A Prioritized Marriage

Our kids headed back to school today and I've had memories flowing from when I was in the grades they're in now. Even if you don't have kids going back to school, this week's conversation starters are fun and will have you connecting on a personal level.

We have a lunch date planned with the kids gone all day, and I'm planning to pull these questions out during that date!

Learn something new about your spouse this week! You might be surprised by what you didn't already know.

💜 Selfie Sunday 💜

He was gone three and a half days this week and out of cell phone range for half the time. This week we will be taking care of one of our kids, post tonsillectomy. Next week the kids are back in school. Life continues to life, and I never regret the time we take to focus on our marriage relationship.

I grabbed some of his favorite snacks to pack on his trip this week. He checked in when he had cell phone service. We headed out on a date Saturday night after he got home. And we cuddled in the midst of our usual Sunday chaos today.

If you are a married couple (or one spouse in a marriage) and you want your marriage relationship to have that friendship and romance it did when you were dating, throughout your marriage, not just when you reach the golden years together, you're in the right place!

I'm Amberly! I'm a family life educator with a passion for helping couples fun, strong, fulfilling marriage relationships AND the education to back my passion up. I received my undergraduate degree in Family Studies, my Master's in Education with a Family Life Education emphasis, and am a Certified Family Life Educator through the National Council on Family Relations.

Creative date night solutions, connecting conversation starters, daily rituals that create fun and laughter, and true intimacy are my specialties. I bring energy, real life experiences, and expertise to this space!

Thanks for being part of the A Prioritized Marriage community! I'd love to hear why YOU choose to follow along!

💜 Selfie Sunday 💜

I'm looking forward to taking this guy with me to see Idina Menzel in concert this weekend, and then getting a child through their tonsil removal next week. Marriage is living very real life alongside each other AND having fun while you live it. We're not perfect at it, but we still try!

My husband and I grew up two blocks away from each other, were raised in the same religion, went to the same junior high/high school and graduated a year apart. Relatively similar backgrounds and yet, so many differences in our family cultures.

We both came from families that got 5 for $5 roast beef sandwiches for everyone to split when we were out to eat (IYKYK). But I came from an ingredient household and he came from a snack family. He gives me grief when I call both the cabinets and counters "cupboards". I question his decision to leave the toilet lids up indefinitely. We've created our own family culture, stemming from our families of origin.

These questions are meant to create a fun conversation about the homes you grew up in, how those cultures shaped you both, and what pieces have created your own family culture.

After you've talked, here are some fun ways to use what you learned!

💛 Take a stroll through your hometown and point out the places of significance for your family. The parks you went to, the stores you shopped at, the school you went to, the places you frequented for food and drinks.

💛 Watch a movie or episode of a TV show, listen to songs, or read a book that was a family favorite growing up.

💛 Swing by the grocery store and pick up some of the things you could always find in your fridge, freezer, or pantry growing up and enjoy them together.

💛 Surprise your spouse a "night at home" including the sights, sounds and flavors they might have enjoyed on a typical night growing up.

💛 Talk about how your family cultures and traditions have shaped the family you have now. What has stayed and what have you let go of? What do you want to do the same or differently?

Share something you learn in the comments below!