I've lost 3 or 4 followers but that's okay. I haven't blogged in a very long time so it's to be expected. I think I would be more offended if I lost blog followers during active blogging periods haha.
As many of you know, today is father's day. I'm going to take a moment to wish everyone a happy Father's day. If you are father, kudos to you! If you're not a father, take the time today to express appreciation to anyone who served as a positive father figure in your life, I'm sure they'll appreciate it!
Moving on. I feel like not much has happened but I guess really a lot of stuff has been going on.
Briefly summed up, they stressed good communication between each other, which you would think is a no-brainer but it's funny how often Jack and I slip into habits of familiarity where we talk about the important things, life goals, finances, child-rearing etc., But we don't take the time to just talk about what went on in our day, interesting thoughts or information we found, things you share with your friends, stuff like that. And really the person who should be your closest friend is your spouse so why wouldn't you talk about that stuff? When we make an effort to do that I know we are a lot closer to each other than in times where we aren't doing that.
In addition, they talked about making sure your spouse hears you give admiration and appreciation for them. Saying how grateful you are for being in a relationship with them, qualities they have that you admire and love, stuff like that. I really appreciated that and it reminded me of a recent General Conference talk which I absolutely loved! It was entitled The Eternal Blessing of Marriage and in it Elder Richard G Scott said, "express gratitude for what your spouse does for you. Express that love and gratitude often. That will make life far richer and more pleasant and purposeful. Don’t withhold those natural expressions of love. And it works a lot better if you are holding her close while you tell her." He was speaking directly to men at the time, basically saying that you need to tell your wife you lover her even if she already knows it, but I think these words go both ways. These are simple things that sometimes you forget. Really simple, easy ways to make your life happier.
Another thing mentioned at both the wedding and in the aforementioned talk, was speaking kindly of your spouse. I think this one can be really difficult sometimes, especially for women where it's really common for us to get together and share our griefs with the world and our lives in general. But I learned this lesson when I was younger, and relearn oftentimes when I forget. Say for example I am a friend of Jane (random name) and every time she is upset with her boyfriend she comes to me, while naturally then all I hear about is the negative, all the annoying habits and terrible things Jane's boyfriend says and does. So I concur based on the information she's given me that he is a terrible, horrible boyfriend. When in reality, he could be a great guy! It's all perspective. When you're in the heat of the moment things seem so much more exaggerated and "large-scale" than they really are and to think I could be giving someone a negative perspective or opinion of my husband, who really is a wonderful person, loving father, and caring husband, just because of a fight that ticked me off kind of breaks my heart.
To quote the talk again, "If you are married, are you faithful to your spouse mentally as well as physically? Are you loyal to your marriage covenants by never engaging in conversation with another person that you wouldn’t want your spouse to overhear? Are you kind and supportive of your spouse and children?"
It's simple things like these I get to reflect on and think about more and I appreciate that. Anyway, that kind of turned into a whole long thing didn't it? Unintentional, sorry!
But moving on, after the wedding we were able to come home and rest for a whole long week! Then it was off to Alaska where Jack had planned a fishing trip. While he was out on the boat fishing Thomas and I got to hang-out with our relatives that live up there in Alaska. It was a really nice visit and I was so glad Thomas got to spend time with his cousins and play. It was a great little vacation and I'm glad we had the opportunity to go.
Now that we're back home, I think I'm ready to stick around for awhile! I'm a little worn out from all the traveling but really glad I didn't have to do it on my own and Jack could help out taking turns holding Thomas on the planes etc., We probably won't be going on any other trips anytime soon. Probably not until the next wedding we have in August :)
Speaking of Jack and Thomas, they're back from his walk and Jack's Father's Day cake is done cooling so I think it's time for me to sign off for now! Ciao!
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