He was looking down at the ipad when he said it. A nonchalant "Just don't talk about it." I don't think he even looked up. We were on a long drive—Ryan and I in the front of the minivan with our three kids strapped in behind us in the middle row. Trenton had a front row seat to our argument. And …
A Parable: The Giver and the Taker
There are two of you doing this dance. This endless foxtrot of arranging who's taking the kids to school, waiting to see who will take out the trash first, and playing rock-paper-scissors to see who will do the bedtime routine that night. It is not exactly the romantic dance you imagined as a …
Marital Satisfaction while Raising Children
For the first time in recent memory, I am not bone tired tonight. Instead of wishing the couch would swallow me whole, like I do every night, tonight I sat upright at the computer (still wearing a bra!). I edited photos, re-conceptualized my blog, strung together some family videos. I straightened …
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Using Positive Sentiment Override for a Happier Marriage
I'm so excited to have my cousin and lifelong friend Alaina Chatterly here today, talking about a concept—"positive sentiment override"—that really struck a chord with me. Alaina is a marriage and family therapist, a busy mom of three, and an awesome photographer based in the Salt Lake City area. I …
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Squinting in the Shade
I'm excited to be guest posting today at Beauty Through Imperfection—my friend Paula's heartfelt blog encouraging wives and moms. I wind along the two-lane highway that leads to my home. As it always is at this time of day, the road is densely shaded. But with the sun low behind the trees …
5 Ways to Give Respect
I LOVED our last chat about why men need respect. Let me tell ya, learning that men need to feel respected even more than they need to feel loved was incredibly eye-opening for me. My husband and I have practiced a lot of trial and error in our seven years of marriage, and I've done plenty of …
