Workin' It Wednesday: Keeping My Marriage Strong

I'm linking up today with Shay and Erika for Workin' It Wednesday and sharing how we keep our marriage strong :) 

Our marriage is far from perfect, it has it's ups and downs and it's constantly changing...but my relationship with Nate is the second MOST important thing to me in this world... right behind Jesus.

Photo Cred

1. First things, we try our best to keep our faith at the center.  Our faith is something that has always been important to us both, and we work hard to make sure we are growing.  To be completely honest, both of us have found ourselves changing a lot in our faith and the way we see the world.  As we continue to get older (...ahhh I'm almost 30!), our eyes have continued to be open and we are constantly learning and growing, but keeping Jesus at the center of it all.

2. We continually work to be united.  We have always talked about being united-- basically us against the world.  I have Nate's back forever, and he has mine.  We can talk, fight, disagree, etc when it's just the two of us...but in public and in front our kids...we are united.  I think this has helped us both know that our marriage is of top priority.  We try not to talk about frustrations with each other to others, we make sure that if there's ever an issue with friends, family, strangers, etc we talk about how WE are going to deal with it.  How are we as a couple going to face this and handle this with grace? 

3. Date nights.  With 2 kids, they don't happen as often...but we seriously love them.  Uninterrupted dinners are like a little slice of heaven. Although we try to get out just the two of us, we also love our evening time together.  We put the kids to bed and then we sit on the couch and talk, laugh, watch a TV show or chit chat about what is going on.  It's our way of making sure we aren't just going through our busy days and not connecting.  I crave my evenings with Nate and if we have a busy week and we don't have them, I find myself saying...man I MISS Nate! Oh...and intimacy is a huge part of a marriage too. When you have 2 kids and are up all night-- I know it sounds like the last thing you want to do sometimes...but even if it feels like a sacrifice sometimes, it keeps you close!  Also, the sacrifice will speak volumes to your man.  Even though she's tired, she still desires me? Selfless wife makes a happy husband.  Happy husband makes a selfless husband + a happy wife:) Trust me, it will make an impact. 

4.  Honesty.  Even though Nate and I have been married for 7 years, there are still things that we have to remind each other about.  Life gets busy and if you have to give your spouse a "I need this from you" talk, then do it.  Nate and I both had to tell each other at certain points, that we needed more in a certain area.  It's not always an easy conversation, but we work hard to not be offended by it, not get defensive and hear each other out.  Being honest when we need more has been huge for us. 

5. Putting our family unit first.  Our family of 4 is a solid unit that we want to always be a team.  There are times when it just needs to be us.  We prioritize dinners together- to catch up and be together.  I pray this will always be a time where we can get together, love, encourage + fight for each other.  I want my kids to know that we as a family are a safe place to land.

I LOVED this link up.  I talk a lot about the kids on here, so it's only fair I talk about Nate some too. He is my partner in crime, the calm to my crazy and the best daddy to our boys.  Our marriage is my greatest blessing and we work HARD for where it's come and where it will go. That's not to say that it's not work, hard, or challenging...but it is so rewarding.

My final tip?

Marry a guy like Nate ;) 

haha. But really. 

Hope you have a great Wednesday! 

xox,

Naomi