To Love and To Cherish

Good morning and happy Monday friends! Our sweet Jenifer is sick with the flu right now so I thought I would post a Marriage Monday for all of you today.

My younger sister had a baby on Thursday last week. He's so beautiful, a little boy 8lbs 9oz 19 inches long. He loves being talked to and he loves being rocked. He already has cute little quarks even with being on this earth for only a few short days. Can you tell I'm a proud auntie? With the birth of this little boy it got me thinking about my own children and when they were born.

My husband and I have been together for 7 years, married for 6. I thought we had the perfect relationship, until our children were born and then we really realized that we would have to step up the effort we were making to even still like each other. Children can cause such a stress on marriages. Babies are needy, they know what they want when they want it and it doesn't matter what you're doing when they need something. Our children are such a blessing but some day your children will be out of the house and once again it will be just you and your husband.

So let me ask you..what are you doing right now to "stoke the fire" so to speak. What are you doing right now to pursue your husband even in the stress of every day life with children?

When we had children our world turned upside down and we were never told that we'd have to make extra effort to spend time together. We were never told that our marriage would turn upside down.

New mommy's can get so caught up in their new bundle of joy that they forget their best friend, soul mate, their beautiful gift of a marriage and suddenly stress takes over. So today I'm writing to all the new mommy's/future mommy's reading this.

While you are pursuing your husband/boyfriend right now talk about what will happen when  you have children.

When you actually do have children or have a new little one right now take at least once a month and go on a date with your husband. I know that money is tight, believe me I know, so even just taking a walk outside with a baby monitor and sitting on your front porch with your husband is a small break.

When things get stressful ~ the baby won't sleep, you haven't slept, the baby won't eat, you haven't eaten, work is stressful then stop right where you are and pray. If your husband and you are fighting pray together. Stop right where you are even in the middle of an argument and pray. Pray peace and strength for your marriage.

Children are blessings, but your husband is your best friend and your gift from God to help you through the tough times. Don't let your marriage slip through your fingers after your children come, your kids need to see, no matter how old or young they are, that you and your husband are still madly in love.

I can't say my husband and I are perfect at this but we do try, making time for your marriage keeps the enemy out of your home a lot more too.

P.S. with my sister having her baby last week I was not able to do a Family Friday post and did not announce the winner of the give-away last week soo the winner of The Ministry of Motherhood book is Sherry - please email me at mandysnyder2@yahoo.com with your contact information so I can get the book mailed to you asap. Congratulations!

(My beautiful new nephew Marcus Anthony 24 hours old)

(My husband and I after just having our son Shayne, my children are 13 months apart)