My up-level (sort of mid-level management) took time out of his day to encourage me last week. “You’re doing a great job; keep it up!” I found that message in Teams when I logged into work. This was very humbling – I know there is a lot more I can …

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The Date Night Scene It’s Friday date night and I’m wearing a great sundress I bought on ThredUp. My hair is washed and curled. My nails are painted. I move to the kitchen to put on some strappy heels. They rarely get use anymore but date night is a good …

Two Types of Date Night & Why Every Marriage Needs Them Read more »

Siblings and rivalry go together like peanut butter and jelly. It doesn’t have to be that way, though (but please don’t take away my PB&J – I love it!). While rivalry happens year-round, it can peak during the summer when kids have more time on their hands. Are you tired …

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Sometimes we have to ask clarifying questions. For instance, I was having a problem at the house the other night. My husband was at work, so I needed to text him about it. He gave me a brief answer. I was confused. I thought I knew what he meant, but …

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Introduction My husband’s job has odd hours. He works in a hospital so his shift might be days, evenings, or overnights. He has some plans with our youngest at the end of the month, so in order to get a week off, he needs to work 9 days in a …

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After School Ah, the joys of trying to engage our kids after school. I’m sure you’ve lived this reality…your child gets in the car and pulls out his/her phone. You rush to ask about his day. “It was fine,” he replies. You try to dig deeper. “Did anything fun happen?” …

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Excuses: The Beginning I was sitting in the hard pew at church. The cushions were removed due to Covid. Only my family was sitting near me. Everyone else was more than 6 feet away. The pastor was talking way up front (I’m a rear-church sitter, please don’t judge me). I …

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Marriages over time My husband and I were married four years when I first felt it. I woke up, looked at him, and thought, “this is as good as it gets?” Don’t get me wrong, our marriage was fine. But I wanted more than fine. I wanted dazzling. and exciting. …

Your Marriage Needs a Retreat Now Read more »

“Please do your chores” “Evin, please clean your bathroom today.” This is a phrase I’ve uttered countless times…generally every Saturday morning. I also said it to our first child but he rarely did this chore. The bathroom was nasty and I’d get so frustrated that I would just do it …

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Miscommunications. They happen all the time, in all our relationships. It’s super frustrating when it happens, as we often find it creeps up on us. The truth is, however, that researchers who study communication are fairly clear on how and why miscommunications occur. Keep reading to understand the why and …

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