Many of the women in here have been married for many years, and some for just a few, but I imagine all of us are still looking for ways to keep the love alive.

With teens, work, keeping up with the house, yard, family, friends, etc. we still have to work at our marriages.

Thought this would be a great place to share how we go about keeping the spark alive. Seeing teens in "love" reminds me of the puppy love days when emotions ran so high.

I'm glad I'm not back there with all the doubts and fears of, "What if he drops me for someone else?"
"Does he really love me?" Remember all those worries?

Anyway, how are we staying in love with the men we married years ago?

Here is my first thought and one that made a difference for me. Somewhere in the Bible(I am so bad at recalling books and verses)it says to outdo one another with kindness.

I remember being in a study with a minister and we were studying verses on marriage and he pointed that one out. For whatever reason, it stuck that day.

I have pondered it many times and really try to do nice things for my husband just for the niceness of it.

Little things like:
-put toothpaste on his toothbrush
-pour his orange juice
-do an errand for him if I know he is rushed
-turn back his side of the bed
-find something he is looking for
-scratch his back before he asks
-if he is upset about something, try to help him sort it out and minimize it for him
-but a favorite food
-surprise him by having his lunch made if he stops home in the middle of the day

You get the idea? Just little things to make his life easier.

Any thoughts or ideas on this one?

Dennis and I enjoy going out to eat in our favorite restaurants. Sometimes we splurge and go to a movie at the mall..sometimes we just go shopping together. He has gotten much more patient in regards to shopping than he used to. I still, however, reserve clothing shopping and certain female interests for trips with my daughter, Becky. Usually Dennis and I shop together for gifts for the grandkids' birthdays or Christmas.
We go to family get togethers together, church whenever we can ( my job has me away at work until about 9:30 a.m. so am usually exhausted by the time I get home and often am asleep when Dennis gets home from church at 10 a.m. When I no longer have to work every weekend, we will go to church together more often.
I like to surprise him with little gifts, like the newest book by his favorite author, a hunting magazine, a package of new socks or handkerchiefs, or a new shirt or pair of Jeans. He buys me flowers and romantic cards. Sometimes he'll bring home a treat for me, like chocolates or ice cream.
We try to make dates together, with just the two of us alone...but enjoy inviting the entire family to the pizza hut for supper from time to time as well.

I used to put post it notes with little lovey notes on his steering wheel so that when he left for work in the morning that would be how he began his day. I was also big on cards for no reason. When he left, and asked for his "stuff"
I packed a box I'd made him when we first met that was full of love notes, cards and poetry that I'd given him over 15 years. The little things do count for so much....and because of that, I can at least rest in the knowledge that if he ever does recover and find the box, he'll somehow remember what we had once.

I turned the calendar in the kitchen over to July this morning and saw my birthday circled in a heart shape with a note written by my hubby saying - the love of my life, darling, sweethearts birthday

It really is the little things that make a difference.

While we can't spend a lot of time together right now because of our individual goals, my husband still makes time to just sit and give me hugs.

He did another thing yesterday that was really nice, but also kind of silly. I have really bad vericos veins and I am starting to wear those compression stockings. I wore them for the first time yesterday and my husband said that he thought I looked kind of sexy in them. I could tell he wasn't joking and while it was very sweet, it's a little weird. I told him it's been too long since he things the compresion stockings are sexy!

What an awesome husband that he should say something like that instead of making you feel awkward about them.

You have a winner there! Don't you agree girls?

Another thing I do on occasion is write messages with lipstick on the mirror in our bathroom.

At this stage of the game (3 teens in the house, who often use our bathroom), the messages are vague, but show love!

Just make sure you use a tube of lipstick that you aren't crazy about 'cause it does a number on the lipstick.

i always figured that God made man and woman connected -- in a cookie cutter shape -- and then set us free on this earth to try to find each other again.

that's why -- no matter which way we turn over at night -- my hubby and i always "fit" together -- the other half of that cookie cut shape -- when you find that soul mate -- it all just falls into place

it's so good to know -- that for all the frogs i've kissed -- i finally found my prince

Thanks for the compliment about my hubby. He is very good to me. He's away this weekend and while Ienjoy having the house to myself it is hard at night when no one is around.