Keeping that Spark

Good morning sweets! We are rolling right into Tuesday. Rusty and I recently celebrated our three year anniversary of meeting. We are also a few short days away from our two year engagement anniversary. We are big fans of October (wedding month and Jane's birthday) and April (we met plus engagement time). I know I have said it before but Rusty really is my other half. He knows my needs and fulfills them. I am starting to work 5 days a week at River City which means more balancing of home, office work, blogging, planning Rachel's wedding and editing for Lovebird Productions. We talked about more hours and Rusty is just so encouraging. After our talk I went to fold laundry and without me asking he came to help. You may be wondering how is that groundbreaking? I don't know about your house but up until today I worked three half days a week and was home two full days. There is no reason for him to help with laundry because I always had time to do it. Today he realized how full my plate is and knew he needed to help out. That is why my husband is amazing. I am not saying things are always peachy but I cannot complain one bit.

With all this laundry talk I thought I would talk about a topic that I think so many couples are just not willing to do anymore. Guys, I have said it before but marriage can be hard. Not every day is glitter and rainbows but the occasional hard times can never outweigh the good. My mom told me that some mornings you have to wake up and decide to make your marriage work while other days it is pure bliss. I thought we could talk about a few things to help keep that spark lit. List time...

1. Tell him your favorite qualities about him. I love reaffirming Rusty. He is a confident man and extremely good looking. Well, to me he is very handsome! Even though he is confident it is nice to express the qualities I love about him. He is hard working, honest, brave, funny and one of a kind. I know how much I like to hear how much he loves me so getting to tell him the same thing is a blessing.

2. Don't let date night be an option. Whether it is once a week or once a month, make time to be with each other. Take moments out of your hectic life to disconnect from your phone, stop answering emails and pay attention to one another. Have dinner around the dinner table. Go to the movies. Go parking. ha! Just kidding about that last one...kind of.

3. Laugh together. I cannot explain how important this point is to your marriage. We do argue. Every couple will. We do not always agree but we do love to laugh together. Not only is my husband hysterical but the jokes he makes become our inside jokes. Have I mentioned how much I love inside jokes with him? Am I bragging about him too much yet? Sorry I get carried away. I am lucky. Life can be hard and tough but laughter really is the best medicine.

4. Surprise each other. I am not a big fan of surprises but I love to surprise Rusty. Maybe I don't like surprises because I always figure them out. I love giving Rusty a fun gift he has been talking about or making his favorite dish out of the blue. Surprises are fun and keep you guessing!

5. Respect one another. No explanation needed. You have to respect the one you are with. Give him a reason to respect you and he will. You must also show that same respect. You each bring something different to the relationship so learn to love that about one another.

6. Slow dance. Rusty and I did this last night. It may feel funny at first but then it turns into something really sweet. I love slow dancing to our first dance from our wedding. It brings back happy memories and happy tears. Yeah, I tend to cry when reminiscing living life.

7. Don't forget the little things. Plain and simple. Take the time to do little gestures of love. Take 5 minutes to write a kind sticky note to leave on the mirror. One of my favorite things to do is stop at the bakery and buy two cupcakes. It may sound silly but we love cupcakes. We get to have a little dessert after dinner. A little gesture makes you smile and goes a long way.

8. Do what it takes. You made vows. People these days are just giving up. You are deserve a happy marriage but you also have to give to get.

I know these are things you might already do but at least take the time to love your other half tonight. Send them a text saying, "You are the best!" or buy them frozen yogurt (clears throat...Rusty). Marriage can be hard but no matter how hard it is at times, the benefits and love from your happy, healthy marriage are beyond worth it. Celebrate your sweetheart!