I love thinking about when Caleb and I were first dating. I’m sure those of you that are married would agree. You know, the feelings, the excitement, the kissing. I remember getting all ready for dates. I would try on about 50 different combinations and outfits. I would even make out a checklist to make sure I didn’t forget to put on deodorant. (What a dork.) What a fun and exciting time in our relationship that was. There was a special spark!
When we take our marriage vows, we commit ourselves to the whole package—the highs, the lows, and the ordinary. But caught up by the delight and wonder of falling in love, we tend to anticipate that our marriages will be high romance, week after starry-eyed week. It may come as a jolt when we finally realize that more of the texture of marriage is getting dinner on the table and paying utility bills than it is moonlight and roses. It’s challenging to keep that spark in our marriage, amidst all our daily demands.
In my opinion, the quickest, easiest, and cheapest way to a sparky marriage is laughter. I read an awesome article called “The Power of Laughter.” It states, “On average, children laugh 400 times a day, while adults laugh about 15 times.” How sad! Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured.” Caleb is GREAT keeping laughter in our home. He is always messing with Easton and I. He doesn’t even try to make us laugh, something silly just happens to the big guy and I burst out laughing. Like one time he fell down the steps in the basement before the basement was finished. I ran to see if he was ok, and his face was red in anger and pain. He asked me if there was a mark on his back! (It reminded me of Chris Farley in Tommy Boy.) I couldn’t help but laugh. If you know my boy toy at all you would know that he is accident-prone. I could go on and on about the joy Caleb has brought into my life both intentional and unintentional.
I have decided to start a family journal. In our journal I will be recording funny things that happen in our lives. Our family journal is just a cheap little journal that I make an entry in every time something funny, cute, or amusing happens in our family. Most of the entries in it are about our Caleb, however with our newest addition, Easton I’m sure there will be plenty of pages filled with stories that will make us roll with laughter.
Life is funny. There is so much out there to enjoy. We should enjoy things and laugh together often. My favorite quote from the article, The Power of Laughter is, “We tend to like people we have fun with”. If we want to like our spouse, we need to have fun with them.
And the perfect venue for having fun is dating. We have to date our spouse! It may seem like we have less and less time for each other. That is why it is so important to keep dating regularly. Caleb and I plan on having a date night at least once a month. We also sneak in “home dates” when Easton is sleeping. We play games (I usually win, if Caleb happens to pull out a win, I usually let him! HA HA) I do have to admit that I do play Xbox with Caleb, (don’t tell my fifth graders!) We also watch our favorite shows or movies or just talk.
This will look different for each couple. We learned a lot in our young married class that was offered at our church about how to keep the spark alive. When Easton came into our lives, it was harder to have time together. Now that he is getting older it’s getting easier.
In closing, Jesus Christ has shown us the perfect example of how to love. I’m so grateful for the chance to be married! It is such a wonderful blessing and privilege to be on this fun, and wild life journey with someone I’m crazy about!
