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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

[thrive, not just survive]

blog,boyacks

f.y.i.: this may seem a tad long, but i promise it's worth your minutes.

when thinking about my "program" on sunday, the thought came to me,
.we need to thrive, not just survive.
i feel like we get set on survival mode as we get caught up in the mundane tasks of everyday living; but we want and need our family to thrive, be the best we can be and prove to each other how together, we can make anything happen! this may sound super cheesy, but it's true :)

the most productive place to begin developing a happy family is within the marriage itself: happy parents generally make happy children. In a home where parents put a strong emphasis on their own relationship, day by day working to strengthen the bonds of love between themselves, the children feel secure. They learn patience, tolerance, kindness, love, and forgiveness, not merely by hearing lessons about them, but in seeing the examples of their parents.

this article is SO good!

Happy Parents = Happy Children by Ed and Ann Lauritsen

i love this picture (above) because it just shows how happy this awesome couple's oldest daughter was to observe her mom & dad's affection for each other! she was so adorable, all grins and joy radiated from her sweet little soul! i couldn't stop thinking about how cute she was to watch.
this is what we all want for our children, right? peace, safety, security and the knowledge of happy parents.

our relief society lesson was all about marital relationships and how crazy important it is to take time for each other as a couple to cultivate, nourish and replenish our relationship.
this article was quoted much throughout the lesson speaking true to my heart... i just had to share!

what a very influential lesson, reminding us that we need to work on our marriages every day.
as recommended and i know for sam and i, going out together on dates is essential for our relationship. we try to get out at least once a week alone. whether we roam around costco (our friends like to tease us about this) with a hot dog and drink in our hands or simply a movie or a temple night, it has been so crucial for us.
now we are guilty of not taking our kids to disneyland yet, but we do spend money on babysitters and dates... our kids will live and be happy for it we hope - not really a big priority right now, eventually we'll get there! that's a whole other topic.
the important thing to remember is that dates don't have to be expensive... in this article there are ideas given for "taking time for each other" too.

be creative and plan something today!
i would love to hear any ideas you might have! thank you readers! love ya!

*spooky pics here

amelia