Friday, October 07, 2005
Marriage and family: Keeping our "focus"
Julie and I recently spent some time journaling our goals and then sharing them with each other. It was a great activity for us to do together. It reminded me of the blessings and challenges we have now as a family.
Amanda and Emily are both healthy and doing well. Several of our goals were related to us being better parents and enjoying our family as our kids grow. Amanda just took her first piano lesson today and she is enjoying practicing. Emily made me happy last night when she hugged me and said "you're the best daddy!" When she saw Julie, she ran over and said "your the best mommy!" Emily always tries to be careful to keep everyone happy. We are fortunate to have such good kids.
I had a sleep study last night and will probably use a machine that will help me breathe better at night (and stop my snoring which will be good for Julie). I need to be more health conscious and trying to be more careful about my diet. I also need to schedule a regular exercise program.
My career will be going through significant changes in the next few months. I need to successfully complete the psychology board exam as soon as possibly, and am hoping to complete it in early December, 2005. In just a few months, I will be moving out of my current position and into helping to lead a new non-profit counseling center. This change will give me the opporuntity for professional development, and potentially more income, but also has a number of risks (as all new business ventures do).
As we shared our goals, Julie and I focused on continuing to deepen our friendship and marriage. We have been married for nine years now, and the time has gone by very fast. Having a good marriage isn't easy and I make many mistakes. Fortunately for me, Julie has learned to accept me the way I am, forgive me when she needs to, and love me along the way.
One of the things I most look forward to in the week is after the kids have gone to bed and Julie and I have a couple of hours or so to enjoy a movie together. Every couple of months or so, we actually try to splurge and have a date. We can't do this nearly as often as I'd like to, but I think that helps add to the fun of our dates. Over the past year or so, when Julie and I have been able to go out on a date, I feel even more excited than when we first started dating!
Of course, being nine years older (in my mid-30s vs. mid-20s) and after nine years of marriage, my "excitement" is a little different now. I look forward to the time Julie and I spend together going out and getting away from all the distractions we have while we are at home. Being able to focus on each other and share some laughs, our thoughts, and our goals together is what I look forward to.
Being able to "focus" on her after the date is still my favorite part of the evening, but it's good that some things don't change =).
Amanda and Emily are both healthy and doing well. Several of our goals were related to us being better parents and enjoying our family as our kids grow. Amanda just took her first piano lesson today and she is enjoying practicing. Emily made me happy last night when she hugged me and said "you're the best daddy!" When she saw Julie, she ran over and said "your the best mommy!" Emily always tries to be careful to keep everyone happy. We are fortunate to have such good kids.
I had a sleep study last night and will probably use a machine that will help me breathe better at night (and stop my snoring which will be good for Julie). I need to be more health conscious and trying to be more careful about my diet. I also need to schedule a regular exercise program.
My career will be going through significant changes in the next few months. I need to successfully complete the psychology board exam as soon as possibly, and am hoping to complete it in early December, 2005. In just a few months, I will be moving out of my current position and into helping to lead a new non-profit counseling center. This change will give me the opporuntity for professional development, and potentially more income, but also has a number of risks (as all new business ventures do).
As we shared our goals, Julie and I focused on continuing to deepen our friendship and marriage. We have been married for nine years now, and the time has gone by very fast. Having a good marriage isn't easy and I make many mistakes. Fortunately for me, Julie has learned to accept me the way I am, forgive me when she needs to, and love me along the way.
One of the things I most look forward to in the week is after the kids have gone to bed and Julie and I have a couple of hours or so to enjoy a movie together. Every couple of months or so, we actually try to splurge and have a date. We can't do this nearly as often as I'd like to, but I think that helps add to the fun of our dates. Over the past year or so, when Julie and I have been able to go out on a date, I feel even more excited than when we first started dating!
Of course, being nine years older (in my mid-30s vs. mid-20s) and after nine years of marriage, my "excitement" is a little different now. I look forward to the time Julie and I spend together going out and getting away from all the distractions we have while we are at home. Being able to focus on each other and share some laughs, our thoughts, and our goals together is what I look forward to.
Being able to "focus" on her after the date is still my favorite part of the evening, but it's good that some things don't change =).
# posted by Dave Spriggs : 7:59 PM
