Making time for your marriage

I remember what it was like....

I remember the spontaneous date nights out to dinner and that one time that we binged watched "Lost" for the entire weekend.

Talking was never a big deal because it was only the two of us... there were no broken up conversations or interruptions.

Then something big happened....Our marriage changed.... we had kids.

Our family has now grown by 2 little girls and while we love that we are now a family of 4, I would be lying if I said that making time for my husband and I has been super easy.

Let's face it, making time for your marriage isn't always the easiest thing. Kids, work, life....something always seems to come up and you basically have two options:

1) Let life get in the way and don't make the time for your spouse

2) Make time to strengthen and grow your marriage, despite how busy life gets.

I've said it once and I'll say it again.... marriage is not easy!... It can be hard but it is so worth it. And as we all know...anything that is worth it is worth working for.

You might be thinking... "Well sure it's easy for people who live near family and have willing babysitters at almost any given time." And to that I say....You're right!...but it still not an excuse for the rest of us that don't have that option.

I totally get it.....Ever since we became parents we have never lived near family. It's tough! You may have a few babysitter options, but you also don't want to ask the same people over and over again and "wear out your welcome"..... Totally get it, but there are still easy and simple ways that you can make time for your marriage.

Here are some of the simple ways to date your spouse when life gets in the way:

1) Date night in

If you have kids or work opposite schedules it can be hard to have regular date nights, so simply bring your date night in. Now....if you are parents, this is where bedtime is essential! I am all for a good bedtime schedule for kids because not only do they need the sleep and structure but this is also a great chance for mommy and daddy to get time together. There have been a few times where we eat a little later or get some dessert to go and save it for after bedtime. It's nothing fancy, but hey...it's time together.

2) Get up early

If you love to get to bed early, then maybe getting up early would work better. When you both wake up together (bonus if you wake up before the kids), you can both enjoy some time with each other, even if it's just for 30 minutes or so. Fix up some coffee, have a quick breakfast and talk to each other before the busyness of the day starts.

3) Talk whenever you can

This one goes for if you are physically together or not. Talking whenever you can is making time for your marriage even if it is a simple text letting your spouse know that you are thinking about them. With technology these days it's easy to keep in contact, even if you are halfway across the world from each other. Take the moments that you can get to communicate....doesn't have to be a deep conversation, the goal is to just keep the communication going.

There are a lot of factors in life that can make it so easy to just let time with your spouse slip by, but you must MAKE YOUR MARRIAGE A PRIORITY. Letting the busyness get in between you and your spouse can not be an option if you want to keep your marriage growing.

Marriage is worth the work.....even if that means getting up at 5:00 am to enjoying a cup of coffee together.