Happy 17th Anniversary to me and Rob! We celebrated 17 years together on the 16th. All we wanted this year was to go out to dinner, just us, kid-free. And that is what we did Saturday night, we also went to a game board store after dinner to look at some birthday present ideas for Larry. Last minute, we bought tickets and went and saw “Aquaman 2” Monday night just us as well.
After 17 years of marriage here are a few things I have learned:
#1-ALWAYS talk about your finances together and make sure both of you have access/login information to your bank account. Never buy any big purchases without talking about it first (like a car, not a candy bar).
#2-It is OKAY to do things separate from each other. Most nights, me and Rob will watch a movie or a show or play a game with the kids, but there are some nights where we both just want to do our own thing. And that is a good thing, you need your own space or you will get sick of each other very quickly.
#3-Walk away when either of you are angry. Go in another room. Take a breath. Then come back and apologize and talk it out. (This works great with kids too.😊)
#4-Go on dates, just you 2, as often as possible. Is this season of our life, it doesn’t happen very often and a lot of the time it looks like picking up dinner for everyone and having the teens babysit their baby brother while me and Rob go in the bedroom to eat and watch a movie together.
#5-Have fun together! We like to play games, like Skip-bo, just us or we will play games as a family. It keeps us connected and laughing and having fun with each other.
#6-NEVER assume your significant other knows what you are feeling or thinking (no one can read minds). Always communicate your wants and needs so you don’t end up resenting each other.
No matter much you love each other, marriage can be hard. You have to work at it every day. And sometimes, it just doesn’t work out (both of mine and Rob’s parents are divorced. I do get that some people just don’t work out).
I hope that no matter how long you have been together, you both have a happy life together.