salsas, jams etc. Its nice to be able to be together in the same room, participate in an activity we both enjoy- not something one of us is compromising on and then be able to chat etc while doing it. I am thankful for our weekend, even though it went differently then planned. Sometimes the Lord has a bigger hand in things then we realize.

For more on the Dating your husband challenge please visit Becoming a Strong Woman of God
Oh and don't forget to enter my giveaway post

Dating Your Husband Challenge Monday

It is interesting to me that as I go through this challenge another week it becomes a little more difficult to find time to really connect with my husband. This week we started off with 3 nightly meetings, then a track meet Friday Night. Saturday we were split up in the morning, I volunteered and then we met up after he got off work at 11 to volunteer together with our oldest son at a BBQ benefit. 

Saturday evening I realized we had to do something. That became a little more chaotic as my son's friend came and spent the night. Our plan turned to a movie in. We made hot dogs/sausage for dinner- nothing special and then the boys all went and watched one movie (our daughter stayed with a friend) and we watched another. It was a tough choice. In normal circumstances we would have all watched both movies together. This time my need to have an at home date outweighed being such a great family. 

I have to admit that its so good for our children to realize we are "dating". I don't want them to think we are just going to watch a movie, rather I want them to realize that you don't have to go out to have a date you can have a date in. You have to make a plan though and find something you both want to do. For us it was watching X-Men First class. We had both seen the movie before but we enjoyed it enough to watch it together again. 

I am impressed that the kids really do just leave us alone. It is nice having teenagers. I feel like we can rebuild some crucial aspects of our marriage, and it is a great time to do so since we are being wonderful examples to them. Marriage takes a lot of work. You have to communicate, plan and in some ways be organized. Most of all you have to CHOOSE to stay in love.

I am still enjoying this challenge. Hopefully I can be a little more creative this coming week on finding something fun to do that doesn't cost anything. I am hoping each night we can connect on a daily walk this week. I discovered when reviewing my calendar that I have NO meetings this week. How exciting!

For more on the Dating your husband challenge please visit Becoming a Strong Woman of God

Oh and don't forget to enter my giveaway post

Dating Our Husband's Challenge

I came across this great challenge about dating our husband's on Becoming a Strong Woman of God's Blog
I started it last week. I am once again posting a little late but I had a very busy day yesterday. This week we did not do as well with our nightly walks, in fact, we did not get a SINGLE one in. I guess between my meetings and his side jobs there was not an evening free. By Friday I was desperate for a date night!
My plan was to go see Courageous. I really really wanted to see the movie. It however was not playing in our Cheaper theaters, so after much discussion, we did not go see the movie. My husbands points were that at a movie we would not be spending time together really, we could not talk etc. My point was the value of the movie itself. Maybe next time.
We did go to Outback Steakhouse. I had a gift card for a free steak. Of course, I forgot to read the fine print, here it was a Friday night and it was only good until 4 Monday-Thursday. It would be my luck that I did not see that, nor did he, until we had already sat down and ordered drinks.
I learned an important lesson this weekend- "Just roll with it".
I was so caught up in spending the "extra money" I had not planned that I actually briefly made my husband mad. We had not been out on a date without a single child in months and here I was worried about the extra $20 the night was going to cost us.
Once I got over that we had a really good time. He knew that a local DJ would be at a place near by and we went over there after dinner and enjoyed some music. I admit the date night was more about him this time then me. However, I think we still both had a great time and marriage is all about compromise isn't it?
I will say I am glad to be doing this challenge. We tried to even turn making salsa on Sunday into a sort of in home date, its the little things that make the difference!
This week will be a date night in. We will have to come up with something clever.

For more on the Dating Our Husbands Challenge see Becoming a Strong Woman of God

Dating Our Husbands Challenge

I cam across this great challenge about dating our husband's on Becoming a Strong Woman of God's Blog

I have been doing a couple other challenges all of which will improve our home life and help me to be a better mom and wife, and lets face is a better friend too. The Inspired to Action Challenge has a focus of three areas of your life, one of which is exercise. I found that a great way to incorporate this Challenge- of dating our husbands. We took two 2 mile walks last week. I hope we can figure a way out to incorporate it into our daily lives. We had children pleading to join us but my husband realized this was a great opportunity to have some FREE TIME together. I am thankful. When we first started dating 16 years ago it was through walks. I love that walking is returning to our lives, and what a great way to get fit too.

I didn't want it to just stop there, so this weekend we rented the movie GraceCard. I had heard it was very inspirational. We got the kids settled down, mentioned we were DATING IN, and then watched our movie. I was very thankful there was not one interruption. 

I talk very openly with our children about the fact that we should date even though we are married. That we need that connection time together and how that helps our relationship stay strong for when the storms of life hit. We very much enjoyed the movie. I am looking forward to this coming weekend. I am praying we find tickets to the movie Courageous on Sunday night. I am hearing it is sold out all around the United States. I feel this will be another time to connect and enjoy one another.

Sonya has a great idea... get back to the basics. Take a walk in the park, drive a back road, set up a picnic in your back yard, just take time to connect. You will both be better for it.

I know I am going to personally enjoy this Dating our Husband Challenge

31 Days to Clean Housewive Style

When I think of a housewive I strive to be a Proverbs 31 woman. I think of the television housewives we all grew up with I think of June Cleaver, Harriet Nelson, Carol Brady, Claire Huxtable, Mrs. Cunningham and Lucy Ricardo. I love trying to be June Cleaver but honestly I am more a Lucy Ricardo. If it can go wrong it will. That is probably why it is one of my favorite shows of all time, I Love Lucy.

I have been working through 31 Days to Clean- Having a Martha House the Mary Way for a while now. It got interrupted by the fires we had but I am still trying to get through it. I just might finish a week late.

I had written a great mission statement,

I strive to be a Proverbs 31 wife and mother 

by having a home that is clean, 

organized and simplified. 

This will allow me to provide 

my family and friends 

with a dwelling that will

radiate warmth, love and comfort 

while we fellowship with one another. 

It will also allow us to live simply 

so that we lead less stressful 

and compete lives.

I had one of the kids, Jakob, ask this week as he did homework and saw my mission statement on the board above the computer- did you find this in the Bible. I just had to grin and then said, no, but I prayed about it and that is what came from my heart through the Holy Spirit. It is what I ask of God to help me with.

This week has had its ups and downs. I don't feel like I am as ahead as I would have liked to have been. I do keep pressing forward though. The bathroom has remained clean for two weeks. Every morning and night I touch it up. Mekenzeis room has stayed fairly clean minus laundry from other rooms that pile there as I deep clean the house, it has been that way since Saturday. Jakob's room is still a work in progress. The Kitchen is also a work in progress, we have a few drawers to go through still, and also two corner cabinets.

I am hoping this weekend we can get it completely done. I have been trying to tackle our room since Wednesday. I will admit very little progress has been made. I feel very overwhelmed when I even think about it. So I decided to take a look back at my two weeks and see how far I have come, hence this Blog post, and then work for the next hour and just DO SOMETHING. I am very thankful for the inspiring words in the 31 Days to Clean, and I plan to keep at it.. For more information and a discount: 

Today is the LAST DAY to get the PDF of 31 Days to Clean - Having a Martha House the Mary Way for only $2.50! Use code: homemaker