Being more intentional

It is so easy to grow apart after you have been married for 26 years. Darren and I found ourselves doing just that. We wouldn't watch tv together or eat dinner together. It seems we were just so comfortable with each other that we didn't make an effort to be together. About 3 weeks ago, we had a long talk about becoming more intentional in our relationship. I told him that i wanted to be treated like his "girlfriend" and I must say, things have improved at our house. Now, don't get me wrong...I'm in love with my hubby and have always felt so blessed to be his bride, but I just felt like we were drifting.
We got the book called "Love Dare" and are trying to put the devotion into practice. Each day you are given a challenge. Day One was to refrain from any negative comment. I think in marriage, we sometimes need to learn to bite our tongue. Sometimes we are meaner to the person we love the most than anyone else in the world. Day Two is to not only refrain from negative comments, but to show kindness in an unexpected way. Day Three was to purchase something that made the other know you were thinking of them (I bought him a Sonic lime diet coke). That is as far as we have gotten, but we plan to continue. It will take us MUCH longer than 40 days to finish the book, but at least we have started it....
One of the things that we have decided to do (I decided, he agreed) is to have 2 date nights per month. These date nights don't have to be expensive, but you have to put some thought into them and the other person can't complain. I told Darren that if I planned a date to the opera, he couldn't complain. He said, "Good thing you don't like the opera!" Ha! He got off the hook when he said he would plan our first date night - a trip to Las Vegas. He had planned that trip months ago for the Super Bowl, but I still let him off the hook. I had to plan the next date night.
On Friday night, Feb. 18, we headed to Amarillo to stay at the Adaberry Inn. Nathan and Alyson had given us a gift certificate when they got married and so we used it for our special date. This is a great bed and breakfast and was a special treat for us.
We had dinner at a great restaurant called Macaroni Joes.


After dinner, we tried to find a place to listen to live music, but ended up back at the bed and breakfast for a pretty early bedtime. The next morning, we had a great breakfast with a sweet, young couple who were headed to Africa to become missionaries. We left the B&B, shopped a little, had a late lunch and then headed home.
Darren and I are both trying to be more intentional in our relationship. I pray that the next 26 years of our marriage gets better and better. I love that man!