I have seen on several blogs the marriage challenge by Christine, and I have finally decided to embark on this little 30 day journey. I love my husband tremendously, but I have come to the realization that nothing is harder on our marriage than the first 6 months after one of our children is born. Because we have no family close, dates are few and far between during these months. Our other children go to bed between 7:30 and 8:00, but the infant stays up until closer to 9:30 giving Erik and I less time alone without distractions. And, that is where we are right now - the infant stage.
Erik has a stressful job. And, it is truly my heart's desire to make home a restful, peaceful place for him to come home to. I want him to think of home when his day is long and hard. I want him to long to be home where he can be recharged and refreshed. But, to be honest, lately home has been, most likely, more stressful than work!!! Elijah is a sweetheart, but sometimes in the evenings he can be fussy. And, by the end of the day, the older boys are tired and whiney and their mama isn't much better! Dinner is often a mixture of 2 boys fussing because they don't want to eat the food prepared for them and a baby crying because he wants to be held. So, we usually end up taking turns holding Elijah while we eat which is tricky in and of itself. It is never the peaceful evening that I dream it will be. Often when he gets home, I just want to hand all 3 kids over to him and go for a jog, a long, a very long jog.
So, my goals for this week are:
1.) To make a conscious effort to smile more! Smiling makes a difference in how I feel, and I hope it makes others feel a little better, too.
2.) To make the evenings as peaceful as I possibly can - even if it means that I don't get a break.
3.) To encourage and uplift him daily.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
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16 comments:
Yeah! I am so glad you're joining us. You will be amazed at how your attitude will follow your actions. It's been an amazing journey so far!!
So happy you are joining in !! I know God is working in a mighty way in our marriages and will bless all of our efforts to honor our husbands. It has been a huge blessing for us already :) Blessings to you this week!
Erin, thank you for the reminder to care for our husbands and remember what they go through during the day. I'm afraid I forget that all too often!
OK...me not being a "joiner" by nature finds me challeged by this one. I did join in because I know that if I honor my DH in a Godly way that all the other pieces of our family fall into place.
how well I remember the struggles of daily life with little ones!
may God bless you and your marriage this week as you work through your goals!
peace, Alida
Erin,
You're going to be so happy you're doing this. I can't imagine how tough it must be to work on creating a calm environment right now...but I know the Lord can do it!
Blessings to you, friend!
Erin, God is going to honor your willing heart.
I need to join this challenge, too!
I am praying for many blessings upon your marriage.
Those are wonderful goals Erin. I know this is a difficult time. I was wondering as I read your post if there was someone in church you could swap babysitting with - even if it's just once a month. I always hear Dr. Dobson talking about doing things like that.
In the meantime - I know the Lord is going to bless and help you. He promises that when we are weak He is strong.
Blessings to you Erin.
Erin, I so understand where you are with the new baby. We have a colicky 2 month old and 3 others. My hubby had totally fallen off of my priority list- thus the challenge!
I hope you find encouragement and accountability. I know I have!!
That's awesome, Erin! And I LOVE that lamp.... could not fit that verse any more perfectly. I'm sure your husband appreciated such a thoughtful gift. Just the kind of reminder needed in a house full of sons! :)
Blessings this week. My hubby has appreciated so much just knowing I was making these goals a priority.
Oh, I feel your pain! I have two boys 6 and 3 and a new little wonderful blessing (a girl this time) 3 months. She had collic for the first 2 months which started at 6:30 and went to 10:00 sometimes 11:30!! Peace packed its bags each evening and ran out the door! Anyway, glad to hear you are joining!! It is really encouraging to know that we are not one lonely soldier battling but a mighty army battling together for His glory!!
JOYfully in Him,
Kelli
Pretty impressive, with a newborn, that youre beginning to look around and want to 'tidy up' things a bit, even relationships. I still remember bringing home little ones, with no family nearby to help and the sleep deprivation that came with it. Blessings to you - what an example you are! xoxoxo
What a great reminder... I fear my hubby doesn't see our home as a relaxing "respite" from his day, either... That is my goal; however, I always feel like I fall a little short!
Thanks for mentioning that... love your blog, by the way. Good luck to you on the marriage challenge!
What a lovely blog. My hubby has a stressful, full on job too. I found this post encouraging, and inspiring me to give my hubby the extra support he needs. I am a Mum of 2, now 6 and 4.
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