No More Perfect Marriages Chapter 5, 6

I missed doing a post last Monday so I wanted to be sure to get one up today about the book No More Perfect Marriages by Mark and Jill Savage.

My husband and I have continued reading together.

Chapter 5 is about the "Slow Fade of Minimizing." When we minimize, we “treat something as less important than it really is."  This chapter goes over the types of minimizers and dangers we can face in marriage when we minimize.

Chapter 6 is about the "Slow Fade of Not Accepting."  We are each wired differently, have different love languages, and different needs.  We may not mind these differences during the dating days but they may become bothersome once married.

This book actually releases this week!  They have a low price on Amazon right now too if you want to grab it.

#NoMorePerfectMarriages

Have a day of blessings!
   Bethany

No More Perfect Marriages Chapter 4

Chapter 4 was all about expectations.

I felt like I learned a lot from this chapter.  I need to voice my thoughts and expectations and not just think my husband reads my mind.  I can think of many examples from our marriage where I wanted him to do or not do something but didn't tell him.  I know this doesn't make sense and need to just say my thoughts and expectations aloud.

Go here to pre order your copy of this wonderful marriage resource.

Have a day of blessings!
   Bethany

No More Perfect Marriages Chapter 3

I've enjoyed reading Chapter 3.  It discusses 8 "God tools" we all have that we need to use regularly in our marriages.  These 8 tools are:

courage
forgiveness
grace
love
humility
wisdom
compassion
acceptance

There were many things that stood out to me in this chapter that I highlighted. I love this quote seen in the image above. As we've read I have thought of many examples when I have NOT followed this guidance in the past and have also had some practice applying it the past few days.  

Another thing I noticed was how using these tools in our marriage is not something we do in our human capacity. We must rely on God in order to act these ways toward our spouse.

There is still time to pre order this book!
#NoMorePerfectMarraiges

Have a day of blessings!
   Bethany

Marriage Monday: Money

Our topic on Marriage Monday today is money. One of the topics was: In Eden, God assigned Adam the role of "master gardener," and to Eve he gave the role of “helper.” In the matter of bread-winning, how do you and your husband fulfill these roles in your marriage? (Gen 2:15-23)

My thoughts:
I taught school for the first three years of our marriage, and then became a stay at home Mom in 2004 when our son was born.   This was always a dream of mine, and I am thankful beyond words that my husband is so supportive of me.  He had always hoped we would be able to make this dream of mine come true.  Thankfully we have, and it is a blessing that he understands my heart and supports me as he does.  I feel blessed that he works so hard to provide for our family.

My husband led a FPU (Financial Peace University) class at our church several years ago.  After attending this class and reading Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover, we made it our goal to be out of debt.  At the time we had a car and truck loan plus school loans.  It was a great feeling to be able to pay off these debts in 2009 (except our home).  We had a bank account where we started putting money back so we could get a replacement car one day.  We made that purchase in March 2011.  We did not have enough for the full amount so we did have some debt with that purchase.  It was very hard for me as we looked because I'd wanted to be able to do it all with cash.  After praying though and thinking things through, I knew it was the right decision.  If we waited we knew we'd have expenses with our old car that would prevent us from putting more money back to savings for the new one.  I'm happy to say that the new car will be paid off in the next month or so.  Now we will be saving towards my husband's truck replacement. 

I have always been very careful with money.  When we did FPU, we started keeping a budget and started using the envelope system.  It was amazing to me to put a dollar amount to our spending and watch where our money goes.  I have some envelopes I keep with me in my purse that I use on a more regular basis (they are kept in a little plastic coupon binder type thing with dividers) and other envelopes that stay at home.  I have a lot of envelopes, but it is so nice to have the money there to go to when something comes up.  I have envelopes for Christmas, vacation, gifts, and birthdays that I add to year round. 

As my husband is the provider for our family, I like to help in any way I can to save us money.  I try to conserve gas on my trips to town.  I look for discounts and  use coupons when shopping.  It makes me feel good to find products on sale that we frequently use.  I get excited when I find a bargain at Goodwill or a consignment store.
For someone engaged or just starting out in their married life, I would encourage them to talk openly regarding their feelings about money.  Don't assume it will all work out and won't be a big deal.  This is something that needs to be discussed honestly so it won't turn into a big problem down the road. 

Have a day of blessings!

Marriage Monday

Today for Marriage Monday our prompt from e-Mom is as follows:  On Monday (Jan. 16, 2012), I thought it would be fun to get re-acquainted as women—without spilling any ink about our marriages. This time, boys are not allowed. The following prompts are designed to help us to get to know you as a unique daughter of God. Please complete the sentences, post your piece to your blog, and then click over here to Chrysalis to link up.  Think of your post as a quick pencil sketch. The faster you write it the better!

Here are my answers: 
I am a loved woman.
I want others around me to feel loved and accepted.
I have a wonderful loving husband.
I wish I knew what answers to fill in the blanks I left empty here!    
I hate..well that one the first thing I thought of is I don't ever use the word hate.  It's just not a word I use.  So I'll leave it blank. 
I miss my Peepaw.
I fear pain for my loved ones.
I feel safe and secure. 
I hear the blowing wind and tinkling of my wind chimes.
I smell my sweaty little boy. 
I crave Mexican food.
I search with google usually.
I wonder what 3rd grade will be like for my boy.
I regret not recording Peepaw telling stories of his past and childhood.
I love days with both my boys at home.
I ache when I hear of another woman having a miscarriage.
I care about those who are lonely.
I always buy chocolate chips when I go to Walmart. 
I am not very crafty or creative.
I believe Jesus is my Savior and Friend.
I dance in the kitchen with my husband.
I sing in the car.
I cry when I hurt and share my tears with my husband or just alone. 
I don’t always know the right answers as a Mom.
I fight for what I believe in.
I write letters (real ones that you put in the mail with a stamp!) often.
I never ran a marathon.
I listen to my boy's creative ideas.
I need to go to the store.
I am happy in my life.

Have a day of blessings!

Marriage Monday

I haven't participated with Marriage Monday lately but I thought I would this week.  The topic is Infertility and the writing prompt I've chosen is:  Did you suffer any miscarriages or have difficulty conceiving?

Those of you who know us or have read my blog know that we suffered a miscarriage in January 2003.  This was our first pregnancy, and we were so excited to find out we were expecting, sharing the news with family members during the Christmas holidays.  We were devastated when we lost our baby.  We were surprised to be pregnant and then have that taken away so suddenly.  Since I have PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), we wondered if we would be able to conceive again or have other miscarriages. 

I remember several things about that time. Looking back I believe I was depressed during that time. When I went back to the classroom I did not feel I was as good of a teacher as I was prior to the miscarriage because something in me had changed.  It is one of the most painful times of my life, yet I can honestly say now that God has used that pain to teach me and bring me closer to Him.  Before the miscarriage I never knew the pain someone could feel over such a loss.  One thing I learned is that everyone grieves differently with this kind of loss and that is okay.  Another thing I learned is to be careful with my words when people are facing times of grief.  Many people don't know what to say and often say hurtful things, I think often without realizing it probably.  While I learned that words can hurt deeply, a third thing I learned in this time was the value of an encouraging word.  I had many people who were supportive and praying for us, and it really meant a lot.  Several people remembered me on my first Mother's Day and one friend sent me a special Mother's Day Precious Moments figurine.      

When I hear of someone who has had a miscarriage now, my heart hurts for them as I remember my own pain.  If you have a friend or family member who has faced a loss, remember their baby with them.  Don't act like they were never pregnant.  Ask how they are doing and show you care.  Let them talk or cry if that is what they need.  Remember special days like Mother's Day, Father's Day, and the baby's due date. 

Thank you for visiting today for Marriage Monday.  Visit Chrysalis and find others writing on a variety of themes related to infertility today. 

Have a day of blessings!

Marriage Monday: Faith

It's been a few months since I've participated in Marriage Monday.  Today we are talking about faith in marriage.
My thoughts:
Our faith has always been important to both my husband and myself before we married and that is no different for our marriage.  Our faith in God is vital. We pray together, attend church, and are trying to raise our son to love the Lord as well.  I feel my husband has taught me so much through the years about God and the Bible.  I love his knowledge and how he knows so much about the Bible.  I have loved to see him in recent years as he has learned more too and shares what he has learned with me.       

Through the years we have done different things to grow in our faith together.  We've read couples devotional books or a book of the Bible and listened to David Jeremiah radio broadcasts together.  I don't think there is one set thing that a couple should do as far as faith is concerned....what works for one couple may not work for another.  For example, I once had in my head that we had to read from a devotional book every night before bed.  I wanted to do this but so many times for whatever reason it just didn't work out.  I eventually realized and accepted that we could do other things together even though that particular idea wasn't working that would be a better fit for us as a couple and our schedule. 

Part of our vows that we wrote and said at our wedding was that we would help each other through the journey of life and when we reach the other side we'll know we have helped each other to get there. I'm so blessed and thankful that I have my husband by my side to encourage me and help me along the way. 

Have a day of blessings!
 

Marriage Monday: Our Holiday Spending Plan

Today it's time for Marriage Monday. This month we are sharing about financial contentment in marriage. The topic I've chosen is "Our Holiday Spending Plan."

The holidays will be here soon. It is a good idea to make a plan when it comes to your holiday spending. Otherwise it will get way out of hand! Decide who is on your list and how much you have available to spend. Also consider other extra expenses that will come up this month like special food/snacks, travel, etc.

Since we have done Dave Ramsey's FPU I have had an envelope labeled "Christmas." Each pay period we put the same amount of money into the envelope. Whenever I buy gifts, I use the money from this envelope. It has come in so handy as I've already ordered and purchased some gifts. Since the money is designated for Christmas gifts, I don't feel bad using it or thinking that I'm taking money away from somewhere else where it might be needed.

Also when it comes to gift giving, I think it's important to consider making donations in the names of family members instead of just buying a gift for the sake of buying something. There are certain people that are harder to buy for than others, so instead of buying them something they don't want or need, why not make a donation in their name to a charity?

Have a day of blessings!

Marriage Monday: "A Cord of Three Strands..."

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A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12

This verse was printed inside our wedding invitations. When I see this verse now I am reminded of our wedding day as well as the commitment we made to each other and to God.

Thinking about our marriage as a rope, we are each individual strands coming to the marriage to become one. When we add God to that rope, it makes the rope (or marriage) stronger. The rope isn't going to break or come apart if God is tied up with the other two strands. This doesn't mean there won't be problems or disagreements. It just means that God is going to be there to help hold us together through those times. To me it makes our commitment stronger knowing it isn't just the two of us but that He is with us in our marriage.

I'm glad this verse was part of our invitation. From the beginning we have wanted God to be at the center of our marriage. This is a good verse to illustrate that and remind us of that.

Have a day of blessings!

Marriage Monday: Food that Flopped

I'm late today but wanted to add in for Marriage Monday. When I saw one of the possible titles for this month ---Food that Flopped (And How We Laughed About it Later), a funny story came to mind!

When we were dating, I found out my husband loved lemon pie. One day I was home from college and knew he was coming over to visit, so I decided to make him a pie. I had made many pies before but never a lemon pie. My Mom even helped me some as I was preparing it. When he got there and had a bite, it was not at all what he expected. I don't know what I did wrong! Remembering it now, he said it was very dense and he doesn't remember what made it that way.

We joke about it now if we eat something that isn't the best. Or if I make something new and I'm scared how it will turn out, I'll mention my first lemon pie.

I don't know if I've made him another lemon pie since then! I should try!

Have a day of blessings!

Marriage Monday: Our Honeymoon Memories

It's time once again! Our Marriage Monday community is meeting today at Chyrsalis. This month's topic is "Our Honeymoon Memories."

I'm late getting my post up today because earlier when I tried I could not get into blogger and tonight we had tball. Oh well!

Our wedding reception seemed to go so quickly and before we knew it we were told it was time to go change and leave on our honeymoon. I had packed my shoes so I left the reception barefoot! We drove away and made our first stop at what had been my apartment and where we were going to live. We cut the string of cans off the car and wiped off some of the shaving cream decorations before we continued on our way. We picked up supper at the drive through at KFC. I'm not sure why we picked that place. It makes us laugh now to think of because neither of us really love it! Since we were heading to South Padre Island, we stopped for the first night part way down the road and stayed the night at a Best Western. The next morning we left and continued to South Padre. We got stopped on the way by a police man too! He said the "Just Hitched" on our window blocked our view. We didn't get a ticket.

For our honeymoon we stayed at a nice bed and breakfast. It was a beautiful home on the bay. Our room was so cute too. I remember how small the bathroom felt too. The breakfasts were so yummy. I'm not typically someone to eat a big breakfast but it was really good there. One thing I remember was the tomato and cheese omelet.

We went to ride horses along the beach. It was a fun experience. I didn't know what I was doing on a horse! We went to Schiltterbahn one day. It had just recently opened there at South Padre. The other thing I remember is being sunburned! We both had really bad sunburns, it was rather miserable!

Our honeymoon was just right for us. We enjoyed being together and alone. It was a great start to our marriage (except the sunburn part).

I hope we can go back there some time too.

Have a day of blessings!

Marriage Monday: Open topic

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This month for Marriage Monday we have an "open topic."

It's kinda hard to know where to start when we have an open topic today!

I'm so thankful for my husband. I try to make a point to encourage him and make sure he knows I appreciate what he does for our family. I'm very blessed to be married to my best friend. I love how he knows me so well and how he wants to make me happy. I'm thankful that we are partners to walk through this journey of life. We said in our vows to each other that we wanted to help each other on this journey toward Heaven. He really does that for me. He shares with me and helps me grow in my relationship with the Lord. It is a comfort to know he is walking beside me on this earthly journey. I'm thankful for his encouraging words to me. I love how he makes me smile. This weekend I was looking for a new dress for Easter. I do not like buying clothes for myself and rarely do, but Easter is one time I like to get a new dress (as tradition I suppose!) It made me smile because he walked through the store with me, giving me his opinion on certain ones I picked up. One went right back on the rack after he told me what he thought of it! Afterwards it made me smile that we had that time to share and he gave me his opinions.

Thinking about your spouse today, what has he done recently that made you smile? Thanks for stopping by!

Have a day of blessings!

Marriage Monday: Prayer

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Happy March! It is time for Marriage Monday. Click the button above to join us today! This month's topic is prayer.

Prayer has been a vital part of our marriage relationship and goes back to even before we were married. I remember praying for my husband to be able to come back to school each semester. Many times he wasn't sure he'd be able to due to the finances, but each semester God provided a way through on campus jobs and work in the summer. In our dating days at one point he actually broke up with me. I don't think or talk about this very much, but it did come to mind as I was thinking about prayer. In the few months we were apart I prayed. I remember saying that I knew God wanted the best for me and I was willing to wait for whoever the best was. When we started dating again, I could see how being apart had really been the best for our dating relationship and even though it was painful, it made both of us better for each other. So I always have believed God answered my prayer in giving me the best for me by using that time to improve us both.

In our marriage we pray together. We pray in the mornings before he goes to work. This really blesses my day. He says a prayer for me and then I say a prayer for him. If we know something particular that is happening that day we mention it specifically; otherwise it is just a prayer of protection and blessing on each other's day. If you don't already pray with your husband I encourage you to do so. Also before we go to sleep my husband says a prayer.

I'm so glad God gave us prayer to talk to Him. It is so important to join in communication with the Father in agreement with your spouse.

Have a day of blessings!

Marriage Monday:How to Celebrate February 14 Every Day of the Year

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This month, your challenge is to share how you and your husband make each and every day of your marriage special. What are your daily relationship rituals? How do you nurture the “us” factor? Tell us the big or little things that make your marriage sing like a fine-tuned violin. Click the button above to join us for Marriage Monday.

February 1st begins what I like to think of as "our month." We started dating in February 1998 and have many special days in this month. Add Valentine's Day (and my birthday!) to the month and we have a full month of specialness. :)

I firmly believe that if we wait until February 14 to go all out to show our love to our spouses, our marriage won't be strong. But what do we do to keep the love strong all year round? For me it seems to be all the little things we do that mean the most. I don't expect my husband to buy me roses or gifts. Those things are nice and I love surprises; however, it is the little stuff we do daily that makes me happy and makes me feel so cherished and loved by my man.

We have a little stuffed red heart we hide for the other to find. It's always a great surprise to find it. We have code words for each other that are special to us. We go on dates. We both look forward to each week since Caleb has been in school is our lunch dates on Thursday's. We spend time together talking and laughing. We miss each other when we are apart. We talk about and remember our early dating days.

It's fun to have a special day to celebrate love on February 14, but I'm all for doing little things to show love every day and not just wait for a special occasion.

Have a day of blessings!

Marriage Monday: He Speaks (a little bit late!)

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I missed this month's "Marriage Monday" with a theme of "He Speaks." We were asked to talk to our husbands about Christmas and let him share his thoughts. I tried to type as my hubby talked the last Monday he was off as we were driving to pick up a Christmas gift. I really appreciated his thoughts and wanted to post them now, even though I'm late! I typed what he said and then he edited and added to it. Please read it! He has a wonderful message, and I'm so glad he shared.

Here it is:

With the commercialization of Christmas it's too easy to get caught in a trap. The retailers play the Christmas music throughout the stores, the newspaper swells even thicker on Sundays to hold the larger than usual ads and even the day after Thanksgiving becomes "Black Friday." STOP and think for a moment: what are we celebrating for? Are we truly doing these things because we are trying to celebrate the birth of Christ our Lord and Savior, or have we fallen into a trap with all these "tricks" from marketers. Not to say that marketing is bad, but as soon as the calendar turned from October 31 to November 1, Christmas trees popped up in many stores and gone were the ghosts and goblins. From the beginning of November it builds from there. It's easy to let ourselves be caught into what the retailers think Christmas is all about--to them it's the time of year that they catch up on their sales. Many retailers operate in the red all year and then Christmas comes to fill in the gap. What is the meaning of Christmas, or what has the meaning of Christmas really turned into?

To give an example I'm going to switch holidays from Christmas to Easter. I grew up in a Christian home, but the meaning of Easter was never fully explained to me. In fact it wasn't until I was in college that I fully understood what Easter was about, that is, the resurrection of Christ. How or why I grew up not connecting the dots on Easter is still a mystery to me. I thought it was a day when we dressed up for church, had a surprise visit from some strange creature the Easter Bunny, and hunted eggs with my cousins on Sunday afternoon. Why? This Christmas would you ask yourself what am I doing this for? Do my kids know why we are celebrating Christmas?

My wife grew up in a home that didn't participate in the santa claus thing. She still had gifts on Christmas morning, but they were from Mom and Dad. I thought this was strange the first time I heard it, but then I heard the why and it made sense to me. We have so many made up characters we are taught about as children such as the tooth fairy, the Easter bunny and santa claus. My mother-in-law said that she never told her daughter to believe in santa claus because he isn't real and someday what if her daughter grew up, finds out that santa isn't real, and begins to question whether God existed. It was too hard for her to bear the thought of her daughter losing her faith in God because of a silly game we as Americans play at Christmas.

We have our traditions, and while family traditions are nice many times we don't know why we do them. For instance, every year we put a dead evergreen tree in our house( and I'm allergic to trees). Why? Even the Israelites were given traditions because of what they'd been through coming out of Egypt. The tradition of the Passover was instituted so that they wouldn't forget how God delivered them from such a terrible time in their history. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses writes that they needed to tell their children why they are doing these things so that the traditions will be kept alive and reverent. The oral history of events was necessary to preserve the tradition. This Christmas my family is trying hard to make it a day of celebration and family. I challenge you to talk to your family about the traditions and why you celebrate Christmas. Make sure everyone understands because if we don't take the time to explain the season then we just have another meaningless holiday.

When God created the world He knew that man would be free to make choices, and I believe he designed a way out for man that involved sending His Son. God gave man a place on a beautiful earth and said enjoy. Man and woman sinned and well the rest is history. But He didn't leave them there. He provided a way out. He gave humanity His one and only Son as Savior to the world. What's amazing to me is that God walked with man, man sinned and was separated from God. Then God sent his son Jesus not only to bridge the gap but to walk with man again. He was born of a virgin in a manger because there was no place else to stay. The King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Son of God began His brief walk on this earth in a manger. That isn't exactly how Hollywood would write the story is it? But that's what God did. The point of the story is that God gave. As Dave Ramsey says "He's a Giver," and being His children we should follow his lead. I encourage you this Christmas to stop and focus on the true meaning behind the Christmas story and to give in a way that shows God's love to the world.

jp

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Well there isn't anything more I can say (except maybe you need to write more often honey! You should have your own blog!.....Actually I'm considering an idea to do with him next year...) Have a day of blessings!

Marriage Monday: A love letter to my husband...

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My wonderful husband,
I want to take this time to tell you (and the world I guess!) of my love for you! Today we have been married for 8 years and 5 months. I remember in our dating days how it thrilled me to see an email from you in my inbox, and even today I feel the same way. It makes me smile when you send me an email or leave me a note. You are such a wonderful husband. I'm thankful that you love God. It thrills my heart to see you growing and becoming more like Him. I'm thankful that you are my best friend. You know me so well and that gives my heart such comfort. I'm thankful that you make me laugh. It feels good to talk and laugh together late into the night when we should be sleeping! I'm thankful for the ways you help me be a better person. You help me see things from a different perspective and I appreciate that. I'm thankful that you spend time with our son and he has such a wonderful role model to follow in you. You are so important to his life and he loves you so much! I'm thankful for your financial wisdom. You bless me by the way you are wise in our finances. I'm thankful that you know when I'm hurting and you care. You always know what to say and how to make me smile. I'm thankful God gave you to me! You are the best. Love, Bethany

To my readers, Thank you for visiting my blog today. Join us for Marriage Monday by clicking on the button above.

Have a day of blessings!

Marriage Monday: Extreme Makeover

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Extreme Makeover: How God Renewed Our Marriage Against All the Odds.

Every marriage goes through rough patches—and some are severe—but the good news is God's Word is completely adequate to help us through. Click on the button above to join us today for Marriage Monday.

While thinking about today's topic, I had a hard time coming up with something to share. We have had our times of disagreements and hard days just like every married couple. We've used these times to learn and grow instead of drive us apart. I couldn't think of any story to share of how our marriage has gone through any extreme makeover.

What I did think about is how we are different today than we were when we said our vows 8 years ago. We were so in love then and that love has grown deeper. We thought we knew everything about one another but we realize we keep learning new things. We've learned so much through the years. He knows what I like now and does those things to make me happy, like praying together and telling me good night each night instead of rolling over and going to sleep. Marriage is something that takes consistent work. You can't just decide one day, "I think I'll put some effort into my marriage today and try to make my husband happy." You have to consistently grow and build day after day.

On our wedding invitation was the verse Ecclesiastes 4:12-- "A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." That has been an encouragement throughout our marriage, and we know that the third strand is God. He has been our helper and given us blessings in our marriage for which we are both thankful.

Have a day of blessings!

Marriage Monday: Girl Talk

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It's time for Marriage Monday, which is a monthly meme hosted by e-Mom at Chrysalis. To avoid vacation conflicts, we’re meeting the week before Labor Day (which is today!). Our topic is "Girl Talk: Mothers & Daughters Talk About Love."

When I saw the topic for today, a story came to my mind about my Mom. Before I started dating my husband, on weekends we would play cards in the dorm lobby with a big group of friends. One weekend in February my parents and cousin were visiting, and they joined us for our card games. My Mom had a little calendar that she wrote in each day. It had a question/memory for her to fill in each day. On that particular day she wrote that she had a special feeling about J and the sweet way he treated me. This has always been special to me because it was just one of those things my Mom just knew, and she was right. We went on a walk together around campus the next time and a couple weeks later he asked me on a date. :)

Marriage Monday: Open Topic

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Today, you’re invited to join us for the Marriage Monday meme. Usually, we write on a specific aspect of married life (like joy or friendship), but today our topic is wide open. Please consider posting your thoughts on whatever facet of marriage is on your heart. You can publish a short piece of prose or a poem, a video, a song, a joke etc.

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I'm so thankful for my husband. It brings my heart gladness to know he is there for me, really there for me to offer support. When I'm sad he seems to know when to say something or say nothing. He seems to always know when I need to talk about something or when I need to laugh. When I am running out of steam, he always seems to know to do a little something extra to help me, whether that is pick up the living room, surprise me with a clean bathroom, or rub my feet. I'm thankful for the special blessing God gave me in my husband.

Hope you'll join us for Marriage Monday on the first Monday of each month!
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"But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15

Marriage Monday: Traveling with our husbands

It's time again for Marriage Monday! It seems like so long ago that I wrote the June post for Marriage Monday. This month's topic is traveling with your husband. Here are some questions for thought posted by our hostess Christine at Fruit in Season along with my answers.

How often have you traveled with your husband? My husband and I have done some traveling together through the years. He travels some for business so Caleb and I go with him sometimes when he does, depending where he's going and how long he's staying. He's been to Phoenix and D.C. recently (we didn't go!). I'll miss traveling with him during the school year once Caleb starts school this year.

Have you traveled around the country? Internationally? Most of our travel has been here in Texas, but we've also been to Louisiana and New Mexico. We've not traveled internationally together.

Where was your favorite place and why? Each place holds special memories. We went to South Padre Island on our honeymoon....and both got sunburned! I totally love to go back to Abilene since that is where we met and it holds so many great memories for us. I guess our favorite place as a family is probably San Antonio. Our trips to New Mexico have been fabulous as well! Anywhere together is special.

Who does the packing and planning? I am a list maker so I start making lists of things to take. Depending on the trip, I fix a box of snacks and other random items that I want to be sure and remember, like batteries and the phone charger. For long trips (like our trip to New Mexico that included several stops), I made a list of days and then what clothes I'd wear each day. He gets out his own clothes usually. I will gather up the toiletries. I've been known to leave behind important items, so I try to double-check each room of the house before leaving.

Are your travel styles and preferences compatible? We're compatible I'd say. I like to have a plan well in advance of where we are going, what we're doing, and how much it will cost. We like to do family fun things together.

How do you make sure the trip is fun for both of you? We both give ideas of what we should do or see when we go some place special. We also decide together about where we will eat.

If you have kids, do you usually take them with you? Yes.

What are your future travel plans with your husband? (I'll assume you have some future travel plans!) As a young girl I went to Missouri with my parents and we visited several places including the Precious Moments Chapel. I want to go back together someday. As a teenager my husband went on a motorcycle trip with his Papaw to Colorado. He frequently talks about that trip and actually that trip is what he talked about the first night we went for a walk together before we started dating. I really want to go back together. I've never been to Colorado so it will be special to see that with him. We want to go to Washington, D.C. (in a couple years we're thinking!) Also, I would love to see the Grand Canyon.

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"Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day." Psalm 96:2