Trevor’s parents will celebrate their 41st anniversary later this month (Happy anniversary Monty and Melannie!) While mine celebrated their 34th in April of this year.

Combined, that is a total of 328 years of marriage experience! We have had the incredible opportunity to see, or hear, first-hand how these couples have handled difficult situations and beautiful moments alike.

Whether, your marriage is struggling or superb
I know you will enjoy these nuggets of wedlock wisdom we have gleaned over the past 10 years.

Spend Time Together

This sounds like a simple thing but it is very easily put on the back-burner. Carve out time for each other every single day. Even if it’s only 5 uninterrupted minutes of conversation-do it! Having a date night once a week is a great goal to shoot for. We don’t always get to “go out” but we try to spend a good chunk of quality time together every week. Sometimes that looks like building fence or weeding the garden together, but working as a team is important, too.

Basically, do whatever it takes to make time for each other.

Have each Other’s Back

I cannot tell you how many times I have been in a group of wives who start talking about their husbands’ “flaws”. Before too long, it turns into a competition of who has the worst husband. “George never helps with the laundry.”, “Oh, you think that is bad??? Well, my Joshua doesn’t even put his clothes in the hamper!”, “Oh please! That’s nothing compared to the slob I live with! And to top it off, he never remembers to put the toilet seat down!”

I have fallen into this trap on more than one occasion myself. However, a few years ago I tried something new. When the talk turned to missed laundry hampers and lidless toothpaste I said something positive about my man. It is amazing how fast the dialogue would switch from negative to positive speech. I believe it is so important for your husband to know that you have his back and equally as important for you to know that he has your’s.

Don’t Neglect Intimacy

I am a firm believer that a married couple’s sex life is just that- THEIR’S! Not my business and mine is not your’s. However, intimacy in marriage is hugely important and should not be neglected. There are many resources out there to help couples in this sensitive area. One that I would recommend is Dr. Kevin Leman’s “Sheet Music”. This short read is available at most book stores and can be found on Audible.

Celebrate Each Other

Trevor and I recently took a weekend trip to celebrate our tenth anniversary This trip was to be the first time we have been able to “get-away” since we were married. There were several things that came up and/or happened right before we were supposed to leave that put me on the verge of canceling our trip! Everything from not being able to fly into the city where we needed to fly into, to our oldest son breaking his arm. My mom, sister and friend (Emily) graciously stepped in and helped get us on our way. The trip was a wonderful refreshment for both Trevor and I! (Stay tuned for more on that mini-vacay!)

Make sure your spouse knows you value them and their accomplishments. Celebrate milestones. Make a big deal out of each and every success they have. Be their biggest fan and their loudest cheerleader.

Pray Together

There is not much that is as intimate as inviting someone into your prayer life. Praying together on the regular is vastly impactful and absolutely irreplaceable! Prayer has a massive impact on marriage! Use it as an every day tool.

To sum it all up, your marriage is worth investing in! A happy marriage is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your children and, ultimately, one of the best gifts you can give to yourself as well.