15 Tips to a Happy Marriage!!

This is my favorite! Everyone has a bad day….we have an unspoken understanding, that it’s okay! Sometimes I’ll be the one to just keep the smile, while he is irritated! Sometime…maybe more often…he does it for me! It eliminates fighting…which is the last thing I want to do with my TRUE LOVE!

I made this commitment way before I ever met Mark. In High School, I spent a lot of time at my friend’s house. I would watch her parents out in public, smile and be happy to all they met. Yet, when they got home, they were tired, and treated each other horrible! Why put so much effort into other people…when your spouse is an eternal friend???? I am lucky to have met a man who does the exact same thing. It doesn’t matter what drama he was faced with at work, he always comes home with a smile!

 Love it! Read it…and take the test! It took us a long time to take the test, because we felt like we had a good relationship. Finally, after hearing how much it helped my brother and his wife, we decided to take the test. I was surprised at the answers. It has truly helped me to be a better wife. For us it seems to come in handy when you, (everyone does), have one of those days…when you are just tuckered out! I’m quality time (not quanity time…quality time), and affirmation. One night, we were laying in bed, and Mark rolled over gave me a good night kiss, then he paused….”you looked nice today!” I knew that I really looked like a worn out, tired mom…so I asked him….”What was I wearing?” He replied, “I don’t know…but your affirmation…and you always look nice!” It worked for me! I even like forced affirmation!

6. Be Affectionate! Love your spouse! 

Let him know you love him! Let your kids know that you love each other. I have always appreciated my parents example…..My mom would be washing the dishes…and my dad would come up behind her, humming a tune, wrap his arms around her waist, and nuzzle his face next to hers, while giving her a gentle kiss on the neck! They were always tasteful, but we knew they loved each other. It did not matter where we were, if there was nice classical music, my parents would dance! They are beautiful ball room dancers. It seemed to take them from their busy life, as parents of 12…into a quick fantasy! I know they will be dancing together in heaven!

8. Appreciate your Spouse! 

Our husbands work HARD! We work HARD! Let him worry about tooting your horn….you toot his! Let him know…VERBALLY…that you appreciate all he does! I don’t think there is any substitute for verbal affirmation…but you can always change it up too. I will send him an email, or a text, telling him how amazing he is! BECAUSE HE IS AMAZING!

It’s that simple! You may not believe me….but I NEVER heard my parents fight…not even raise their voice to one another! I wish I could say that…but early on, we had a couple little fights. One time, we were in Hawaii with Mark’s parents, and for some reason we ended up in a fight! Of all places, why would you fight in Hawaii???? His mom gave us advice, that has changed our lives forever. She told us, “Don’t fight, just let it go!” How simple is that! She explained, that usually a fight starts off as something small, and then with tension, and time, grows to something large and ugly, in fact, usually you don’t even remember the original fight! I am thankful we had our lesson in the first year. Because we just let things go…give each other a break..and we don’t fight!

10. Smile! laugh with each other! 

I think this may be my favorite thing to do together. -Laugh- My kids always ask me why I think dad is so funny! We just have fun with playful banter! We have experienced enough life together, that we can just LAUGH!

We are different denominations! Which can be a HUGE wedge! Many, in our situation choose to just not pursue religion. We decided that it was very important, and that our kids would follow our example! We decided to focus on the common ground…and Put CHRIST at the head of our home! I am so thankful, that we have pushed through…I still pray that we will someday share the same denomination. But I am thankful that we go to church every week as a family, we read daily scriptures, and have daily prayer, and we both LOVE THE LORD!

12. Have a Hobby…and Appreciate each others! 

Lucky for us, we both share the same common hobby…..fitness! I enjoy running, and he likes basketball! I love when he gets the chance to unwind on the court! As for my hobby…after years of asking him to run with me…he now runs with me…and more than me! Although he is yet to beat me in a race! =)

 I love my family! He loves his family! I love his family! and He loves my family! It makes all the difference!

14. Touch each other! 

I have never heard of a man that does not enjoy being touched! That is my number one weapon. If I want to have quality time…and he is busy…well, he can’t resist a head rubbing…it works every time!!! And then there is the simple touch…I absolutely love when he just reaches over and touches my arm!

-Sherri