Whoever said that little things don't matter was never married to a woman...

Or maybe they just didn't stay married. :/

We bought a car this week. Woo! Hoo! Exciting... 

Well, actually more stressful than exciting. 

If you have ever bought a car from a dealership you know that once your decision is made you have a 2+ hour stay for paperwork etc.

We were there for 3 hours.

Because of beautiful boy #1 the kids were thankfully at home in his care.

It was a long and annoying wait for adults so for children...

But while we were there I started to think about all of the little things my husband does for me. 

All of those little things that make a huge difference. Things that make me feel so loved and blessed!

Just in the 3 hours at the dealership he:

*changed seats with me because the sun had been right in my face

*inspected our new keys/remote and put the newest/prettiest one on my key chain for me

*stopped me and cleaned out what was left in the car himself

*right after he helped me sneak in a quick fhe--(which is a big thing for me and our family)

Just a few little things that can make a person feel so loved.

He isn't perfect--and I'm certainly not! Like any marriage we have our moments when we aren't as giving as we should be or as patient. 

But I am thankful for his love and for his example of little things. Because for me, at least, they make all difference.

3 Easy Ways to Improve Your Marriage

First of all let me say there are a hundred ways to improve your marriage... I don't know anyone who wants to read through that list though...

So, here are 3. Just 3. Three that I honestly and truly believe in!

1. Pick Your Battles

2. Say, "I love you"

3. Celebrate

1. Pick your battles

Have you ever heard the story of the husband, his wife and his grapefruit?

I am totally paraphrasing here:

A woman watched her husband, sitting at the kitchen table one morning, eating his grapefruit. She'd watched him eat grapefruit for ten years. He peeled it and slurped each section, smacking his lips as he did so. She finally decided she couldn't live with it anymore. He needed to change his horrid grapefruit eating habits or else! She decided to be kind, and so she made a proposal. "Honey," she said that morning. "Why don't we each tell each other one thing that we don't like about the other. Then we can change, improve. It'll be helpful exercise." He agreed and she let him have it. She told him just how awful his grapefruit manners were and then sighed with relief, to finally have it all off her chest. And then she waited for his turn. She could take it, he could tell her what he didn't like and she'd be just fine. She was so big a person, she'd even try to change for him. But then he said, "I can't think of anything, my dear."

"Nothing?" she asked. 

"Nothing," he said. "I can't think of anything I'd want you to change."

In the end, she didn't feel better, she didn't have a chance to be that "big" person. Instead she felt very foolish for making SO much out of a grapefruit.

None of us are perfect. Why battle over those little things?

2. Say, "I love you"

Did you know there are some people who don't?? 

To me, the concept is crazy. But there are plenty of people who don't utter the words. Some of them even use the excuse, they mean too much. When I say it, it means something.

I've got news for you... it means something every single time you say it. Even if it's a dozen times in one day.

Say it.

Mean it.

It makes a difference!

3. Celebrate.

Valentines Day

Anniversaries

Birthdays

Celebrate them!

Don't go into debt. 

Celebrating doesn't mean gifts or trips or major $$ spending. It means you mark the day, you spend it together. You celebrate each other and your relationship.

Now, come on? How easy is that? :)

Thou shalt love thy spouse :)

Isn't that why we marry them??

To love em'!

And yet, there are days, for everyone that's it's difficult.
I found this fantastic article by Heather Hale:
The 10 Marriage Commandments
I love it all, but here's one of my favorite "commandments"-

 

3. Thou shalt communicate. Your spouse has a lot of wonderful qualities, but he or she has never been and will never be a mind reader. Chances are, your spouse wants to give you the world, but you'll have to tell him or her what you need. Own your feelings and be honest about emotions.

 

Seriously, go read it and then give your spouse a smooch.

Be happy to be in love!

 

Also, this is just another reason I love my church so dearly.

So often fingers are pointed, doom and gloom is predicted and preached, but not in my church.

Always, always are we taught: forgive, love, be grateful, be happy, be hopeful. There's so much to live for and so much more goodness than evil.

And one of those {huge} good things is marriage.

It's beautiful.

It's difficult.

But nothing worth while is easy.

And marriage is most certainly worth while.