CREATIVE ROMANCE

Sometimes in life...well, a lot of times in life, we get so busy that we tend to forget or neglect the things that were given to us as great and wonderful blessings. Jobs, finances, worry, TV, stress, and many more all contribute to one thing - they suck away our time...time suckers. haha. As any married couple, you deal with the dry times of finances. Money seems to be one of the biggest struggles in our marriage. We don't want to go and blow away tons of money on clothes and entertainment, but it is hard when you know that you are restricted.
My husband works so hard...everyday. I don't think he has ever had a "day off" in his life. Sometimes he has a hard time seeing results of his hard work. I try to remind him - the roof over our heads, the food in our fridge, our electricity, and not to mention our most expensive thing of all...our son, James. Just because we can't eat out every night or see movies once a week does not make us poor or lack anything...i don't think.
When we are limited by money, it leaves a lot of room open for creativity. For example, this past weekend, Ryan took me and James to Big Bone Park to go hiking/walking. We drove all around on that beautiful morning and saw some beautiful scenery out in the Kentucky country. When we got home we had a nice lunch full of sandwiches and fruit. After that, we decided to clean out the garage. I know that does not sound like much fun, but it was something that desperately needed to be done...plus afterwards we were proud of ourselves with all the extra space that we made in there. That night after dinner, we pulled out our corn hole set (that Ryan made a while back) and played. James watched while us rednecks played. Once James was tucked in for the night, Ryan taught me some guitar, which turned into a mini worship session for Jesus. It was a great day! And not one of those things cost us money.
For all of you married women out there, try to be open with your husband and how you are feeling. I have found that they are not mind readers...at least my husband is not. There have been times where i have felt lost in the shuffle between Ryan, James, and Ryan's work. As wives we are to encourage and be our husband's cheerleaders....but we also need that same encouragement to take care of our kids and to keep the home in order. So be honest with one another. I was honest with my husband, and he graciously listened. My whole thing is - when you are married and have kids, romance seems to be on the back burner...the burner over at your neighbors house. that is how much we tend to forget/neglect it. Try to keep the romance alive! And if you are like us and do not have tons of money to spend on spectacular dates, be creative. We cook together with music playing. The other night, while i was cleaning up the dishes after dinner, we had Norah Jones playing in the background. My husband came and slow danced with me in the kitchen. It is moments like that that are more special and more romantic than a dinner and a movie.
So, be encouraging, be honest, be romantic, be creative. Don't forget all of the blessings that God has blessed you with. And don't waste your time worrying.