Part of having a happy marriage is developing similar interest

Paul & Gean Young

Married: August 27, 1946

Marion, Ohio

Paul and Gene met at the Highway Rollerina. They enjoy traveling, boating, bike rides and just being together outdoors.

_________________________________________________________
Friendship is such an integral part of romance. The joy of sharing experiences- sights, tastes, aromas, sensations- will abound as a husband and wife explore and revel in the delights of God's creation. Having fun and enjoying life together is one of the greatest benefits of married life, and it forms a tight bond that can cement a marriage through the years.

Whatever you do, don't neglect this important aspect of marriage. Whether it be traveling to an exotic locale, taking dance lessons, sampling unusal foods at an ethnic restaurant, learning a new sport, doing volunteer work for a local charity, or trying some inexpensive activity that one or both of you have never done before, do it together! It will stimulate conversation, nurture your friendship, promote unity in your marriage, and keep your hearts aglow.

Spouses truly should be best friends. Developing common interests helps ensure that a couple will draw closer together over time rather than slowly drift apart. Best of all, it fosters an intimacy that goes far deeper than friendship, because it involves one of the chief ingredients of a happy, successful union- quality time shared together. In more than one sense, it takes a lot of time for a marriage to last forever.

What can you do today to begin building the friendship part of your relationship?

Come, dear lover- let's tramp through the countryside. Let's sleep at some wayside inn, then rise early and listen to bird-song. Let's look for wildflowers in bloom, blackberry bushes blossoming white, fruit trees festooned with cascading flowers.

Song of Songs 7:11-12 MSG

New Week

Had a great weekend. Friday we went to dinner with our neighbors, and Brendan's future wife, Sophie. I'm so happy that we met them. It was just a year ago this past week that we met at our neighborhood National Night Out. We went to Mi Cocina and then walked over the the live music. I stopped and got cookies as we all went to our cars to get our blankets for the concert. Sophie was too interested in feeding Brendan her cookies than eating them herself! Match made in Heaven or what?! Saturday we just wanted to take it easy. We took B to a pumpkin patch in Flower Mound. Apparently there are two patches right next to each other. I had seen something on the one we were headed to'swebsite about don't turn here, but here, but didn't pay much attention. Found a patch with a person waving us in and went. When they didn't charge for parking I looked just one lot over and knew this wasn't the patch we were aiming for. But in the end, it was great. It had the same stuff the other patch did pretty much, but all free, and I'm all about free. B got in some bounce fun and we took a wagon ride and hay ride and then picked out some pumpkins. I kept looking afar to try and see if I could find a difference, all I say were more cars, probably more pumpkins, but more charges. I hope we got the better end of the deal, but in the end it doesn't matter. B had a great time and we as a family were together. We took B to his favorite, Chick-fil-a, for lunch so he could get some "nugs" and playtime. Afterwards, he napped and then we ordered pizza and wings for game one of the Rangers ALCS. Ended up being a super long game. Two rain delays. Sunday we skipped church and went to the fair. OMG, so many fattening foods. I had a corn dog, and then halved w/ Q deep fried cheesecake, deep fried salsa, buffalo chicken in jalapeno pancake batter and cotton candy! Buffalo chicken was AWESOME!! Of course the cheesecake was and corny dog is just classic like the cotton candy. I was disappointed in the games. I remember when you just walked up to a game and gave them a dollar. Now you have to have a game card!! It cost us $6 to play TWO games!! And the easiest, cheapest games for B. I was so upset by this!! Anyways, today is Monday and Q is out of town. He left the house a little before 6 and isn't scheduled to land at DFW until 8:35 PM on Thursday, which means B hasn't seen him since he went to bed Sunday and won't see him until he wakes up on Friday. I was so upset by this because I knew if B saw him on Friday and Q just left for work it would be meltdown city! Luckily, Q has some time built up and is taking the day off! Good thing because I never sleep well when he's gone. The first night is the worst and then I can't ever get back on track. Maybe things will be different w/ B in school, but I doubt it. Need to get things done while he's in school, so there's no rest for the weary. Well, guess I need to try and start winding myself down. Good night!

Another long hiatus

I am so bad about this blogging biz. Need to try and set some time aside every day to just vent or share. I've been letting a lot of things build up here lately that I just had a complete melt down yesterday and just could not stop crying and feeling so alone. Today's a little better (at least the crying has stopped).

Anyways, today after I took B to school I went and started picking up some party favors for his birthday party. I can't believe my little man is going to be turning TWO soon. I keep looking at baby pictures and just wonder where the time as gone. He is just the sweetest boy. Everyone is always telling me how sweet he is. Even his school teachers say he's just the sweetest in the class and loves to give hugs and flash smiles at them all throughout the morning while he is there. I love that boy so much and so luckly to have such a great kid. Sure, he throws tantrums like any other kid and there are some days we butt heads, but at the end of the day he's always going to flash me a smile, and give me tons of hugs and sugars. He's talking more and more each day. He's recently learned, "thank you" and he just the cutest about it. He now says thank you to everything, which I love. He also has picked up on me saying "Bye, we'll see you later" only he just says "Bye, see you". He is such a precious gift.

That's all for now, just wanted to brag on my sweet boy ;)

Always Treat Your Wife Like a Lady

Don't think any men read my blog, but if so, this one's for you.....

Sol & Edna Weiss

Married: June 16, 1946

New York, New York

Sol and Edna met at a party when he was fourteen and she was thirteen. "We still hold hands,: Sol says. "And I still put up with his sense of humor," Edna laughs.

___________________________________________________

Showing a woman honor and respect involves so much more than chivalrous gestures such as holding a door, rising politely at the dinner table, or laying one's coat over a puddle of rainwater. A husband's treatment of his wofe like a lady begins with his attitude toward her. Does he truly value his spouse, or does he take her for granted? Does he view her as a gift from heaven above or as more of a burden, "the ol' ball and chain"? The Bible describes a wife as a noble character as "her husband's crown" (Proverbs 12:4), "worth far more than rubies" (Proverbs 31:10). A godly wife is a treasure to be cherished, deserving her husband's highest compliments and praise.

Honoring his wife begins with his thoughts and feelings towards her, but it doesn't end there. Picture a valiant young knight striving to win his lady's affections, and revealing his heart to her through his words and deeds! He gives her his full attention when she is speaking. He considers her point of view. He respects her opinions and empathizes with her feelings. In addition, he regards the issues that concern her as important.

God is calling wives to be true ladies, kindhearted and worthy of respect; He is calling husbands to be sincere gentlemen, and to give their wives the honor they have earned.

Husbands,...be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect.

1 Peter 3:7

Love Each Other and Share Common Goals

Ray & Florence Borquez

Married: November 23, 1946

Los Angeles, CA

Ray and Florence remains active in church activities. Although he's technically retired, Ray still enjoys the occasional odd job. Florence considers herself lucky to have a spouse who shares her active outlook on life.

____________________________________________________________________

What Better partnership is there than that of a loving husband and wife striving together to achieve common objectives? And who better to join forces with than the on you love, the person with whom you've chosen to share your deepest hopes, your fondest dreams, your very life?

One of the biggest problems marriages face today is that spouses cling to their own individuality rather than fully entering into their new identity as a couple. They hold on to independence at the expense of the unity God intended, maintaining separate checkbooks, separate pursuits, separate vacations, separate friends. Oftentimes they unknowingly have different vvisions for their marriage and their future.

They Bible says, "Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their labor...A triple-braided cord is not easily broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:9, 12, NLT). Look closely at a length of a rope; there is individuality still present in the strands, but it disappears into the oneness of the cord. What you hold in your hand is a single, strong rope powerful enough to move heavy loads.

God has designed marriage to make the two of you stronger together than you ever were when you were single. As a result, you don't need to be afraid to set big goals. Why don't you and your spouse talk today about what your life together was meant to accomplish?

This explains why man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

Genesis 2:24 NLT

<:AtomicElement><:HighlightText>

<:AtomicElement><:HighlightText>

No Title

So, we've had an amazing weekend. Friday Q had to work late so I took B over to visit Mimi and Pappaw, which he always loves!! Saturday, B had not one, but TWO birthday parties to attend. I love that we are growing up with such fabulous families. B is probably one of the youngest, but boy does he try to hang like he's the oldest.

The last time I wrote I was extremely sad, it's been incredibly hard following Ronan's blog but I don't ever want to forget this sweet soul that I never met. His family is having a service Sunday, low key, Ronan never liked to be the center or attention, so they have invited the public to attend a balloon releasing service at 7:15 Arizona time (8:15 Dallas time) I am planning on picking up a nice Star Wars Balloon to release in his honor. I've never met this boy, but feel so connected through his mothers words. They are such a couragous family to share their journey and can't even imagine nor want to imagine the pain they are going through. Please send a pray out. Sweet Ronan went to Heaven Monday, but he turned 4 here Earth Thursday. Again, the services are Sunday, please keep this family in your prayers and lift a balloon up 8:15 Dallas time if you can.

Grief Stricken

I honestly couldn't tell you the last time I've blogged. Today I blog just to get out emotion. This is a friend of a friend story so I hope not to confuse. A friend of mine a while back changed her Facebook picture to a boy that was not her son and introduced me to her friend's blog, rockstarronan.com. Her friend's son, Ronan, was diagnosed with neurblastoma a rare cancer in children. He was diagnosed last August and since then the family and Ronan fought hard to beat this cancer. Today, this gorgeous blue-eyed 3 year old little boy lost his battle and I can't stop crying. A friend mentioned how they never knew how much you could come to love someone by following them on a blog and I couldn't have put it better myself. I've never met this courageous boy nor his family, but was drawn in to hearing about his life. Yes, I cried with each blog post, but couldn't stop praying and hoping this power of pray would give the miracle this family so desperately wanted. Parent's should NEVER see their children die, God apparently turned away when Jesus was dying on the cross because I suspect it was too hard for him to see and not stop, with this I just don't understand how he could let this happen. I just don't understand, and I don't even know this family, imagine how they are feeling. I've been crying now two hours and I didn't even know him. Trying to console me Quinton said, "we just need to be thankful for what we have and that Brendan is healthy" to which I angrily shot back "what, you don't think these people were thankful for their son and what they had?" He of course said no that's not what he meant by it and I know it, I just feel selfish being thankful for a healthy child and them losing theirs. He was only 3!! Brendan is only 18 months!! I can't even imagine life without him. It's just so scary. Life truly is so fragile and short. I pray that this family can be consoled in their grief always and find some way to carry on. There just are no words....