Love + Marriage

In almost twelve years, we’ve weathered some seasons. Good ones, great ones, and some tough ones, too. We’re still here. He walks in, I can tell he’s tired, but he lifts up his miniature princess and kisses her cheek. Our oldest grabs his leg and he tousles his hair in response, while locking eyes with the baby and smiling. He leans over and kisses me, lightly but lovingly, and falls back into a chair. I still find rooms better when he’s in them.

Now that my time with my boys is limited both by custody arrangements and work schedules, I really strive to have that quality over quantity interaction with my kids and feel they deserve a mama who’s going to be present over perfect.

When my husband married me, he didn’t know he was signing up for a wife who throws fatigue-induced tantrums because our nearly-one-year-old son still doesn’t sleep through the night! He didn't know his wife would be the pallbearer at my grandfather’s funeral. He didn’t know he’d have to love me through piles of laundry and dishes and coupons clipped with good intentions but no follow-through.

To stay connected and to avoid this stand off, it's important to be open about our feelings and our needs. There is a better way to handle it than saying, "I have a headache" or "I'm just not in the mood" or thinking, "Let's get this over with." We need to be brave enough to tell our partners what we need.

One thing stands out to me: Good relationships should be celebrated and Valentine's Day should be celebrated in some fashion. Whatever fits your relationship, your personalities and where you are in your journey: cute, fun, gimmicky, reflective, serious, sensual, sexual. Whatever fits the two of you the best at that point in your relationship. Have fun with your Valentine's Day, but celebrate each other and what you mean to each other—whatever that is.

My goal this year is to stop striving to be like "that other mom" and just be me. That is what my kids want. That is what my husband wants. They want more of the mom I was designed to be. The quirky, unorganized, passionate, fun-loving mom that was given to them. I want to be free of trying to be someone that I am not. 

I remember when I was pregnant for the first time, everyone would say, "Being a mom is so hard, but so worth it." Do you know what that kind of advice does for a mother-to-be? I'll be bold here and say it does nothing. The word "hard" is thrown around like confetti when it comes to parenting. It isn't incorrect, because being a parent IS hard, but the term "hard" has become so overused, it's practically meaningless.

The holidays are definitely a time for family. However, sometimes navigating the when and where of seeing all that family can get a bit tricky.  When my husband and I were first married, we both wanted to be with...

The tree is up, the presents are wrapped, and from the outside everything looks normal. But there’s an empty chair at the table and an empty feeling in your heart. The holidays can be hard when hard your spouse is...

Among other things, this giveaway will include a two-night stay at Cheyenne Mountain Colorado Springs on Dec. 15-17 or Dec. 22-24 AND a 30-minute Skype session on the resort’s 120-inch big screen for the family to connect with its deployed loved one.